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

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.

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

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

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