Posted: Dec 31, 1969 (05:00:00 PM)
I’ve been feeling very distressed
about all the deception, greed,
corruption and crime that has
infiltrated all levels of society
including the church.
I feel so extremely distressed with all
the injustices, abuse and cruelty
inflicted on the vulnerable and the
voiceless.
God has allowed me to personally
experience injustice, deception,
abuse, cruelty and even crime in the
church which I erroneously believed it
to be my safe haven.
God has repeatedly shown me in the
scriptures that no man (human) can
be trusted and that we are to trust
only God.
In the past 5 years I have been
experiencing excruciating heart break
over the lack of integrity in people
everywhere. This has caused me to
feel extreme hunger for justice,
fairness, truth and the like.
I’ve also been experiencing a great
deal of distress over the abuse,
cruelty and destruction of God’s
beautiful creation. All the animals, all
the birds, trees, water, everything
that God made so perfectly beautiful
is being destroyed and/or tortured
by demon empowered evil men.
I’ve been fervently praying that God
would intervene in the affairs of evil
men, that God would hinder the plans
of evil men, that God would expose
all liars, all thieves from the greatest
to the smallest, I’ve asked God to
start at the very top and work His
way down. Like King David, I prayed
that God would confuse His enemies
be they humans or demons, that God
would confuse their speech, cause
them to make mistakes in order that
they would reveal their true intent.
I’ve asked God to UNMASK the big
players, I’ve asked God that Habakkuk
2:14 would become a reality sooner
rather than later.
I don’t know if God has moved others
to feel and to pray in this manner,
but since I’ve been praying this way
I’ve seen the exposure and/or fall of
a good number of great and greatly
immoral and wicked men.
Here are a few examples: Bernard
Madoff, Rupert Murdoch, Conrad
Black and last but not least Tiger
Woods. These are the ones that come
to my mind at the moment.
HIGHLIGHTS IN Habakkuk 1
2 How long, O Lord, must I call for
help? But you do not listen! “Violence
is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not
come to save.
3 Must I forever see these evil
deeds? Why must I watch all this
misery? Wherever I look, I see
destruction and violence. I am
surrounded by people who love to
argue and fight.
4 The law has become paralyzed, and
there is no justice in the courts. The
wicked far outnumber the righteous,
so that justice has become perverted.
HIGHLIGHTS IN Habakkuk 2
4 “Look at the proud! They trust in
themselves, and their lives are
crooked. But the righteous will live by
their faithfulness to God.
6 “But soon their captives will taunt
them. They will mock them, saying,
‘What sorrow awaits you thieves!
Now you will get what you deserve!
You’ve become rich by extortion, but
how much longer can this go on?’
8 Because you have plundered many
nations; now all the survivors will
plunder you. You committed murder
throughout the countryside and filled
the towns with violence.
9 “What sorrow awaits you who build
big houses with money gained
dishonestly! You believe your wealth
will buy security, putting your
family’s nest beyond the reach of
danger.
10 But by the murders you
committed, you have shamed your
name and forfeited your lives.
12 “What sorrow awaits you who
build cities with money gained
through murder and corruption!
13 Has not the Lord of Heaven’s
Armies promised that the wealth of
nations will turn to ashes? They work
so hard, but all in vain!
14 For as the waters fill the sea, the
earth will be filled with an awareness
of the glory of the Lord.
16 But soon it will be your turn to be
disgraced. Come, drink and be
exposed! Drink from the cup of the
Lord’s judgment, and all your glory
will be turned to shame.
17 You cut down the forests of
Lebanon. Now you will be cut down.
You destroyed the wild animals, so
now their terror will be yours. You
committed murder throughout the
countryside and filled the towns with
violence.
For your convenience I’ve copied
Habakkuk Chapter 1 to Chapter 3 in
its entirety. Check it out, check to
see if you also see some parallels
between Habakkuk’s time and our
times.
Habakkuk 1
1 This is the message that the
prophet Habakkuk received in a vision.
Habakkuk’s Complaint
2 How long, O Lord, must I call for
help? But you do not listen! “Violence
is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not
come to save.
3 Must I forever see these evil
deeds? Why must I watch all this
misery? Wherever I look, I see
destruction and violence. I am
surrounded by people who love to
argue and fight.
4 The law has become paralyzed, and
there is no justice in the courts. The
wicked far outnumber the righteous,
so that justice has become perverted.
The Lord’s Reply
5 The Lord replied, “Look around at
the nations; look and be amazed! For I
am doing something in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe even
if someone told you about it.
6 I am raising up the Babylonians, a
cruel and violent people. They will
march across the world and conquer
other lands.
7 They are notorious for their
cruelty and do whatever they like.
8 Their horses are swifter than
cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at
dusk. Their charioteers charge from
far away. Like eagles, they swoop
down to devour their prey.
9 “On they come, all bent on violence.
Their hordes advance like a desert
wind, sweeping captives ahead of
them like sand.
10 They scoff at kings and princes
and scorn all their fortresses. They
simply pile ramps of earth against
their walls and capture them!
11 They sweep past like the wind and
are gone. But they are deeply guilty,
for their own strength is their god.”
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint
12 O Lord my God, my Holy One, you
who are eternal—surely you do not
plan to wipe us out? O Lord, our
Rock, you have sent these
Babylonians to correct us, to punish
us for our many sins.
13 But you are pure and cannot
stand the sight of evil. Will you wink
at their treachery? Should you be
silent while the wicked swallow up
people more righteous than they?
14 Are we only fish to be caught and
killed? Are we only sea creatures
that have no leader?
15 Must we be strung up on their
hooks and caught in their nets while
they rejoice and celebrate?
16 Then they will worship their nets
and burn incense in front of them.
“These nets are the gods who have
made us rich!” they will claim.
17 Will you let them get away with
this forever? Will they succeed
forever in their heartless conquests?
Habakkuk 2
1 I will climb up to my watchtower
and stand at my guardpost. There I
will wait to see what the Lord says
and how he will answer my complaint.
The Lord’s Second Reply
2 Then the Lord said to me, “Write
my answer plainly on tablets, so that
a runner can carry the correct
message to others.
3 This vision is for a future time. It
describes the end, and it will be
fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming,
wait patiently, for it will surely take
place. It will not be delayed.
4 “Look at the proud! They trust in
themselves, and their lives are
crooked. But the righteous will live by
their faithfulness to God.
5 Wealth is treacherous, and the
arrogant are never at rest. They
open their mouths as wide as the
grave, and like death, they are never
satisfied. In their greed they have
gathered up many nations and
swallowed many peoples.
6 “But soon their captives will taunt
them. They will mock them, saying,
‘What sorrow awaits you thieves!
Now you will get what you deserve!
You’ve become rich by extortion, but
how much longer can this go on?’
7 Suddenly, your debtors will take
action. They will turn on you and
take all you have, while you stand
trembling and helpless.
8 Because you have plundered many
nations; now all the survivors will
plunder you. You committed murder
throughout the countryside and filled
the towns with violence.
9 “What sorrow awaits you who build
big houses with money gained
dishonestly! You believe your wealth
will buy security, putting your
family’s nest beyond the reach of
danger.
10 But by the murders you
committed, you have shamed your
name and forfeited your lives.
11 The very stones in the walls cry
out against you, and the beams in the
ceilings echo the complaint.
12 “What sorrow awaits you who
build cities with money gained
through murder and corruption!
13 Has not the Lord of Heaven’s
Armies promised that the wealth of
nations will turn to ashes? They work
so hard, but all in vain!
14 For as the waters fill the sea, the
earth will be filled with an awareness
of the glory of the Lord.
15 “What sorrow awaits you who
make your neighbors drunk! You force
your cup on them so you can gloat
over their shameful nakedness.
16 But soon it will be your turn to be
disgraced. Come, drink and be
exposed! Drink from the cup of the
Lord’s judgment, and all your glory
will be turned to shame.
17 You cut down the forests of
Lebanon. Now you will be cut down.
You destroyed the wild animals, so
now their terror will be yours. You
committed murder throughout the
countryside and filled the towns with
violence.
18 “What good is an idol carved by
man, or a cast image that deceives
you? How foolish to trust in your
own creation—a god that can’t even
talk!
19 What sorrow awaits you who say
to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save
us!’ To speechless stone images you
say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an
idol tell you what to do? They may
be overlaid with gold and silver, but
they are lifeless inside.
20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple.
Let all the earth be silent before him.”
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk’s Prayer
1 This prayer was sung by the
prophet Habakkuk:
2 I have heard all about you, Lord. I
am filled with awe by your amazing
works. In this time of our deep need,
help us again as you did in years gone
by. And in your anger, remember
your mercy.
3 I see God moving across the
deserts from Edom, the Holy One
coming from Mount Paran. His
brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and
the earth is filled with his praise.
4 His coming is as brilliant as the
sunrise. Rays of light flash from his
hands, where his awesome power is
hidden.
5 Pestilence marches before him;
plague follows close behind.
6 When he stops, the earth shakes.
When he looks, the nations tremble.
He shatters the everlasting mountains
and levels the eternal hills. He is the
Eternal One!
7 I see the people of Cushan in
distress, and the nation of Midian
trembling in terror.
8 Was it in anger, Lord, that you
struck the rivers and parted the sea?
Were you displeased with them? No,
you were sending your chariots of
salvation!
9 You brandished your bow and your
quiver of arrows. You split open the
earth with flowing rivers.
10 The mountains watched and
trembled. Onward swept the raging
waters. The mighty deep cried out,
lifting its hands to the Lord.
11 The sun and moon stood still in
the sky as your brilliant arrows flew
and your glittering spear flashed.
12 You marched across the land in
anger and trampled the nations in
your fury.
13 You went out to rescue your
chosen people, to save your anointed
ones. You crushed the heads of the
wicked and stripped their bones from
head to toe.
14 With his own weapons, you
destroyed the chief of those who
rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking
Israel would be easy prey.
15 You trampled the sea with your
horses, and the mighty waters piled
high.
16 I trembled inside when I heard
this; my lips quivered with fear. My
legs gave way beneath me, and I
shook in terror. I will wait quietly for
the coming day when disaster will
strike the people who invade us.
17 Even though the fig trees have no
blossoms, and there are no grapes on
the vines; even though the olive crop
fails, and the fields lie empty and
barren; even though the flocks die in
the fields, and the cattle barns are
empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will
be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign Lord is my
strength! He makes me as surefooted
as a deer, able to tread upon the
heights.
FBWednesday,July27,2011
Justice's messages point to Jesus. this
is very bad news for the people who
"market" Jesus.
It would not be good for business if
the multitudes would discover that
they can go directly to Jesus, and
that Jesus himself promised to teach
his own sheep.
SO OBVIOUSLY THEY WILL TRY TO
DESTROY EVERYONE WHO POINTS
PEOPLE TO JESUS.
