Minor Prophets {CCBC First Block Class}

In the last two weeks, our first block class on the Minor Prophets took place. Joey Roper, who used to teach at the Bible College in Murrieta, CA, has been a missionary in Germany with his family for the past five years. They are currently in Hamburg, Germany - their blog is www.ropersingermany.com if you would like to see more about it.

I've never really studied or completely read through the minor prophets, so I was stoked to take this class. Such a blessed class. I know I wasn't the only one who pulled out tons of things from all the studying we have done, and it just makes me more excited to start the Life of Christ block classes - reading and seeing the fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus Christ from the minor prophets to the New Testament gospel. Considering that those of you who read this (if anyone reads this..) has a life, I won't share everything the Lord showed me in these past two weeks - that would be a very long blog post. But here are a couple things that really stood out.

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One of the first books we studied was Amos - a herdsman and farmer from a small village called Tekoa who was chosen and called by God to speak the word of the Lord to nations. He wasn't some amazing or popular person. He describes himself like this: “I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’" (Amos 7:14, NKJV). I don't see myself as anything very exciting. I'm not the popular kid. I don't hold some high position. 

But God doesn't care about any of that.

I love those two words..."But God." I am nobody, BUT GOD sees me as somebody so special. I don't have any amazing abilities. BUT GOD uses me in ways I would never imagine. I'm just a dumb, little sheep, BUT GOD guides to me incredible places. 

{Oh, His amazing grace}

C.S. Lewis said "We may be content to remain what we call 'ordinary people', but He [God] is determined to carry out a quite different plan." So if you're ever like me, and you constantly hear lies that Satan throws at you about not being good enough or talented enough or "cool" enough for God to use you in a mighty way, just remember that "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4, NKJV). 

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Micah 2:2 describes the sin of covetousness in the hearts of the people of Judah: "They covet fields and take them by violence, also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance" (NKJV). Joey brought up the point that covetousness is idolatry. "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, NKJV). 

...DANG...

I've never linked those two things together before, and it pretty much blew my mind and convicted me super bad. So often I covet other people's looks, talents, popularity, things, style, etc. And yet that's committing idolatry - excessive or blind adoration, reverence, and devotion to something other than God - whenever I choose to dwell on those thoughts. I'm doing what I feel is the ultimate idolatry - putting myself before God. Putting my own wants before pure obedience to the Lord. Putting my insecurities higher than my faith that the Lord knows exactly what He's doing. 

Breakdown my pride

and all the walls I've built up inside

my earthly crowns and all my desires

I lay at Your feet

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Alright, this next section makes me feel super girly, but whatever. Hosea was an amazing book - God's mercy and redemption in light of my constant disobedience. God chose Hosea to carry out an incredibly difficult task - to live out physically what God was feeling. You see, despite the innumerable things God brought His people through, they continually left Him for other false gods. So God told Hosea to marry a harlot - who would be with him and bear him a child, then go off for other lovers, having children through them and then bringing them back to Hosea. Yet Hosea always took her back - and what unimaginable pain that must have been. 

How often I think that other things will bring me the "love" and contentment that I desire. And though those things might bring some satisfaction momentarily, they always ultimately leave me empty. I know it's one of those "cliche Christian sayings", but it's so much harder to grasp when you're actually going through it. But I think there's one thing that I need to fully realize:

I'm causing God the {greatest pain} and heartache known in heaven or earth.

Why leave the greatest love? Why look for love away from the One who suffered excruciating torture and laid down His very life to save your own? Why struggle to find fulfillment in fleeting things?

Why not repent and find restoration in True Love?

"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall be revived like grain, and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon."

{Hosea 14:4-7}

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Alright, last book I'll share on - Habakkuk. Unlike the other minor prophets, this book is more of a dialogue between the prophet and God. The other prophets were pleading for God to abstain from His judgement, while Habakkuk cries out to God to avenge the unrighteous. He struggles with the same question that I always seem to go back to - "Why, God?" God then was gracious enough to answer Habakkuk and expound more on His purposes. "For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you" (Habakkuk 1:5b, NKJV). 

"If God showed us the greater picture, I truly believe we could become very prideful and puffed up or very terrified and humbled. I think it's honestly God's grace that He doesn't give us the bigger picture."

~ Joey Roper

Yeah..as much as I wanna know (and trust me, that's quite a lot), I know that it's far more beneficial to not know. It's far more beneficial to not have the confidence in myself. And yes, as crazy as I sound, it's far more beneficial to live by faith.

In class, Joey brought up the question "Why do I need an answer?" And you know what the most gripping answer was? "Because I want an answer to tell someone else."

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he read my mind.

Being a fourth semester ready to graduate, I've been asked the questions "So what are you're plans for after you graduate? What are you going to do with your life?" WAY more times than I care to be asked. And why don't I like it? Because I don't have an answer. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing after Bible College. And according to the world, I have the wrong answer. 

I don't know + I don't want to go to college + I don't care about making tons of money

Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to go live as a bum, which is what maybe some of you are thinking right as you read the statement above. Yes, it's sorta frustrating - I only know what I DON'T want to do. But honestly, I feel like the Lord is just telling me to knock and doors and wait. I know when I get back home I'll have a job, and I'm so thankful for that. But that's not where I want to be for the rest of my life (nothing against the company I work for - they're so great). 

But in this time of waiting and knocking, I honestly hate having to tell people that's in the season I'm in. Especially those who don't understand just full-time ministry or serving the Lord. I feel like people revert me back to a child who needs help making decisions. They think I'm in some funk that needs to be fixed. 

So if you ever think of it, please be praying for me. It's pretty stressful to try and think about making that decision, let alone going out and doing it. But Habakkuk, after it all, determined to give praise to God, even though he still didn't fully understand. I so desire to live like Habakkuk. God's appointed time is always perfect. Where He has me now is where He wants me to be (and hey, for me right now that's in ISRAEL - no complaining here!). I'm so blessed to have so many things I can look back on and see God's faithfulness - allowing me to be confident in my faith in Him for the future.

I want my legacy to be one of great {faith}

"...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

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Well, if you've made it this far...well..I can't really give you a prize or anything. Just maybe pretend I'm giving you a hug. Hope this has blessed you guys and if any of you need prayer PLEASE message me! I would love to hear how you're doing and lift you up in the power of prayer. Love you all