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8-15-2021 Weekly Message

Meditation of the Week: Psalm 91:1-16

Text: Habakkuk 3:17-19

Sermon Title: The only reason Christians  rejoice in the corrupted world without justice and truth

         Like other prophets,  prophet Habakkuk was a prophet who prophesied at the time when Israel had completely apostatized from God and found no one to do justice and seek the truth.

       With a sad heart he cried out to God for a long time and prayed:

” O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 3Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

4Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.” (Hab 1:2-4).

         Even in this age we live, justice in all countries, including the United States and Korea, has collapsed, and it is difficult to find people who practice justice and seek the truth.

          When prophet Jeremiah gave an ultimatum to the kingdom of Judah and foretold that they would soon be completely destroyed by Babylon, at the very end of the kingdom of Judah, God told prophet Jeremiah about how corrupt the kingdom of Judah had been. He spoke of how righteous his judgment was:

“Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. 2And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.” (Jeremiah 5:1-2).

       To the word of God the prophet Jeremiah answered:

” O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return..” (Jeremiah 5:3)

         God answered Jeremiah’s words:

” Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.” (Jeremiah 5:4).

          Even in the days when  prophet Habakkuk prophesied, there were few who did justice and sought the truth. Moreover, even in the last days we live in, the rule of law and justice cannot be found not only in Israel but also in the all nations, and even the churches have abandoned God’s law of justice and united with the religions of the world forsaking the only truth, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, without knowing the judgment of God, they are uniting with the Principalities, Powers, the rulers of the darkness of the world, and the evil spirits on high places even though churches of God have to fight against them., leading the flock of God’s church to destruction.

         Through Apostle Paul, the Holy Ghost testified of  what the Churches of God must fight in the spiritual warfare:

” Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12).

        Hearing Habakkuk’s testimony , God answered him:

” And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

4Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” (Hab 2:2-4).

        That’s right! This is because God’s promise of doing justice and judging with the truth to accomplish His will may seem slow to human eyes, but it is not slow because it will surely come true in his day. So, the  just  have to have his own faith. Apostle Peter testified of this:

” But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

        Finally, God heard the prayer of Habakkuk, and Habakkuk fearfully witnessed in the Holy Ghost of  the dreadful sight of God’s appearing to judge the world in the fullness of time to come:

“O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

3God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. 5Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. 6He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.

7I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 8Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?

Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. 10The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.

11The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. 12Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.

13Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.

14Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

15Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters..” (Hab 3:2-15)

         Moses, man of God testified of the Lord God coming from  mount Paran when he blessed Israelites:

“The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.“

        Habakkuk’s visions of God’s judgment coincide with the scene of  Apostle John when he saw the heavens opened as the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to judge the world as well as  prophet Isaiah’s vision of the Lord dividing the heavens  coming to revenge the world. And we can see the Lord casing the Antichrist, the wicked man into the lake of fire to bruise his head.  As another  thing shown to our generation suffering from Corvid 19 is the verse saying ” Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.”  This verse implies that the plagues of pestilence, volcanoes and wildfires shall happen before the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.   

         Upon seeing the dreadful judgment, Habakkuk confessed, when he heard, his belly tremn bled; his lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into his bones, and trembled in himself. At that time he confessed in fear that no difficulties in the short time living in the world, no one could take away the hope  given him by God, and that he would rejoice looking forward the day of salvation:

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.19The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. ” (Hab 3:17-19).

              Apostle Paul encouraged the saints in Rome keeping the faith in the midst of extreme suffering, to rejoice in the hope:

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. ” (Romans 5:1 -5)

           In addition, Apostle Peter also wrote a letter of encouragement to the Saints to prepare to bear witness to the people of the hope they had:

” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:…” (1 Peter 3:15)

Amen! Hallelujah!