(Part 20 in a series of posts on Habakkuk.)

Habakkuk 3:2b

When you are wondering, “Is God there?” how can you be assured of God’s presence? First, approach God in an attitude of worship (Habakkuk 3:1-2a). Secondly, remember God’s mighty deeds of the past, when he defeated his enemies and delivered his people (Habakkuk 3:3-15). And then, thirdly, ask God to renew his deeds in the present. Look back at verse 2 once again.

LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2)

“O Lord, renew your deeds in our day.” I believe this means praying for both personal and corporate revival. Pray for revival in your own heart first. Pray that God would give you an ever increasing faith in him and love for him. Pray that God would give you a burning desire for holiness and to see God glorified in all areas of your life. Pray for revival in the church and in the community. I pray every week for revival to come to the town of Agawam where I live and to the surrounding communities. One of our nation’s greatest revivals began not far from here in the city of Northhampton. God has brought revival in the past. God can bring revival again. Pray that God would renew his deeds in the present.

And as you pray for revival, along with Habakkuk, also pray for God in his wrath to remember mercy. Because when you ask God to renew his deeds in the present, you are also asking him to bring judgment on the world for its sins. God cannot be active in a world of sin without judging that sin. And so as you ask God to renew his deeds, as you pray for personal and corporate revival, also ask God in his wrath to remember mercy.

Realize that you don’t have to convince God to do this. You don’t have to somehow persuade God against his will to be merciful. It is God’s nature to show mercy, and so when you pray this prayer, you are praying according to God’s will. The greatest example of God in wrath remembering mercy took place at the cross. There God poured out his wrath against sin upon his own Son in order that he might show mercy to sinners who would put their faith in Christ.

Once again, some of you may be struggling with the same questions as Habakkuk did in this book. “Does God care? Is God fair? Is God there?” If so, you need to capture Habakkuk’s vision of a God who has done great things for his people in the past and will do them again in the present. Yes, God is there. He is the famous one! Approach him in an attitude of worship. Know that God will defeat his enemies and deliver his people. Ask God to renew his deeds in our time.

(Looking ahead: Next week we will finish blogging with Habakkuk. But you can go ahead and read the final four verses now if you like: Habakkuk 3:16-19)

Here are the links to the whole Blogging with Habakkuk series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.

  (Tacoma Narrows Bridge – video below)

My three sons and I were talking about this the other day. I was explaining to them how a marching band can potentially set up a standing wave in a bridge setting up a feedback loop in the bridge’s construction eventually causing it to collapse. (Who says physics can’t be fun?)

There are historical examples where this has actually happened. In 1831 cavalry troops marched in step over a suspension bridge near Manchester, England causing the bridge to collapse. In 1850 the Angers Bridge in France collapsed when 478 soldiers marched across it in lockstep. Because of instances like these, groups marching in formation are now instructed to break step when crossing bridges.

So what is the science behind all this? Here is an answer from the physics department at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

When troopers march in cadence across a bridge, the marching may match a natural resonance frequency of the bridge. Although only a small amount of energy is added with each step, because of the resonance effect this energy will be stored. As a result, the bridge will cumulatively absorb energy from the marching men, increasing the oscillation amplitude in the bridge (just as pushing someone on a swing, in cadence, increase the amplitude of the swing). Enough energy may be added this way to damage or destroy the bridge. (from: How to Cross a Bridge)

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge over Puget Sound in Washington is a famous example of a bridge that was destroyed by resonance vibrations. The original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, also known as “Galloping Gertie,” was a concrete and steel suspension bridge. It was the third longest span bridge in the world when it was built. Construction on the bridge began in 1939, and the bridge was put into service on July 1, 1940. Just four months later, on November 7, 1940, the bridge was destroyed by resonance vibrations set up by winds acting on the bridge. The bridge that had taken a year to build was destroyed in a matter of hours.

Here is actual video footage from 1940 of the bridge’s vibrations and eventual collapse. I remember seeing the footage of this concrete bridge bouncing up and down like a piece of rubber back in high school, and it was fun to find it online again. (Click below for video.)

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G.I. Jonah. Don Levine, the creator of G.I. Joe, presents Almighty Heroes, a series of Bible-based action figures depicting champions from the Old Testament. The new series includes biblical figures such as Samson, David, Noah and Moses. For girls, there are fashion dolls based on women such as Queen Esther and Deborah the Warrior. Each figure comes with its own Bible storybook. Levine, who is Jewish, hopes that children can learn about the same heroes that he did as he grew up.

A long way from home. A very confused penguin swam ashore on Peru’s southern coast Sunday, 3100 miles north of its Antarctic home. “It seems he was disoriented and got lost in the sea due to the different ocean currents,” said Wilder Canales, who heads the National Paracas Reserve in southern Peru. Maybe it took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

Preacher dies preaching. The Rev. Dennis Jenkins, a retired minister, died while preaching an anniversary service at Tabernacle Baptist Chapel in Wales. He was 77 years old. Chapel secretary Nigel Hughes said: “His sudden death was a great shock not only to his family but also to the church and the wider Christian community throughout Wales and beyond. This grief is tempered by the fact he died proclaiming the Christian gospel he loved and preached so passionately.” That’s how I want to go – just not this Sunday.

(Part 19 in a series of posts on Habakkuk.)

Habakkuk 3:3-15

Habakkuk’s third big question was, “Is God there?” How can you be assured of God’s presence? First, approach God in an attitude of worship (verses 1-2a). Secondly, remember God’s mighty deeds of the past (verses 3-15). This is what takes up the bulk of Habakkuk’s prayer in chapter 3. At its heart Habakkuk’s psalm is a song that describes God’s awesome presence and deeds.

As Habakkuk reflects on God’s deeds in the past, he emphasizes two points in particular. First of all, a word of warning: God conquers all enemies in his path. Let’s walk through these verses together and unpack some of the imagery that Habakkuk uses here.

Verses 3-4 say: “God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.” Teman was in the region to the south of Israel in the country of Edom. Mount Paran was located in the wilderness area between Edom and Mount Sinai. God’s coming is compared to a thunderstorm approaching Israel from the south. His brightness lights up the sky. Rays of lightning flash from his hands as from the deep thunderclouds, yet the full extent of God’s power remains hidden.

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Check out the new and improved Archives page for this blog. You can access it through the Archives tab at the top of any blog page.

At the Archives page you can easily browse through all the blog posts on this site by date, title, or category. Click on a month’s name if you want to read all the posts for a certain month. Click on a post’s title to read a specific post. Click on a category in the sidebar to read all the posts in a category.

It is that simple and should make navigating and browsing this site much easier for all. A big thanks to Sean R. at Geek With Laptop who developed SRG Clean Archives which I am using for this page.

Tim Challies has a great article at his site on the history of blogging and the societal trends that surround it. Here is a key point from the latter section dealing with societal trends:

What we see in this Web 2.0 world is the downplaying of expertise and the rise of enthusiasm; the decline of the position of the professional and the rise of the amateur … Just as the most-visited political blog is not one run by a Presidential candidate or Senator, the most-visited Christian blog is not one run by John MacArthur or John Piper or another major ministry leader … Instead, the most popular sites are run by amateurs who are mere enthusiasts rather than necessarily being experts. Blogs have given a voice to the other people-to the people who elect the politicians or who sit in the pews and are taught by these ministers. Amateurs are gaining wide influence in the information people encounter and in the interpretation of this information. And in many ways this is the way people want it.

This is a reality that makes many Christians uncomfortable. After all, the Bible is clear about the importance of leadership and leadership that is duly-appointed and properly-qualified. We only have to read Titus and Timothy to realize that, within the church, God has dictated that there must be very clear patterns of leadership and authority …

So how do Christians react to a world where the power to teach is now resting in the hands of the many rather than in the hands of the few? How do we react when we see so many people attempting to have an influence over others and an influence that falls outside the usual context of the local church? And how do we react when we understand that these people are not chosen or elected but gain prominence simply by weight of statistics-of numbers of visitors and numbers of links to them?

This is an excellent point, and one that the church surely needs to grasp in today’s world. How about you? What do you think are the advantages and/or dangers of “the rise of the amateur?”

Dr. Jerry Falwell, well-known evangelist and founder of Liberty University, died yesterday morning. Falwell was a highly influential figure in American politics and religion. Often misquoted and misunderstood by the media, Falwell was a lightning-rod for controversy. In fact, one group in San Francisco staged an “anti-memorial” protest service against Falwell yesterday within hours of the announcement of his death.

Despite his detractors, Falwell leaves behind an impressive list of both personal and institutional achievements. Albert Mohler has a nice article on the legacy of Jerry Falwell in the Washington Post’s On Faith section.

Todd Rhoades at MMI has been collecting some of the tributes to Falwell that came in following the news of his death. Here are a few of them. You can visit Todd’s site here for more tributes from a wide variety of contributors.

• “One of his lasting contributions was the establishment of Liberty University, where he taught young people to remain true to their convictions and rely upon God’s word throughout each stage of their lives.” —President Bush
• “It was my honor to share the front lines with him in the battle for righteousness in our nation. We will continue that fight, in his honor, until our mutual goals are achieved.” — James Dobson
• “His life is a testament not only to the power of faith to move hearts, but to the strength of the American ethos that stresses the importance of citizenship … He was a great leader, a person totally sustained by his faith but able to work with many people from many different backgrounds without imposing rigidity on anyone else.” – Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
• “He was a man who set a direction. He was someone who was not afraid to speak his mind. We all have great respect for him … he is a person who told you what he thought, and you knew where he stood.” – Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.
• “Jerry Falwell was a close personal friend for many years. We did not always agree on everything, but I knew him to be a man of God. His accomplishments went beyond most clergy of his generation. Some of my grandchildren have attended and currently attend Liberty University. He leaves a gigantic vacuum in the evangelical world.” – Evangelist Billy Graham.
• “Over the years we became friends; sometimes we had polar opposite points of view. … I have many fond memories of him. He leaves a great legacy of service and a great university behind. He’s left his footprints in the sands of time.” – The Rev. Jesse Jackson.
• “Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Falwell’s family at this difficult time.” – Republican presidential candidate and Sen. John McCain.
• “An American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith has left us. He will be greatly missed, but the legacy of his important work will continue through his many ministries where he put his faith into action.” – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
• “Reverend Falwell and I didn’t agree on anything, but we got along personally. He personally was genuinely a nice guy, and I would find him to be one of the few people in the public light who was genuine. He believed what he said. I used to tell him, ‘What you’re saying is crazy,’ but he really believes it.” Rev. Al Sharpton

(Part 18 in a series of posts on Habakkuk.)

Habakkuk 3:1-2a

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On [shigionoth].
2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. (NIV)

How can you be assured of God’s presence? The first thing you need to do is approach God in an attitude of worship. And that’s exactly what Habakkuk does here in chapter 3. Verse 1 provides a title for the whole chapter: “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.”

Chapter three is a prayer from Habakkuk to God. Now when I talk to God in prayer, I usually just talk to him. I don’t craft my words or plan out any long speeches any more than I do when I am talking with a friend or a neighbor. But Habakkuk chapter three is a little different. We are not sure exactly what that word shigionoth means at the end of verse 1, but it seems to be some kind of musical term. The chapter closes with instructions for the director of music and speaks about using stringed instruments. And so Habakkuk 3 is not only a prayer; it is a psalm or a worship song. It is a musical prayer. And musical prayers are a little different from just our regular prayers when we talk to God on a day to day basis.

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Do you need to take a trip from Boston to Paris? Here is what Google Maps gives you if you ask them for directions. Pay close attention when you get to #5 in the directions.

I like Google’s disclaimer at the bottom of the page: “These directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, or other events may cause road conditions to differ from the map results.” What about sharks and jellyfish?

John Piper explores the question, “Is it ever right to lie?” After affirming that the Scriptures clearly present lying and falsehood as sin, Piper reviews the lies that the Hebrew midwives told to Pharoah in Exodus 1 and that Rahab told to the king’s men in Joshua 2. He notes that both the midwives and Rahab were faced with extreme, life-threatening situations. He also notes that, although the midwives were commended for not obeying the king, and Rahab was commended for her faith, Scripture nowhere condones their actual instances of lying. And yet neither does Scripture come right out and condemn their lying in these specific instances either.

Rather than give a direct “yes” or “no” answer to the question, Piper concludes:

“What I’ve simply decided to say is this: There are worthy and godly saints who have in their struggle with evil felt constrained to lie in order to oppose life-threatening wickedness. And they were not condemned for it. That much I can say on the authority of Scripture.”

I remember first being exposed to this difficult question when seeing the film, “The Hiding Place.” The specific situation faced there was, “Should Corrie Ten Boom (or was it Betsy?) have told the Nazi soldiers that they were hiding Jews in the home?” What are your thoughts on this? Scripturally, is it ever right to lie?

(Part 17 in a series of posts on Habakkuk.)

Habakkuk 3

Chapter 3 records Habakkuk’s closing prayer in his journey. The implied complaint behind this prayer is that God is not there, which relates to question number three. (Habakkuk’s three big questions – 1) Does God care? 2) Is God fair? 3) Is God there?) But this time, instead of asking God to answer his complaint as before, Habakkuk answers it himself, as he reflects on God’s works and wonders for Israel over the centuries. And through this time of prayer and reflection, Habakkuk finally comes to a place of hope and confidence in God that allows him to praise God with rejoicing even as he anticipates the most difficult of circumstances.

When our youngest son Timothy was just a preschooler, Rose and I passed by his bedroom one evening and heard him talking out loud. We peeked through the crack in his door and saw him standing on his bed with his head lifted up towards the ceiling. He was saying, “God, are you there? God? God, are you listening? God? God, are you there?” We went in and asked him what he was doing. He said he wanted to talk to God, but he couldn’t see God, and he was just wondering if God was there. We talked to him a little about prayer, and how although we cannot see God, God is there and he hears our prayers.

“Is God there?” This is perhaps the most basic of all questions that people ask about God. It is also the most basic level of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

And yet there is another way we can ask the question, “Is God there?” that goes beyond the question of God’s existence. Habakkuk certainly didn’t doubt God’s existence. He wondered about God’s presence. “God, are you there? Do you know what I am going through? Are you there to help me through this time of difficulty? I desperately need your presence. God, are you there?” That’s what Habakkuk was struggling with. And in chapter three we find a remarkable prayer where Habakkuk basically answers this question for himself and finally emerges at a place of faith and confidence rather than doubt and fear.

How can you be assured of God’s presence? We will look at Habakkuk chapter three together this week to see what we can learn from Habakkuk’s prayer.

(Looking ahead: Next time we will look at Habakkuk 3:1-2)

Here are the links to the whole Blogging with Habakkuk series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.

We are blessed to have many forest creatures come visit us from the woods in our backyard. This baby bunny showed up last week and has taken up residence in the black gutter-extension tubing you see in pictures two and three. He is about the size of a chipmunk. We decided to name him Peter. We figure he is a naughty baby rabbit who escaped from his mother and lost his blue jacket on some barbed wire fencing along the way. He is lots of fun to watch out our dining room window while we eat. Heeeeeere’s Peter!