Be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger, and don't give the Devil an opportunity. All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. (Ephesians 4:26-27, 31-32 HCSB)
Why do we get so angry? Doesn't it seem like every day, with just one wrong word, or maybe even something as subtle as a glance, we become enraged and wanna destroy anyone we come into contact with.
Maybe not. Maybe I'm just describing myself. Unfortunately, I usually get pretty fired up easily. I tend to be "passionate" about certain things, and when these things come into question, or someone's ignorance becomes apparent, I have been known to become angry. This is not good.
So in Ephesians, Paul is demanding something simple from an apparently angry people: be angry and do not sin. The two go hand in hand. If we're not angry, our propensity to sin decreases. Plain and simple. Now if only it were that easy.
Hold on, there seems to be more advice. "Don't let the sun go down on your anger." So, don't leave anything that makes you angry unsettled? Does that seem right? So, if I'm mad at you because you ran over my mailbox, do I settle it before I go to bed by screaming at you and knocking down your mailbox? Nah. I just make sure I apply the first bit of advice too. I don't get angry and I don't sin. But how do I address this then?
More advice!! Paul says, "All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness." So, I can't throw eggs at your car in revenge because it displays all of these traits. No fun (Just Kidding)!! I can't be all of these things if I follow his first step. These traits don't usually come up unless there's some sort of anger involved. This is a kind of crazy anger to some degree. The word wickedness usually denotes something evil or demonic. This means that me being a hooligan and knocking out your taillights for messing up my mailbox mimics devilish stuff. Not cool.
Paul also says, "And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another." Stop right there. So, in my little example, I forgive you. Wow. That might be hard. Well, it would be hard, unless I hadn't already put away my bitterness and wrath and stuff.
Here comes the finisher! That last part of the verse: "just as God also forgave you in Christ." If you didn't necessarily feel like you wanted to follow these rules so far, this part is where the Holy Spirit should be putting you on a guilt trip. When we look to Christ and the marvelous work He has done to reconcile us to God our Father, how can we even get mad at someone else? Shouldn't we be filled with so much joy that we can't help but be happy?
When you read this passage, think about how we can use this in our day to day lives to advance the Kingdom of God. We need to keep in mind that every person we come in contact with is observing us. If we don't put aside our anger, whether it be with our brothers and sisters in Christ or those on the outside looking in, we will not be exemplifying our Lord. Not cool.
My prayer is that we would all put aside our anger, settle in a Christ-honoring way, and look past it to focus on the big picture: how much God loves us, and how He commands us to spread His Word.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Dodgeball to the Face, Part Deux
Last time we talked about the experience with the dodgeball to the face, and how it's like being questioned about our faith. I addressed how we should answer those questions, but I didn't focus on the other part of that scenario: the pain itself.
When we are questioned about our faith, many time these questions hurt because we don't readily have an answer. We live inn the age of instant gratification, so when we can't produce an answer, all of a sudden we clam up, and it's like we feel completely numb to the Holy Spirit for a brief time. All of a sudden, we feel as if we're non-believers all over again. We feel empty. We even go as far as to ask God, "Hey, what is the answer to their question? Do You even know?"
Whoa!! What just happened?! One minute we're on mission for Christ, the next we're questioning God like we understand everything. Not cool. We've officially gone too far, but unfortunately, I wouldn't be mentioning this if we didn't do it. I've hit rough patches before where I questioned God. It was a time where I just had to ask, "Am I missing something? Why does there seem to be a contradiction here? I know You're real, and I know Your Word's real, but help me understand this." I couldn't figure out how certain parts of the Bible fit with what we know today. I was having trouble finding a timeline for when this stuff happened in the Bible. I even had to ask if we were doing the right thing, or if we were just the crazy brand of Jews.
I know, I just unloaded a whole mess of personal stuff on you. My bad. Back to the point. That feeling hurts, but it's the calm you feel later that's evidence of God. It's when you're an emotional wreck at night not knowing what eternity has in store for you that you hear that still small voice say, "Why don't you just calm down for a while? Are you alright? I'm listening. Lay your burdens down at my feet." No, this isn't the voice of a concerned parent... Well, on second thought it is. It's the Father saying He cares.
Next time this happens to you, remember why you even believe what the Bible says. You believe it because God has shown Himself to you, and He's shown you the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Just remember that when you get stuck in a rut.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
When we are questioned about our faith, many time these questions hurt because we don't readily have an answer. We live inn the age of instant gratification, so when we can't produce an answer, all of a sudden we clam up, and it's like we feel completely numb to the Holy Spirit for a brief time. All of a sudden, we feel as if we're non-believers all over again. We feel empty. We even go as far as to ask God, "Hey, what is the answer to their question? Do You even know?"
Whoa!! What just happened?! One minute we're on mission for Christ, the next we're questioning God like we understand everything. Not cool. We've officially gone too far, but unfortunately, I wouldn't be mentioning this if we didn't do it. I've hit rough patches before where I questioned God. It was a time where I just had to ask, "Am I missing something? Why does there seem to be a contradiction here? I know You're real, and I know Your Word's real, but help me understand this." I couldn't figure out how certain parts of the Bible fit with what we know today. I was having trouble finding a timeline for when this stuff happened in the Bible. I even had to ask if we were doing the right thing, or if we were just the crazy brand of Jews.
I know, I just unloaded a whole mess of personal stuff on you. My bad. Back to the point. That feeling hurts, but it's the calm you feel later that's evidence of God. It's when you're an emotional wreck at night not knowing what eternity has in store for you that you hear that still small voice say, "Why don't you just calm down for a while? Are you alright? I'm listening. Lay your burdens down at my feet." No, this isn't the voice of a concerned parent... Well, on second thought it is. It's the Father saying He cares.
Next time this happens to you, remember why you even believe what the Bible says. You believe it because God has shown Himself to you, and He's shown you the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Just remember that when you get stuck in a rut.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Dodgeball to the Face
Nothing hurts quite like a dodgeball to the face.
Once when I was in fifth grade, we were out playing at recess at San Mateo. Back then, there was a large opening covered by old trees where people played kickball. Well, one day we had an extra ball, which meant that anyone could have it and start some other game. Since we were on the swings, we decided to make a new kind of kickball. One person would throw the balk to someone who was swinging. The person in the swing had to kick it while in mid-swing to send it really high. Other people were waiting to catch this ball farther away.
When it was time for me to kick the ball, I was swinging really high and getting prepared. One kid grabbed the ball and threw it at me really fast. It went straight past my feet while I was at the bottom of the swing's motion and it hit me in the face. OUCH!!
Remember how I said earlier that nothing hurts quite like a dodgeball to the face? I may need to add a little note...
Nothing hurts quite like a dodgeball to the face while swinging and then falling out of the swing as it reaches the tallest point of motion.
Tis was one of the worst feelings I ever had. I'm laying on the ground, trying not to cry in front of all of my friends, but it's hard since the ball pretty much nailed my tear ducts (yeah, something like that.) How could even get by with crying? Then I knew what I had to do.
I laid there until someone came beside me and asked if I was alright. I looked up with a blank stare and said, "I can't see." Then, someone else rushed over to see what was up. At this point, I just started yelling "I can't see!! I can't see!!" I was doing everything I could to make it appear as though I had went blind, since there were tears. This didn't last long, because someone threw a ball at me and I ducked to avoid it, and apparently no one believed that I heard the air rushing toward me. Oh well.
This feeling of pain and embarrassment is something I can only compare to when we are questioned about our faith. And I don't me the warm, fuzzy, "How must I be saved?" Sunday School material questioning. I mean the rigorous kind that makes you feel like the loser of a very important debate. This happens almost daily for some of us, and for others it's something we just want to avoid all together.
The Bible commands that we need to be "prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15) Uh-oh. Now we're laying on the ground, stunned by what they just hit us with, trying to think up some excuse for not being able to respond. Do we respond by yelling and shutting them down? No. The same verse says to "do it with gentleness and respect." We are supposed to show the people who wrong us love, not try to make them feel bad for their misdeeds. In my example, me pretending to be blind to make them feel bad was awful, just like it would be awful if, when asked about particular beliefs we hold, we respond with a response that might as well be calling the person a filthy sinner.
This answer we're supposed to provide doesn't have to win, and many times it does not. After all, the Bible passage doesn't go on to say that once you win, you must be nice. It says when you're slandered, you respond with gentleness and respect to shame the opposer. It's not like you're trying to win a debate!! You just wanna share the love of God with that person. You end up "winning" if you are truly following Jesus, but if you're truly following Jesus, you probably realize that you're "losing" if you focus more on some sort of nonexistent battle than on leading a lost soul to Christ. Just think of this the next time the world hits you in the face with a dodgeball.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Once when I was in fifth grade, we were out playing at recess at San Mateo. Back then, there was a large opening covered by old trees where people played kickball. Well, one day we had an extra ball, which meant that anyone could have it and start some other game. Since we were on the swings, we decided to make a new kind of kickball. One person would throw the balk to someone who was swinging. The person in the swing had to kick it while in mid-swing to send it really high. Other people were waiting to catch this ball farther away.
When it was time for me to kick the ball, I was swinging really high and getting prepared. One kid grabbed the ball and threw it at me really fast. It went straight past my feet while I was at the bottom of the swing's motion and it hit me in the face. OUCH!!
Remember how I said earlier that nothing hurts quite like a dodgeball to the face? I may need to add a little note...
Nothing hurts quite like a dodgeball to the face while swinging and then falling out of the swing as it reaches the tallest point of motion.
Tis was one of the worst feelings I ever had. I'm laying on the ground, trying not to cry in front of all of my friends, but it's hard since the ball pretty much nailed my tear ducts (yeah, something like that.) How could even get by with crying? Then I knew what I had to do.
I laid there until someone came beside me and asked if I was alright. I looked up with a blank stare and said, "I can't see." Then, someone else rushed over to see what was up. At this point, I just started yelling "I can't see!! I can't see!!" I was doing everything I could to make it appear as though I had went blind, since there were tears. This didn't last long, because someone threw a ball at me and I ducked to avoid it, and apparently no one believed that I heard the air rushing toward me. Oh well.
This feeling of pain and embarrassment is something I can only compare to when we are questioned about our faith. And I don't me the warm, fuzzy, "How must I be saved?" Sunday School material questioning. I mean the rigorous kind that makes you feel like the loser of a very important debate. This happens almost daily for some of us, and for others it's something we just want to avoid all together.
The Bible commands that we need to be "prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15) Uh-oh. Now we're laying on the ground, stunned by what they just hit us with, trying to think up some excuse for not being able to respond. Do we respond by yelling and shutting them down? No. The same verse says to "do it with gentleness and respect." We are supposed to show the people who wrong us love, not try to make them feel bad for their misdeeds. In my example, me pretending to be blind to make them feel bad was awful, just like it would be awful if, when asked about particular beliefs we hold, we respond with a response that might as well be calling the person a filthy sinner.
This answer we're supposed to provide doesn't have to win, and many times it does not. After all, the Bible passage doesn't go on to say that once you win, you must be nice. It says when you're slandered, you respond with gentleness and respect to shame the opposer. It's not like you're trying to win a debate!! You just wanna share the love of God with that person. You end up "winning" if you are truly following Jesus, but if you're truly following Jesus, you probably realize that you're "losing" if you focus more on some sort of nonexistent battle than on leading a lost soul to Christ. Just think of this the next time the world hits you in the face with a dodgeball.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Monday, September 19, 2011
New Shoes
New Blog Post
It's Not Easy Being Clean
Nothing is more obvious than when your shoes are new.
This probably sounds really stupid right now, but I'll explain. So, whenever someone gets a new pair of shoes, it's really obvious because there aren't any holes, or large scuff marks, or discolorations, or even foul odors. They become very adamant about keeping clean. I mean super adamant, to the point where if you get too close they've already swung at you, but thankfully you moved quick enough. It's true. You never wanna get 'em wet or scuff 'em or anything like that, because if you do they don't have that brand new feeling anymore. Am I the only one who ever felt this way or observed this?
Well, part of the reason we like the shoes is because they're squeaky clean. We just got them, so we haven't had time to mess them up. It's kinda like when God gives us a new heart. When we're first radically changed by God, it's amazing. Talk about squeaky clean. He tells us in Isaiah 1 that He'll wash us white as snow, which is true. But what happens a year or so down the road...
All of a sudden, that new heart's worn out, just like those new shoes. All of a sudden, our heart's have gotten dirty again, and it's time for a change. Only God doesn't have to give us a new heart this time. He just reaches out to clean it up. Maybe that's what you need from God. I know I have for a while. He doesn't just clean it though. You have to ask Him to clean it. You have to repent. Otherwise, he's looking at your shoes with a rag and a bottle of 409, waiting for you to admit that they're dirty.
I guess the question is just this: does your heart need to be clean? I'll admit mine does, now you must admit to the Lord that you are in need of a clean heart, or a new one if you have not been born again.
It's Not Easy Being Clean
Nothing is more obvious than when your shoes are new.
This probably sounds really stupid right now, but I'll explain. So, whenever someone gets a new pair of shoes, it's really obvious because there aren't any holes, or large scuff marks, or discolorations, or even foul odors. They become very adamant about keeping clean. I mean super adamant, to the point where if you get too close they've already swung at you, but thankfully you moved quick enough. It's true. You never wanna get 'em wet or scuff 'em or anything like that, because if you do they don't have that brand new feeling anymore. Am I the only one who ever felt this way or observed this?
Well, part of the reason we like the shoes is because they're squeaky clean. We just got them, so we haven't had time to mess them up. It's kinda like when God gives us a new heart. When we're first radically changed by God, it's amazing. Talk about squeaky clean. He tells us in Isaiah 1 that He'll wash us white as snow, which is true. But what happens a year or so down the road...
All of a sudden, that new heart's worn out, just like those new shoes. All of a sudden, our heart's have gotten dirty again, and it's time for a change. Only God doesn't have to give us a new heart this time. He just reaches out to clean it up. Maybe that's what you need from God. I know I have for a while. He doesn't just clean it though. You have to ask Him to clean it. You have to repent. Otherwise, he's looking at your shoes with a rag and a bottle of 409, waiting for you to admit that they're dirty.
I guess the question is just this: does your heart need to be clean? I'll admit mine does, now you must admit to the Lord that you are in need of a clean heart, or a new one if you have not been born again.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Remember the Creator
I just finished Ecclesiastes. The last chapter said "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'" I couldn't believe what I read. It's like Solomon knew how it was gonna be today. It was like God was behind this book or something...
(Insert laugh here)
I notice a lot of people who haven't remembered their Creator in their youth. I notice myself not giving enough to my Creator for all that He's done. Not that I could repay Him, but I would like to serve Him for what He's done. Every single day, I wake up and see the sunlight and I'm happy. I take the dog outside, I see the wind blowing the grass, and I'm happy. I struggle in life and get depressed, but the little things make me happy. These little things are so simple, yet no one but God would know that I like them. God knows more than anyone else how much I love art, and every time I see the sky painted in majestic colors contrasted with the solid ground of many textures, I say thank you. I tear up. Even in the stress of life, God's painting a beautiful picture. Maybe He's telling me something. Maybe He's saying that it's time to realize that the Creator loves the created so much that He would do anything, whether it be paint the sky, send rain to a dry land, or send a Savior to the lost.
Look outside right now. Don't bow to what you see, but bow to the Artist, the Creator, for giving you something so awesome and beautiful. If we all just remember where we came from, we'll be much better off.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
(Insert laugh here)
I notice a lot of people who haven't remembered their Creator in their youth. I notice myself not giving enough to my Creator for all that He's done. Not that I could repay Him, but I would like to serve Him for what He's done. Every single day, I wake up and see the sunlight and I'm happy. I take the dog outside, I see the wind blowing the grass, and I'm happy. I struggle in life and get depressed, but the little things make me happy. These little things are so simple, yet no one but God would know that I like them. God knows more than anyone else how much I love art, and every time I see the sky painted in majestic colors contrasted with the solid ground of many textures, I say thank you. I tear up. Even in the stress of life, God's painting a beautiful picture. Maybe He's telling me something. Maybe He's saying that it's time to realize that the Creator loves the created so much that He would do anything, whether it be paint the sky, send rain to a dry land, or send a Savior to the lost.
Look outside right now. Don't bow to what you see, but bow to the Artist, the Creator, for giving you something so awesome and beautiful. If we all just remember where we came from, we'll be much better off.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Nothing New Under the Sun
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
There is no memory of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no memory among those who follow [them].
--Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 (HCSB)
Not exactly the most optimistic verses in the Bible, right? You’re gonna be forgotten by the next generation. I’m gonna be totally honest: I haven’t read much out of Ecclesiastes before, so for me this is like “Whoa! You should read this!” I immediately read the first set of verses and it seems kind of depressing. I’m gonna be forgotten. Aw man. But then again, why do I deserve to be remembered?
What have I done?
Nothing.
What have any of us done? Nothing? Really, ‘cause I feel like we’ve done something. Let’s look at verse 9 and 10, because it’s actually humorous. “What has been will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Can one say about anything, ‘Look, this is new’? It has already existed in the ages before us.” Think about explorers like Columbus, Ponce de Leon and Pizarro. When they discovered some new island or continent, I’m sure the priest that’s always beside them in all the paintings must’ve said “You know sir, there’s nothing new under the sun. God knew it was here first.” How funny would that have been? Who wouldn’t laugh at that? I guess the best answer would be one of the explorers, who would probably execute the priest at that point.
Anyways, my point is this. Why do we feel the need to do things? I noticed the section that these verses fall under in the Holman Christian Standard Bible is titled “Everything is Futile.” This sounds very existential and depressing, but it is true in this sense. Why continually try to discover something that God already knows about? He did make it. He does remember where He put it. “Thanks Columbus. I was wondering where I placed the West Indies. Here’s a gold statue of you to put somewhere.” No, that’s not what God says. He knows it’s there. Give Him props for it. Every time you find something beautiful in nature that you had not seen before, God is revealing His work to you. It’s like God writes us a letter that says “Hey, here’s a beautiful sunrise. I made it for all of you. Hope you enjoy” and we’re all looking at it going “You know, He does great work. That’s so thoughtful of Him. Thank you Father.” Even the non-Christians can see this stroke of God’s grandeur, and it often will cause them to think “Hmm, maybe there is a God. Who else could have made such an awesome sunrise?”
So now we see that everything is futile because God already knows it and created it. If we constantly work to discover things, we are working on something that God already knows about. There is no need to show Him anything. He knows about it already. The song “Ancient Skies” by the Michael Gungor Band really drives the “nothing new under the sun” point home, as well as worshipping the Lord for this reason.
Now for the memory part. I said earlier that I’ve done nothing because I haven’t. God has. If I’ve accomplished anything, it’s because God allowed me and aided me. If I stumbled, God is there to help me get back on my feet. I would be lost without Him, and therefore I have done nothing, allowing Him to do everything. I pray that there is no memory of me when I die. I would much rather know that my life was an arrow that pointed to Christ rather than back to myself. If I’m forgotten by the world, I know One who will remember me. I thank Him for this opportunity to serve and be forgotten on His behalf, and I pray that you would consider being forgotten.
If you continue reading this chapter, you’ll see that Solomon even calls the pursuit of wisdom futile. There is no wisdom apart from God. Why foolishly seek wisdom when God’s right there for you to ask and receive? He answers questions. Some are instantly answered, yet others take a while. Why rush Him?
I pray that we would realize that everything we do apart from God is futile. Everything mentioned in this chapter is done apart from God, and because of that there is no value in it. I pray that we would come together to be forgotten, letting our lives be arrows that point to God Almighty.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
There is no memory of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no memory among those who follow [them].
--Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 (HCSB)
Not exactly the most optimistic verses in the Bible, right? You’re gonna be forgotten by the next generation. I’m gonna be totally honest: I haven’t read much out of Ecclesiastes before, so for me this is like “Whoa! You should read this!” I immediately read the first set of verses and it seems kind of depressing. I’m gonna be forgotten. Aw man. But then again, why do I deserve to be remembered?
What have I done?
Nothing.
What have any of us done? Nothing? Really, ‘cause I feel like we’ve done something. Let’s look at verse 9 and 10, because it’s actually humorous. “What has been will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Can one say about anything, ‘Look, this is new’? It has already existed in the ages before us.” Think about explorers like Columbus, Ponce de Leon and Pizarro. When they discovered some new island or continent, I’m sure the priest that’s always beside them in all the paintings must’ve said “You know sir, there’s nothing new under the sun. God knew it was here first.” How funny would that have been? Who wouldn’t laugh at that? I guess the best answer would be one of the explorers, who would probably execute the priest at that point.
Anyways, my point is this. Why do we feel the need to do things? I noticed the section that these verses fall under in the Holman Christian Standard Bible is titled “Everything is Futile.” This sounds very existential and depressing, but it is true in this sense. Why continually try to discover something that God already knows about? He did make it. He does remember where He put it. “Thanks Columbus. I was wondering where I placed the West Indies. Here’s a gold statue of you to put somewhere.” No, that’s not what God says. He knows it’s there. Give Him props for it. Every time you find something beautiful in nature that you had not seen before, God is revealing His work to you. It’s like God writes us a letter that says “Hey, here’s a beautiful sunrise. I made it for all of you. Hope you enjoy” and we’re all looking at it going “You know, He does great work. That’s so thoughtful of Him. Thank you Father.” Even the non-Christians can see this stroke of God’s grandeur, and it often will cause them to think “Hmm, maybe there is a God. Who else could have made such an awesome sunrise?”
So now we see that everything is futile because God already knows it and created it. If we constantly work to discover things, we are working on something that God already knows about. There is no need to show Him anything. He knows about it already. The song “Ancient Skies” by the Michael Gungor Band really drives the “nothing new under the sun” point home, as well as worshipping the Lord for this reason.
Now for the memory part. I said earlier that I’ve done nothing because I haven’t. God has. If I’ve accomplished anything, it’s because God allowed me and aided me. If I stumbled, God is there to help me get back on my feet. I would be lost without Him, and therefore I have done nothing, allowing Him to do everything. I pray that there is no memory of me when I die. I would much rather know that my life was an arrow that pointed to Christ rather than back to myself. If I’m forgotten by the world, I know One who will remember me. I thank Him for this opportunity to serve and be forgotten on His behalf, and I pray that you would consider being forgotten.
If you continue reading this chapter, you’ll see that Solomon even calls the pursuit of wisdom futile. There is no wisdom apart from God. Why foolishly seek wisdom when God’s right there for you to ask and receive? He answers questions. Some are instantly answered, yet others take a while. Why rush Him?
I pray that we would realize that everything we do apart from God is futile. Everything mentioned in this chapter is done apart from God, and because of that there is no value in it. I pray that we would come together to be forgotten, letting our lives be arrows that point to God Almighty.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Thursday, February 10, 2011
God and Coffee
So, I’m in the school’s convenience store today, looking around for something I can have that’s not 1000 calories, and I find a big canister of coffee. Now, I’ve heard that coffee’s only a few calories per cup, so I figure I’ll try it. No big deal.
I quickly learned that no matter what flavor you get, it will taste bad if you don’t add anything.
It not only burnt my tongue (thankfully I’m typing instead of speaking) but it also tasted like garbage. I watched as others came up, poured this vile substance into their cups, and walked away sipping it like it was nothing. What?! How on earth do people do this?!
I tried again, but this time with cream and sugar, and it’s OK. If it weren’t for me trying to eat healthier, I wouldn’t dare touch this stuff. It is better than my drink of choice, Mountain Dew, but at least that tastes good. I walked to the library, where I’m typing this right now, and it hit me:
We treat God like coffee.
That’s right folks! When we first her about God or experience God, we don’t want anything to do with Him. We can’t understand why anybody would be a part of anything to do with God (namely, the church.) We treat God like black coffee: he doesn’t fit our spiritual taste buds. We have to add to Him to make Him worthwhile, like adding cream and sugar to coffee. The cream and sugar is like those times when we pull from other religions in order to “find” God, as if He went missing or something. The people who can take God straight up, like black coffee, would be like the people who fully understand who God is: the Trinitarian God of the Bible. They don’t have to add anything to accept who God is; they just go with the flow. They take God for what He is: Creator, Ruler, the Truth, Life, and Way.
If you’ve followed along and you get what I mean, praise God! The Holy Spirit is letting you understand a weirdo like me with a passion for the Word. My prayer is that we don’t treat God like coffee, where we have to add things to make Him appealing to us. God tells us in both Deuteronomy and Revelation that we cannot add anything to His Word, and He even says that this is punishable by plagues mentioned in Revelation (Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32, Revelation 22: 18-19.) Why would He tell us not to add subtract from His Word? My guess would be that it’s because He wants us to be obedient and accept Him. How can we try not to accept our Creator and Lord? It just doesn’t make sense. Pray about this. Make sure that you’re not willing to compromise and alter your perception of God based on unbiblical ways. Make sure that your life is on track with what God has in mind. Make sure that if you treat God like coffee, treat Him like black coffee, realizing that adding to Him is wrong and that you may not agree now, but over time you will develop a liking for the Lord, which will hopefully lead you to accepting Jesus as Savior. That’s my prayer at least. God bless you.
You Brother in Christ,
Phillip
I quickly learned that no matter what flavor you get, it will taste bad if you don’t add anything.
It not only burnt my tongue (thankfully I’m typing instead of speaking) but it also tasted like garbage. I watched as others came up, poured this vile substance into their cups, and walked away sipping it like it was nothing. What?! How on earth do people do this?!
I tried again, but this time with cream and sugar, and it’s OK. If it weren’t for me trying to eat healthier, I wouldn’t dare touch this stuff. It is better than my drink of choice, Mountain Dew, but at least that tastes good. I walked to the library, where I’m typing this right now, and it hit me:
We treat God like coffee.
That’s right folks! When we first her about God or experience God, we don’t want anything to do with Him. We can’t understand why anybody would be a part of anything to do with God (namely, the church.) We treat God like black coffee: he doesn’t fit our spiritual taste buds. We have to add to Him to make Him worthwhile, like adding cream and sugar to coffee. The cream and sugar is like those times when we pull from other religions in order to “find” God, as if He went missing or something. The people who can take God straight up, like black coffee, would be like the people who fully understand who God is: the Trinitarian God of the Bible. They don’t have to add anything to accept who God is; they just go with the flow. They take God for what He is: Creator, Ruler, the Truth, Life, and Way.
If you’ve followed along and you get what I mean, praise God! The Holy Spirit is letting you understand a weirdo like me with a passion for the Word. My prayer is that we don’t treat God like coffee, where we have to add things to make Him appealing to us. God tells us in both Deuteronomy and Revelation that we cannot add anything to His Word, and He even says that this is punishable by plagues mentioned in Revelation (Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32, Revelation 22: 18-19.) Why would He tell us not to add subtract from His Word? My guess would be that it’s because He wants us to be obedient and accept Him. How can we try not to accept our Creator and Lord? It just doesn’t make sense. Pray about this. Make sure that you’re not willing to compromise and alter your perception of God based on unbiblical ways. Make sure that your life is on track with what God has in mind. Make sure that if you treat God like coffee, treat Him like black coffee, realizing that adding to Him is wrong and that you may not agree now, but over time you will develop a liking for the Lord, which will hopefully lead you to accepting Jesus as Savior. That’s my prayer at least. God bless you.
You Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Awaiting Redemption
A song of ascents.
Out of the depths I call to you, LORD!
Lord, listen to my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my cry for help.
LORD, if You considered sins, Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be revered.
I wait for the LORD; I wait, and put my hope in His word.
I [wait] for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning--more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD. For there is faithful love with the LORD, and with Him is redemption in abundance.
And He will redeem Israel from all its sins.
Psalm 130 (HCSB)
Or
A Pilgrim Song
Help, GOD--the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy.
If you, GOD, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As is turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped.
I pray to GOD¬--my life a prayer--and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.
O Israel, wait and watch for GOD--with God’s arrival comes love, with God’s arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it--he’ll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin.
Psalm 130 (The Message)
I posted two versions of this psalm because both are excellent examples of a cry out to Jesus moment. I’ll give a quick comparison of the two, because with both we can more clearly see the big picture. Many often critique The Message for its simplicity and its drastic changes to the biblical texts. Of course, The Message is noted as a paraphrase on the cover, so it’s not gonna be exactly like the original texts. I will admit that I don’t often like to read from it for this reason, but I have found that the Psalms come through rather well in The Message, and so I will use it to share a few psalms with you in the near future.
The first reference in both is to the ocean. In the HCSB, the depths of the ocean are discussed, because of course the ocean is vastly deep. The ocean would represent the sin we get consumed by so often, and crying out for help is our first step in repentance. The Message refers to more of a container, which gets so full that the bottom collapses. This would symbolize the grip we have on our lives, and at some point we become so full of sin that we can no longer contain it (or keep it secret.) In essence, both state that we’ve lost control. Both then offer a similar cry to the Lord for help, because in both situations there is no way out for the speaker.
Both versions are good at asking the question of Verse 3, which is a simple thought really? If the Lord looked at our sins, who could even come to Him in prayer? We know that it is against His nature to smile upon sin, and so if He were to always keep a record of our sins we would be doomed. Verse 4 explains that He is worshiped and revered because He forgives. We can talk to Him. We ask for forgiveness, and truly mean it, and God is loving and just to forgive us.
Verses 5 and 6 prove to be another part of the psalm that each version takes differently. The psalm in the HCSB declares that “I wait for the LORD; I wait, and put my hope in His word. I [wait] for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning- more than watchmen for the morning.” In The Message, the passage reads, “I pray to God--my life a prayer--and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.” It’s obvious that both versions are distinctly different, but why? Well, both are obviously about waiting on the Lord, but the HCSB tends to focus more on the act of waiting on God, while The Message seems to point more towards the idea of a deprived life without God. Both are biblical stances to this psalm, but I would say the HCSB is more fitting in the context of the psalm. The Message does provide more insight into the idea of praying continuously because without Christ we would fail. Either way, there is a strong message indeed.
In Verse 7, the HCSB version calls Israel to put their hope in the Lord because “there is faithful love with the LORD.” The Message is a bit more poetic in that it takes the previous line’s reference to “waiting and watching till morning” and applies it to God by calling Israel to “wait and watch for GOD—with God’s arrival comes love, with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.” The idea here is that once God arrives, He will bring the things we need (love and redemption.) The HCSB takes that last portion and instead refers to God’s nature in general, not what He will bring when He comes. It says that “there is faithful love with the LORD, and with Him is redemption in abundance.”
The last verse sums it up beautifully in both versions. The HCSB says that God “will redeem Israel from all its sins,” while The Message says that there’s “no doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin.”
What did we learn from this study of the differences in the two versions? Well, we know that God will:
a) Hear us when we cry out to Him
b) Not consider our sins if we genuinely repent
d) He offers us all plenty of love and redemption
With all of these promises, I must ask: have you asked God to forgive you when you’ve done wrong? He will hear your cry, He will save you form your situations, and He will bring love and redemption in abundance to you. It all starts by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. Pray about this, consider it, read Romans Road, call someone. Do whatever it takes. God is willing to help you and show you His love. Are you willing to accept it?
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Out of the depths I call to you, LORD!
Lord, listen to my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my cry for help.
LORD, if You considered sins, Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be revered.
I wait for the LORD; I wait, and put my hope in His word.
I [wait] for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning--more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD. For there is faithful love with the LORD, and with Him is redemption in abundance.
And He will redeem Israel from all its sins.
Psalm 130 (HCSB)
Or
A Pilgrim Song
Help, GOD--the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy.
If you, GOD, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As is turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped.
I pray to GOD¬--my life a prayer--and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.
O Israel, wait and watch for GOD--with God’s arrival comes love, with God’s arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it--he’ll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin.
Psalm 130 (The Message)
I posted two versions of this psalm because both are excellent examples of a cry out to Jesus moment. I’ll give a quick comparison of the two, because with both we can more clearly see the big picture. Many often critique The Message for its simplicity and its drastic changes to the biblical texts. Of course, The Message is noted as a paraphrase on the cover, so it’s not gonna be exactly like the original texts. I will admit that I don’t often like to read from it for this reason, but I have found that the Psalms come through rather well in The Message, and so I will use it to share a few psalms with you in the near future.
The first reference in both is to the ocean. In the HCSB, the depths of the ocean are discussed, because of course the ocean is vastly deep. The ocean would represent the sin we get consumed by so often, and crying out for help is our first step in repentance. The Message refers to more of a container, which gets so full that the bottom collapses. This would symbolize the grip we have on our lives, and at some point we become so full of sin that we can no longer contain it (or keep it secret.) In essence, both state that we’ve lost control. Both then offer a similar cry to the Lord for help, because in both situations there is no way out for the speaker.
Both versions are good at asking the question of Verse 3, which is a simple thought really? If the Lord looked at our sins, who could even come to Him in prayer? We know that it is against His nature to smile upon sin, and so if He were to always keep a record of our sins we would be doomed. Verse 4 explains that He is worshiped and revered because He forgives. We can talk to Him. We ask for forgiveness, and truly mean it, and God is loving and just to forgive us.
Verses 5 and 6 prove to be another part of the psalm that each version takes differently. The psalm in the HCSB declares that “I wait for the LORD; I wait, and put my hope in His word. I [wait] for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning- more than watchmen for the morning.” In The Message, the passage reads, “I pray to God--my life a prayer--and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.” It’s obvious that both versions are distinctly different, but why? Well, both are obviously about waiting on the Lord, but the HCSB tends to focus more on the act of waiting on God, while The Message seems to point more towards the idea of a deprived life without God. Both are biblical stances to this psalm, but I would say the HCSB is more fitting in the context of the psalm. The Message does provide more insight into the idea of praying continuously because without Christ we would fail. Either way, there is a strong message indeed.
In Verse 7, the HCSB version calls Israel to put their hope in the Lord because “there is faithful love with the LORD.” The Message is a bit more poetic in that it takes the previous line’s reference to “waiting and watching till morning” and applies it to God by calling Israel to “wait and watch for GOD—with God’s arrival comes love, with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.” The idea here is that once God arrives, He will bring the things we need (love and redemption.) The HCSB takes that last portion and instead refers to God’s nature in general, not what He will bring when He comes. It says that “there is faithful love with the LORD, and with Him is redemption in abundance.”
The last verse sums it up beautifully in both versions. The HCSB says that God “will redeem Israel from all its sins,” while The Message says that there’s “no doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel, buy back Israel from captivity to sin.”
What did we learn from this study of the differences in the two versions? Well, we know that God will:
a) Hear us when we cry out to Him
b) Not consider our sins if we genuinely repent
d) He offers us all plenty of love and redemption
With all of these promises, I must ask: have you asked God to forgive you when you’ve done wrong? He will hear your cry, He will save you form your situations, and He will bring love and redemption in abundance to you. It all starts by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. Pray about this, consider it, read Romans Road, call someone. Do whatever it takes. God is willing to help you and show you His love. Are you willing to accept it?
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Monday, February 7, 2011
Habakkuk's First Prayer
The oracle that Habbakuk the prophet saw.
(Start of the prayer)
How long, LORD, must I call for help and You do not listen, or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?
Why do You force me to look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and voilence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.
-Habakkuk 1:1-4 (HCSB)
Habakkuk really was having a hard time here. This is obviously a familiar prayer for most of us, not because we’ve read this passage before, but because we’ve been there. We know what it’s like to look up to the heavens with a pain in our hearts, asking God why He’s done what He’s done. We get caught up in our situations and all we can do is question.
Most people you ask have never heard of the book of Habakkuk, which is sad, since it’s probably one of the most practical books they can read concerning their lives. When you’re going through hard times, everyone always references Job, the guy who had everything, lost everything, and had a spiritual encounter with God, which brought Job a new life essentially. For many of us that’s harder to relate to. We haven’t had our entire family wiped out in short time span. We haven’t lost everything we own, left with nothing but boils and a few friends whose words aren’t adequate in stopping our pain. Most of us simply see how evil the world is becoming, how wicked the leaders of the nations are, how hard it is to bear when we see the wrongdoings of our neighbors. That’s not to say we don’t do anything wrong, but it seems like when we’re trying to do better we see that the things we have struggled to turn from are a frivolous pastime for our friends.
Habakkuk knew this pain. Apparently, he had been asking God about the iniquity in the world for a while. He asked God how long he had to call for help, and he even goes as far as to say that God has not been listening.
That’s bold.
To say that God hasn’t been listening to you is a bold claim. Why would God be willing to help you if all your gonna do is question whether or not He has His listening ears on? Maybe He is listening, you know? But when we’re all jacked up on pain, we don’t think of these things. We just want results. We say “OK God, give it up. Why are you treatin’ us all like garbage?!” Instead of having reverence for God we talk to Him like we’re some kind of thug.
Habakkuk saw a bunch of violence going on around him (I’ll clarify what exactly was going on in later blogs) and he felt that God couldn’t hear him over what was going on. He wanted to be saved from what was going on. He wanted to be safe in a time of peril. He doesn’t seem to want that kind of salvation we all think of, you know, the life-altering come to Jesus kind? He wants that quick and easy, “God’s a genie and I’m gonna ask for whatever I want” kind.
Now, I’m not writing this blog as a downer or anything. I know in my life I’ve had these times where you just ask for help. You don’t necessarily want a total rescue form the situation, but you want guidance on what decisions to make. You wait anxiously, like Ralphie in A Christmas Story waiting for the “Little Orphan Annie” show to come on the radio. You don’t hear anything for a long time, and you get bummed out. It bites, quite honestly. God, you’re best friend, you’re go-to-guy, seems like He’s gone. You feel alone, weak, deprived of the very substance that kept you going. Where do you go from here?
Habakkuk didn’t even wanna look at the things going on around him. It was too much for him in his opinion. He couldn’t handle it. He was stressed out, flung into despair. He questioned God’s following of His own Word, because God didn’t seem to be punishing the wrongdoing that was going on. When we question whether or not God is following His Word, we’re not only questioning God’s integrity, but we’re also raising other people’s awareness to our ignorance (stupidity seemed like too much of a harsh word.) How can we ask whether or not God is following His own Word, His own Law, if He established it and spoke it?! That’s ridiculous!!
The summation of Habakkuk’s first prayer is the Christian low-point: it’s the point you never wanna reach, but when you do you feel like an unbeliever again. Habakkuk told God that “the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.” Whoa now! That’s a bold statement for the One who created you! How can you say you love God when you rebuke Him like He’s your child? How can you, being the son or daughter, take such a tone with your Father?
This part strikes me in a personal way. I am known for having a smart mouth, for lack of a better phrase. I’m really ignorant to it, due to the fact that I never think the things I say are bad. I’ve struggled with this for years, and to be honest, I went through a period where I couldn’t talk to some of my family for fear that I’d get in trouble for stepping out of line with my words. Habakkuk’s ending of his prayer is not our “God bless everybody, Amen” style prayer. He closes with bitterness and a statement that calls God’s Law ineffective and calls justice perverted! I pray that I would never end a prayer like this. I hope that you would too, because God should be respected in the same manner, if not more so, as your parents. He created you! He tries constantly to help you! He sent Jesus to die for you! Why would you end a prayer by saying that justice was perverted?
If you really wanna dig deep into the last part of this prayer, you’ll see something extraordinary. If Habakkuk wanted true justice, God could’ve sent him to Hell with all the other sinners. That’s true justice! I praise God for forgiving us of our sins, for if He did not we would end up in Hell. That’s true justice! We’ve all done so wrong in His eyes, and the proper treatment is Hell. Thankfully we have a merciful God who planned on Jesus coming to die on a cross and conquer sin for our benefit. That’s why Jesus came! He wanted to mend the relationship we broke! God loves us!
I know this is long, but I only seek to help us all see the irrationality of getting angry with God when iniquity is all around us. It’s in us too, and He’s willing to forgive us if we ask. We have to pray diligently sometimes, asking for the same thing and not hearing anything from Him. But that’s OK. The Bible clearly states that He will hear us, but we must ask for forgiveness of the iniquity and get rid of it in our lives. Psalm 66 calls God’s people to listen. It says:
Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me. I cried out to Him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love for me!
Psalm 66:16- 20 (HCSB)
Cry out to Jesus. Let Him know what sorrows you have, but beforehand ask for forgiveness for your sins. You will find that God is more willing to answer when you’ve done so.
The next blog will be on God’s response to Habakkuk’s prayer. I pray that you’ve come to understand something as a result of studying this passage of Scripture.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
(Start of the prayer)
How long, LORD, must I call for help and You do not listen, or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?
Why do You force me to look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and voilence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.
-Habakkuk 1:1-4 (HCSB)
Habakkuk really was having a hard time here. This is obviously a familiar prayer for most of us, not because we’ve read this passage before, but because we’ve been there. We know what it’s like to look up to the heavens with a pain in our hearts, asking God why He’s done what He’s done. We get caught up in our situations and all we can do is question.
Most people you ask have never heard of the book of Habakkuk, which is sad, since it’s probably one of the most practical books they can read concerning their lives. When you’re going through hard times, everyone always references Job, the guy who had everything, lost everything, and had a spiritual encounter with God, which brought Job a new life essentially. For many of us that’s harder to relate to. We haven’t had our entire family wiped out in short time span. We haven’t lost everything we own, left with nothing but boils and a few friends whose words aren’t adequate in stopping our pain. Most of us simply see how evil the world is becoming, how wicked the leaders of the nations are, how hard it is to bear when we see the wrongdoings of our neighbors. That’s not to say we don’t do anything wrong, but it seems like when we’re trying to do better we see that the things we have struggled to turn from are a frivolous pastime for our friends.
Habakkuk knew this pain. Apparently, he had been asking God about the iniquity in the world for a while. He asked God how long he had to call for help, and he even goes as far as to say that God has not been listening.
That’s bold.
To say that God hasn’t been listening to you is a bold claim. Why would God be willing to help you if all your gonna do is question whether or not He has His listening ears on? Maybe He is listening, you know? But when we’re all jacked up on pain, we don’t think of these things. We just want results. We say “OK God, give it up. Why are you treatin’ us all like garbage?!” Instead of having reverence for God we talk to Him like we’re some kind of thug.
Habakkuk saw a bunch of violence going on around him (I’ll clarify what exactly was going on in later blogs) and he felt that God couldn’t hear him over what was going on. He wanted to be saved from what was going on. He wanted to be safe in a time of peril. He doesn’t seem to want that kind of salvation we all think of, you know, the life-altering come to Jesus kind? He wants that quick and easy, “God’s a genie and I’m gonna ask for whatever I want” kind.
Now, I’m not writing this blog as a downer or anything. I know in my life I’ve had these times where you just ask for help. You don’t necessarily want a total rescue form the situation, but you want guidance on what decisions to make. You wait anxiously, like Ralphie in A Christmas Story waiting for the “Little Orphan Annie” show to come on the radio. You don’t hear anything for a long time, and you get bummed out. It bites, quite honestly. God, you’re best friend, you’re go-to-guy, seems like He’s gone. You feel alone, weak, deprived of the very substance that kept you going. Where do you go from here?
Habakkuk didn’t even wanna look at the things going on around him. It was too much for him in his opinion. He couldn’t handle it. He was stressed out, flung into despair. He questioned God’s following of His own Word, because God didn’t seem to be punishing the wrongdoing that was going on. When we question whether or not God is following His Word, we’re not only questioning God’s integrity, but we’re also raising other people’s awareness to our ignorance (stupidity seemed like too much of a harsh word.) How can we ask whether or not God is following His own Word, His own Law, if He established it and spoke it?! That’s ridiculous!!
The summation of Habakkuk’s first prayer is the Christian low-point: it’s the point you never wanna reach, but when you do you feel like an unbeliever again. Habakkuk told God that “the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.” Whoa now! That’s a bold statement for the One who created you! How can you say you love God when you rebuke Him like He’s your child? How can you, being the son or daughter, take such a tone with your Father?
This part strikes me in a personal way. I am known for having a smart mouth, for lack of a better phrase. I’m really ignorant to it, due to the fact that I never think the things I say are bad. I’ve struggled with this for years, and to be honest, I went through a period where I couldn’t talk to some of my family for fear that I’d get in trouble for stepping out of line with my words. Habakkuk’s ending of his prayer is not our “God bless everybody, Amen” style prayer. He closes with bitterness and a statement that calls God’s Law ineffective and calls justice perverted! I pray that I would never end a prayer like this. I hope that you would too, because God should be respected in the same manner, if not more so, as your parents. He created you! He tries constantly to help you! He sent Jesus to die for you! Why would you end a prayer by saying that justice was perverted?
If you really wanna dig deep into the last part of this prayer, you’ll see something extraordinary. If Habakkuk wanted true justice, God could’ve sent him to Hell with all the other sinners. That’s true justice! I praise God for forgiving us of our sins, for if He did not we would end up in Hell. That’s true justice! We’ve all done so wrong in His eyes, and the proper treatment is Hell. Thankfully we have a merciful God who planned on Jesus coming to die on a cross and conquer sin for our benefit. That’s why Jesus came! He wanted to mend the relationship we broke! God loves us!
I know this is long, but I only seek to help us all see the irrationality of getting angry with God when iniquity is all around us. It’s in us too, and He’s willing to forgive us if we ask. We have to pray diligently sometimes, asking for the same thing and not hearing anything from Him. But that’s OK. The Bible clearly states that He will hear us, but we must ask for forgiveness of the iniquity and get rid of it in our lives. Psalm 66 calls God’s people to listen. It says:
Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me. I cried out to Him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love for me!
Psalm 66:16- 20 (HCSB)
Cry out to Jesus. Let Him know what sorrows you have, but beforehand ask for forgiveness for your sins. You will find that God is more willing to answer when you’ve done so.
The next blog will be on God’s response to Habakkuk’s prayer. I pray that you’ve come to understand something as a result of studying this passage of Scripture.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Introduction to Habakkuk
I will be beginning a study of the book of Habakkuk, a book which will provide a promise of hope during the troubled times in your life.
The minute I mention such a strange name, you’re probably wondering what I’m talking about. Habakkuk is one of the books of the Bible, nestled in between Nahum and Zephaniah. It is written by the man of the same name, who is one of the Minor Prophets. This book of the Bible really brings out God’s goodness in times of trouble, and as the NASB Life Application Study Bible puts it, the purpose is “to show that God is still in control of the world despite the apparent triumph of evil.” This idea is not just comforting; it’s true.
This study will take place over a few weeks. I will try and cover this in addition to the usual style of blogs, but you may end up just seeing these for a while. I would encourage you to read this book of the Bible, and then reflect on what you’ve read in addition to reading these next few blogs. Please enjoy, and prayerfully consider what you’ve read. It may be just what you need in these hard times.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Binge Sinning
Binging- the process of taking one particular action/habit and repeating it too much in spells, rather than spreading it out over a normal period of time, usually resulting in dramatic side effects
I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it pretty much always has a negative connotation. Paired with another word that pretty much always has a negative connotation (sin) the phrase becomes “binge sinning.” Let us first define sin before we can continue.
Sin- an offense in the sight of God Almighty; Anything that breaks the rules or goes against the standards of the Bible, God’s Holy and inerrant Word
Now, we continue on to the phrase itself: “binge sinning.” It just reeks of negative connotation. What to do with such a negative phrase. Of course, no one would want this stink on themselves, right? Or would we really mind? Would what should be a stench be a soothing aroma, or would something of such foul taste be sweet? What I mean to say is that this simple concept- two words of negative connotation tied together to produce a phrase that defines a large form of iniquity- is played out so much in today’s society, as well as being evident in the many civilizations of yesteryear, that no one really finds it a problem anymore.
There are a few people who do actually smell the stench, and these same people taste something foul. These few are Christians, but they tend to take it up a notch. They pursue nothing but the awesome love of Jesus, and they constantly ask “Is it holy?” and if they get a no for an answer, they stay away from whatever they asked about. These few are hard to come by, and honestly I cannot think of anyone who actually fits the bill on this one, because in all honesty, we’re human. We need to realize that we will never be perfect, because if we were, that would take one of Jesus’ many amazing qualities away, and in basic terms belittling Him, which is a sin.
All too often, instead of Christians asking “Is it holy?” the question sounds more like “How much can I get by with?” Usually the answer comes when they get caught up in some sort of drama or some internal struggle due to poor choices and they end up crying out to the Father saying “Can I play the forgiveness card?” It’s a rough deal. Luckily for us, God is loving, and if He’s forgiven all those who accept Christ as Savior then by all means He will continue to forgive, no matter how much this amazing gift is abused. There was previous discussion of the negative connotation of binge sinning, but it was not clearly defined, so here’s a working definition of binge sinning:
Binge Sinning- the process of taking sin (not just one type; starts with one and could lead to many) and repeating it too much in spells, usually resulting in dramatic side effects
If this is our working definition for the typical process of one sin, then another or the same sin repeated, then a continued cycle of the same sin over and over, which opens new doors to other sins, then what we see is a deadly outcome for those who partake in this form of iniquity. For Christians, there is always the hope that no matter what you’ve done, the Lord your God will forgive you. That doesn’t mean you take advantage of His free gift. It just means if some sin leads you into a dark situation, or there’s some form of sin you’re struggling to quit, He’s there for you.
Now for the unbeliever:
If you get caught up in binge sinning, well, you might not even know it’s a sin. Honestly, to you it may be just another lifestyle choice, or maybe even a nicely concealed habit. Then when something destructive happens as a result of this overflow of iniquity, where do you turn? How do you cope? In the end, if you don’t seek the help of a believer, or even better, the Lord Himself, how will you turn from these ways once you acknowledge their devastation? The answer is… Well, there are multiple answers.
Most nonbelievers will find some sort of worldly way to deal with their baggage. This usually comes in the form of rehab, therapy, visiting a psychologist, or just having a tight group of friends use their own reasoning to figure out a solution you can actually follow.
Talk about destructive.
Not that all of these are bad, it’s just better if the people who are there to help are Christians, because even if they don’t know you, they’ll treat you with love due to being their brother in Christ, and if they do know you they want nothing more than for you to establish a relationship with Christ. If you already know Him, then they want you to grow closer to Him instead of falling away from Him.
Binge sinning is what we all do. Taking things too far, swimming out too deep, and now we’re surrounded by waves ten times our size that crash down on top of us. The One who walked on water, The One who calmed the seas, He’s The One who’ll help us all overcome this repetition of sin that we do. Without Him, we will aimlessly continue to overdo it with sin and eventually die… Well, we all die, but some sooner than most due to this habit of ongoing sin. Please consider the Lord Jesus Christ as a remedy to the ever nearing struggle with sin that you’ll face if you let your current lifestyle persist, Christians and nonbelievers alike.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
P.S. This thought process is accredited to Jesus Christ, for without Him I would never think about this stuff, much less on this level. Without Him I’d still be lost in the deep, waiting for someone to save me.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The Pains and Trials of Christians
It's Skeeter's turn to write a blog again. Here it goes:
These days are different to say the least. I look around and see Christians in pain everywhere. Some are dealing with financial woes, others are dealing with sickness, divorce, death, you get the picture. Each person goes through different things, but people always say the same old thing, “Oh it could be worse.” Although intentions are meant well, the particular problems a person has at that moment, are the worse. Try telling a person who is going through a foreclosure “Well, at least you got your health.” Get real people! Maybe that person would rather die. When we as Christians go through tough times we often wonder if it is a trial to test our faith, or a full on attack from Satan. Satan finds the failure in our armor, and he attacks it with doubt and fear. One of the first things Christians do is withdraw from the Lord, whether it be from shame or just plain getting tired of being beat up. I personally believe the Lord will be returning soon and He wants to see who is really all in for Him. I personally have prayed that the Lord take certain pains out of my life, but they still remain. Paul prayed the Lord remove the thorn from his flesh and the Lord answered no. If Paul got no response, then who am I to expect an answer any different. I am in no way comparing myself to Paul, the comparison is meant to be man to man. As hard as it is sometimes we need to thank God in all situations, not for the pain, but for the bigger picture. He shed his blood for all of us, and if we accept we receive eternal life. Period. He never promised us comfortable lives and fortunes. That is just some venom the prosperity preachers are spewing. All we are commissioned to do is accept the Lord and follow Christian standards. Help your fellow brothers out, get hate from our heart, stay focused on our testimonies and never turn our backs on the Lord.
Your Brother in Christ,
Skeeter
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Story: A Discussion of Witnessing
I start with a little story…
There was a local celebrity who decided to visit a smaller town in order to discuss a new movie that would be coming out soon. Everyone in the town heard what was going on, and because of this the whole community gathered to hear this man talk about his latest film. It had been rumored that he was looking for someone to play his spokesperson in the new movie, and of course this would be the start of a prosperous career for whoever he picked. Two friends heard the news and discussed how they could try to be the chosen actor. The first of the two said “I’ve got it!! I’m gonna wear a pink gorilla suit and dance around in the middle of the crowd!! He’ll have to see me then!!” The other friend looked at him and said “Wow, really? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. You have to get close to him. You have to blend into the crowd and then get through to him, kinda like a sneak attack.” The first friend replied “I don’t think that’ll get you anywhere,” and then left in order to pick up his suit. At noon that day, a large crowd gathered to hear this actor talk. He described the role in great detail, telling the crowd that the person was to play the role of his spokesperson, PR rep, or whatever you’d wanna call it. This character had to rise above expectation and represent the actor’s character at all times very well. He searched through the crowd to find someone who he thought could do the job, but when he looked out no one stood out to him. The second friend had been trying to push through for half an hour, but his attempts failed him. It was no use. Just then, the actor looked out and said “Who is that?” There was a pink gorilla in the crowd, and it was dancing up a storm. It was the first friend, and he danced his way up to the actor’s podium and said “I think I’d be great for the role.” The actor, shocked by his presentation and forwardness, said “Well I’d say so! You’re the most unique person here!” The crowd applauded for the guy in the pink gorilla suit, and he went on to become a successful actor while the other friend just went on with his daily life, still blending into the crowd.
The moral of this story is:
When trying to be a witness to Christ, blending into the world can bring you down.
We often hear so many people use funny phrases for why they don’t give the old school, straight-up testimonies anymore, or why people don’t witness to their friends. “I live my life as an example.” OK cool… Wait, example of what? You have to tell me first (I have to quote Brother Dave or Joe Giffen for that last statement, whichever said it.) I’m not saying we all have to hand out tracts, ask really awkward questions and give dirty looks if the person does not instantly accept Christ. We really do have to live our lives as if we are listening to what God has to say, but in so doing we can’t ignore what He’s already told us: we’re IN the world, not OF it. (One great example occurs in John 15:18-19.)
Sometimes, we see examples of people who think that the way they can witness is by going everywhere their lost friends go, doing everything their lost friends do, and trying their hardest to be cool. Why can’t we all just realize that sometimes the pink gorilla suit’s the way to go?
Let me explain the pink gorilla suit:
There is no such thing as a pink gorilla, so if you see one, you instantly recognize that there’s something special about it. This would be like someone who emanates the Light of Christ. This person is usually noted as special in a particularly lost environment. Also, the idea of wearing a gorilla suit is very strange in our culture, as is being a Christian to some of our extremely worldly friends and neighbors. Having the boldness to wear a pink gorilla suit is like having the boldness to stand up for Christ: you may get laughed at, beat up, or ridiculed for it, but that’s no reason to quit doing what you’re doing.
Now that we understand the pink gorilla suit analogy, let’s see where the discussion will go.
When I spoke earlier about people mimicking their lost friends, I’m sure you instantly thought of someone you know, which is probably not the best thing as this should be more of your own personal reflection, not a time to evaluate the wrongdoings of those around you. I don’t know about you, but if I was around nothing but lost friends, participating in some of the same activities, wouldn’t I start to justify what they do? Naturally, we may tend to participate in more and more of their activities, to the point where we could end up doing things we’ve felt convicted about before without any feeling of conviction now. This list includes: drinking, swearing, smoking (that goes for any substance that can be smoked,) fornication (the big Bible word for doing sexual things that you shouldn’t,) fighting (in no form of self-defense, for those who feel like self-defense is an adequate reason to fight,) and other such sins. It could get worse honestly, depending on the friends. I’m not saying every lost person’s like this, but I am saying that we have to stand firm in our beliefs. If you go into a bar, generally speaking you’ve hurt your testimony, because you’re doing something that’s a stumbling block for many Christians. If you have the appearance of something suspicious going on between you and a girl, and you’re not married to this girl, chances are you’re hurting your testimony. We have to take steps of precaution sometimes to ensure that we don’t become a stumbling block to someone. It’s not our reputation we should be concerned about, but the fact that the possibility of someone thinking we’re doing something wrong and then using that as justification for why they can commit whatever sin they want.
Unfortunately, this issue is tough to discuss. There’s not one way to witness, but there are many ways to fall into sin. It’s ridiculous how quickly we can fall into areas we don’t want to be in. If anyone has ever been in a high school lunch conversation, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. No matter the gender, race, ethnicity, social standings, religious beliefs, moral philosophies, or whatever else, lunch conversations always tend to spiral out of control at an alarming rate. It’s like an open forum for all things dirty. Don’t worry, I won’t take the time to elaborate, especially because anyone who ever ate lunch in groups in high school knows exactly what I’m talking about. I mention the awkward lunch conversations because of their tendency to rope everyone in. They seem innocent at first, with a few light chuckles here and there, and then something outrageously funny, but then they get worse. Sometimes, you’ll find that the conversation has ventured down that dark alley of your past, waiting to lure you back into the sins of former days. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know.
There is hope though. Those times were circumstantial for me. I was there, and it happened. I didn’t really know beforehand, so I couldn’t avoid it. At the same time (sometimes right after the lunch conversation, usually attempting to steer the conversation clear of anything nasty,) this same lunch table was where I really got to preach the Gospel, without changing anything to make it fit some preconceived notion about God or anything like that. I just let the Holy Spirit move my lips. God stirred some hearts at that table, as I slowly found out later on.
The point I’ve been trying to make clear is this: we need to reach out to the lost in any way we can, but we must also be sure that we’re not conforming to fit their agenda instead of fully representing our beliefs. How can we teach the Gospel if we’re too busy getting caught up in the world? Find the balance my friends. It’s like walking on a tight rope some days, but ultimately, we need to reach out, constantly praying that we don’t fall into temptation but instead shine the light of Jesus.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
P.S. 1 John 2:15-17 really sums it up, in case you still question your intentions.
Questioning
Why do things happen the way they do?
To be totally honest, sometimes I just feel miserable. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because of some sort of situation that’s going on in my life. Maybe I’m focusing too much on something worldly, and thus I’m let down by its lack of provision for my needs. Oh well. At the end of the day, I don’t know why I question so much. But now, let me ask another question.
Why do we question what God has planned so much?
The two questions I’ve posed go hand in hand. The minute we question why things happen the way they do, we question God’s plan. That’s what bothers me about my spells of unhappiness, being miserable, depression, whatever you wanna call it. The minute I’m unhappy with my current situations (which, by the way, I have no reason to be unhappy about,) I have ultimately questioned God’s plan and rejected the blessings He has given me. Not to brag or anything, but school’s paid for, I still have a job in these hard times, I have a vehicle to go to and from school…
And that’s just the material blessings God has given me!!
I couldn’t ask for a better family. I have a great group of friends, and I have a great Christian girlfriend. Like I said, this is no laundry list of blessings to show off or anything like that. I would not want anyone to think that I just wanted to write a blog and boast of the good things in my life. Honestly, I just want to express one thing:
If you really take a step back and evaluate your life, you will see enough good things in it to realize that God has blessed you. Sure, we’ve all experienced our share of hard times, but God never said our lives would be perfect. Have you ever read the Beatitudes? This is the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, and it is found in and probably most referenced in Matthew 5. Jesus, in the older translations of the Bible, would say “Blessed are” and then names a group of people, usually based on some sort of emotional standing. He follows this name with what blessing they will receive due to their conditions. Usually, the examples of the most downtrodden are told they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. How awesome is that to hear in your times of despair?
My blog today is not the first in a series of “prosperity gospel” writings or anything like that, but instead a focus on how we really have to get past negativity and focus on being positive, especially because most of us really don’t have a reason to be so negative after all. Read Jeremiah 29:11. Realize that God’s plan has you prospering in some way, but chances are it’s not that material way we always think about or here certain preachers preach about all the time.
Bottom line: God provides. Should that make you negative? No. So go ahead and smile, for crying out loud!! Rejoice in the Lord!! Worship Him!! Fight the good fight!!
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Big Question(s)
The Big Question
I often like to pose questions to people. It’s my way of understanding where people come from and relating to them. So when I hear different opinions about Jesus, or Christianity as a whole, my ears immediately perk up and I begin to question. It’s a pursuit of understanding the people around me, in a sense. Now I pose what I think is a list of highly controversial questions in a time and place where everyone’s right and truth is apparently not truth anymore. OK, here it goes…
1. Why don’t you love/trust/follow/believe in Jesus?
Ooh, didn’t see that coming did you? Who would’ve thought I’d bring this up? It’s a start. I wanna understand people better, and their answers to this question will really help me. Plus, I feel like anyone who doesn’t love/trust/follow/believe in Jesus is really missing it. There are several other questions that go along with this one, such as:
2. Why don’t you go to church?
3. Why don’t you like Christians?
4. Why don’t you read the Bible?
5. Why do you ignore what the Bible says?
These are just a few questions that will all hopefully point to the greater good by clearing out some of the junk that gets in our way. We’ll be able to look past worldly things and realize that God loves us, and that He demonstrated His love by sending His Son to die for our sins. This is definitely a call to anyone out there reading this. Please send me your answers to these types of questions whenever you can. I’d love to talk with you about them if you are willing to share. I’ll even share my previous answers to these questions, and then how my answers have changed since the Lord saved me.
Your Brother in Christ,
Phillip
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