Hab. 1: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Habakkuk%201&version=NIV1984
Hab. 2: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Habakkuk%202&version=NIV1984
Hab. 3: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Habakkuk%203&version=NIV1984
How Long, O Lord?
Habakkuk was a prophet of God. As with most prophets of God, he cared deeply about what God cared about. He specifically was deeply troubled in his spirit over the wickedness, the injustice, violence, strife, conflict, physical and moral destruction, and the persecution of the righteous that he witnessed with his own eyes, in his own nation, and among his own people. He could not understand why God allowed this to go on, with no apparent hope for salvation. Not only that, he felt as though God was turning a deaf ear to his cries for mercy.
I empathize with Habakkuk’s plight. I have seen much wickedness, injustice, persecution of the righteous, strife, and the destruction of people’s lives caused by sin’s deceitfulness in my own nation, and among those professing faith in Jesus Christ, too. I have seen so much apathy and complacency among God’s people to the things of God, i.e. to true righteousness and holiness in living. I have witnessed the gospel of Jesus Christ being watered down to make it more palatable to the listener and to make it easier for people to “come to faith in Jesus Christ,” but the problem with that is that it is not the true gospel, and the Bible teaches that unless we die to ourselves and to our lives of sin, we cannot live. We have to turn from our sins, and we have to turn to walk in obedience to Christ. This is what it means to come to faith in Christ (see Ephesians 4:17-24). When we preach a false gospel, we are giving people a false hope, and are condemning them to remain in their sin. And, I have seen those who stand for what is right, and who preach the true gospel be ostracized and rejected in the church, and even invited to leave because they don’t fit the new way.
I have wept many tears and have prayed many prayers to God over this destruction of God’s holy people, his church, by sin’s deceitfulness, by moral decay, through complacency and apathy, and through the church becoming one with the world, etc. I know it breaks God’s heart, because he shows me his heart all the time. And, it breaks my heart to see those who profess to know and to follow Christ still walking in sin’s way, and still following the ways of the world more than or in place of following Christ Jesus and his ways. And, it breaks my heart and God’s heart to see the church leadership leading their people to walk in the ways of the world more than or in place of teaching them to walk in all holiness and righteousness. The church has compromised with the world so much that they don’t even realize that what they are doing is not what God desires of them. Many believe that what they are doing is the right thing, yet many know that what they are doing is wrong, and they do it anyway. I know God is going to judge his complacent and apathetic church for her refusal to listen to his voice and to turn from her sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery. And, that breaks my heart, too, because I know the devastation and pain that must come upon God’s people in order to get them back into a right relationship with their holy God.
A Ruthless and Impetuous People
God’s answer to Habakkuk was to tell him that he, God, was raising up the Babylonians, a ruthless and impetuous people…
“…who sweep across the whole earth
to seize dwelling places not their own.
They are a feared and dreaded people;
they are a law to themselves
and promote their own honor…
They deride kings
and scoff at rulers.
They laugh at all fortified cities;
they build earthen ramps and capture them.
Then they sweep past like the wind and go on—
guilty men, whose own strength is their god.” ~ Hab. 1:6b-7, 10-11
Six years ago this summer the Lord gave me this ministry of writing out what God teaches me through his word each day, and placing it on the internet for people to read. He actually gave me the calling two years before that, but I didn’t really understand what all that entailed until two years later when it became a reality in my life, and I actually began writing out my quiet times with God every day. One of the passages of scripture the Lord used in my life at that time was from Habakkuk 2:2-3, in which God told Habakkuk to “write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” I saw my “tablets” as my laptop computer, and my “herald” as the internet. The Lord told Habakkuk that he was to wait for God to fulfill what he promised and that it spoke of the end, and would not prove false. I knew the Lord was telling me that much of what he would teach me would be concerning the end of time, and that has proved true in that much of what he teaches me from scripture has to do with these last days before the return of Christ.
The Lord initially spoke to me much via the use of dreams and visions as allegories (like parables) to illustrate Biblical truth as applied to our world, lives and church today. He did this in combination with the teaching of his word, and usually with a hymn or spiritual song, too. In the past year, he has given me the additional gift of writing simple songs sharing his gospel message, and the dreams and visions have become much less frequent.
Over the past six years the Lord has spoken to me much concerning the church in America, where I live, and concerning our government and their involvement in what is ultimately to be the beast of Revelation, I believe. The government and military of the USA are part of a global order, which includes the U.N. and NATO as its military force. The Lord has revealed to me, his servant, that the US government and military are doing the kinds of things worldwide that are described here in this passage of scripture concerning this Babylonian kingdom that God would use to bring against his people in order to get them back into a right relationship with God. Leaders of nations are turning against their own people, so this is destruction from within, in concert with other nations in the world to bring about a one world order of government. I believe they are on their last leg of this journey to conquer all the kingdoms of the world, including the USA will be completely conquered by them, too. History repeats itself. And, one day we will see the fulfillment of the prophecies of the book of Revelation in our time, I believe.
The Righteous Will Live
“See, he is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous will live by his faith—
indeed, wine betrays him;
he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive all the peoples.” ~ Hab. 2:4-5
This is a further description of this Babylonian kingdom, which today is a global order, which includes the USA and their NATO allies. And, they are doing today what God said would be done by this Babylonian kingdom of Habakkuk’s day. Yet, this type of atrocity is not confined to just this global order. This, on a smaller scale, is happening in our churches, schools, homes, neighborhoods, in families, among friends, etc. This is called sin, and we are all sinners. A lot of philosophers and teachers of the faith thus see Babylon as a picture of the sinful world in general which comes against God’s holy people.
Yet, the encouragement for us is that, even though all hell may break loose around us, and we see, as Habakkuk saw, much wickedness and moral decay in our society, and even in the church, we must walk by faith and not allow what others do to bring us down. We must not allow ourselves to challenge God’s justice, either, but we should put our absolute faith in God’s sovereignty and in his providence, which is the conclusion Habakkuk finally reached at the end of his conversation with God.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights. ~ Hab. 3:16b-19
God is not looking the other way. He knows what is going on in our world, nation, in our homes, families, churches, places we work, neighborhoods, etc. Yet, he is slow to anger and abounding in love and mercy. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He is speaking to his church today, but many are turning a deaf ear. He is calling out to his people to turn from their sins and to return to their “first love,” but many are ignoring his pleas. I am convinced that much of this apparent apathy is a direct result of the watered-down gospel and the compromise of the church with the world today.
The worldly church has become “normal” and living righteously and holy has become “abnormal.” “Hyper-religious” seems to be the terminology of today for those who are sincerely walking by faith and are trusting their Lord in all things. If we truly take up our cross and follow Jesus daily, we are regarded as “out of touch with reality,” or that we are somehow not living in the real world. Yet, I would counter that with the belief that those who live in the fantasy world of TV, movies, video games and who are part of this entertainment-craved society are the ones not living in the real world. Habakkuk was living in the real world. And, he was in touch with God, which is the only true reality.
May we be people who truly live by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, as is evidenced in all that we do and say, and may we grieve, as Habakkuk did, over the moral decay and decline in our nation that is spilling over into the church. May we weep over the destruction that sin’s deceitfulness has brought upon God’s holy church, and over leadership who are leading their people to walk in the ways of the world, and are not calling their people to repent of their sins. May we have hearts like Habakkuk’s which was deeply troubled over the rampant sins in his society, and among God’s people that continued to go on unchecked. And, may we call upon our holy God to come to us in mercy and to save this people from such spiritual decline as this, so that the Lord’s bride can be made holy and ready to meet her husband.
I Will Uphold You / An Original Work / November 4, 2011
Based off of Isaiah 41:8-20; Ephesians 6:10-18
You are My servant; I’ve chosen you.
I’ve not rejected you; I’ve been true.
Do not be fearful; I am with you.
Don’t be alarmed, for I am your God.
I will give you strength, and will help you.
I will uphold you with My right hand.
All who’re against you will be disgraced.
Those who oppose you, they will perish.
Enemies you search, but will not find.
They war against you; nothing will be.
I am your Lord God, who takes your hand;
Says, “Do not fear, for I will help you.”
The poor and needy, water they need.
Their tongues are thirsty; no drop to drink.
I will give answer; not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow from within.
My living water I will outpour
On those who seek Me; and Me adore.
Jesus provided the sacrifice;
For our sins blood bought; He paid the price,
So we’re forgiven all of our sins,
When we invite Him to come within.
He cleanses us from our impure hearts.
His life within us gives a new start.
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1289/I-Will-Uphold-You
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