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FOR THE TRUTH
MY
COUNTRY IS IN TROUBLE!
A
Watchman Shares His Agony
A study based on thoughts from
the book of HABAKKUK,
Many godly people in a number of
nations, are sad and even bewildered at the way their country is
declining in many different ways, especially morally, and there is no
security or assurance of a better future. Evil enemies are
terrorising so many people.
We cry, “Oh LORD God what is
Your answer to our cries?”
MANY WATCHMEN LIKE HABAKKUK
HAVE PRAYED THIS WAY.
[In between the Scriptures that are quoted,
are the writer’s notes and comments.]
We believe these
may bring some lessons of comfort and encouragement for us.
IT
IS ALL RIGHT TO WATCH AND BE CONCERNED BY WHAT WE SEE
Ch.1:
2-4. “How long O LORD must I call for help?”
[For
my Nation-for persecuted Christians -for suffering people- for
‘lukewarm’ Christians...]
"But You do not
listen?
Or cry out to You, 'Violence!' [on behalf of victims
of abortion, drugs and alcohol, injured by cruelty, crime and
godlessness.]
“But You do not save? Why do You make me
look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrong? Destruction and
violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralysed, and justice never prevails. The
wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.”
GOD
SAYS: Yes I see and I am going to act according to My holy purposes-
so you keep looking.
Ch.1:5-11. "Look at
the Nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do
something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were
told." [Many Christians do not want to take in the warnings
of Jesus in the Gospels and John in Revelation, let alone, Daniel and
Ezekiel!]
“ ‘I am
raising up the 'Babylonians'- “ [Terrorists? In today's
world, then later on the World Government under the Anti-christ?]
-
“The 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
honour.” (Read about then in verses 7 – 11.)
IT
IS ALL RIGHT TO PRAY ABOUT IT and ask, "O God ~ Will you
really?"
Ch. 1:12
-2:1. "O LORD are You not from everlasting, My God, My Holy
One?”
[Surely,] “we will not die"
[You would not let us die would You?]
"O
LORD You have appointed THEM to execute judgement, O Rock You have
ordained THEM to punish."
[Surely], “Your eyes
are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrong.
Why then
do You tolerate the treacherous (people)?
“Why are You
silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than
themselves? You have made men like fish in the sea, like creatures
that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks,
he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so
he rejoices and is glad.
[Now, he even worships his weapons
like this-] “Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns
incense to his dragnet, for by his net [or gun], he lives in
luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to [be allowed], keep
on emptying his net destroying nations without mercy?”
[We
can stand on our watch and see what God’s answers will be. Read
to chapter 2; 1.]
“I will stand on my watch and station
myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me and
what answer I am to give to this complaint.”
GOD
SAYS: Satanic pride goes before a great fall - while the righteous
keep clinging by FAITH!
Ch.2:
1-13 "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets,
so that a herald may run with it...for it waits for an appointed
time; it speaks of THE END and will not prove false. Though it
linger, wait for it; for it will certainly come and will not delay."
[ We now have the WHOLE of God's WORD to warn us!] Verse 4: -
"See, [Satan] is puffed up; his desires are not upright."
[The goal of Evil is: - to take over the world] “BUT THE
RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE- BY HIS FAITH!" [Is that you and I?]
(Please read to verse 13.)
BUT GOD
WILL USE THE EVENTS TO GLORIFY AND SPREAD THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS OWN
NAME!
Ch.2:
14. "For the Earth will be filled with the knowledge
of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." [As
it says 67 times in the book of Ezekiel, "then they will know
that I AM the Sovereign LORD." This does not mean everyone will
become believers in the Saviour, Jesus, but it does mean that from a
certain point before the trumpet and bowl judgements, NO ONE will
ever be able to say they did not know WHO the true God is! His Word
is going out. How like our just and loving LORD God that is!]
YET
GOD WILL ALLOW MANKIND TO CONTINUE IN HIS BLIND, BIGOTTED WAY.
[Ch.2;
15-19 compared with Revelation chapter 13 is very interesting, as we
live in a time of many idols and false gods. Look what the
False-messiah will do in 13:14.] The last verse of the chapter says:
"But the LORD is in His holy Temple; let all the Earth be
silent before HIM." (Please read verses 15-19 your self.
SO
IS IT RIGHT TO PRAY FOR REVIVAL?
[I
believe as Johannes Facius says, that if we pray for revival we must
realise we are praying for judgement, The greatest 'revival' will be
in the M.E. for Jews and Arabs as Isaiah 19:23-25 indicates. When
Israel comes under 'final' pressure, God will act!]
Ch.3:
2 says, "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 uses the rest of
the chapter to recount God's acts on behalf of His people. Yet there
is also a prophetic picture which matches the events of the book of
Revelation in a graphic way. Please compare this chapter with
Revelation 15 & 16]
NO WONDER THE
WATCHMAN HAS A TWO~FOLD REACTION.
This
is surely how we could feel.
1.
WITH REAL CONCERN AND FEAR.
Ch.3: 16: "I heard and
my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my
bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of
CALAMITY to come on the nation* invading us." [And the Evil
World ruler.*]
2. WITH BRAVE,
DETERMINED FAITH.
Ch.3: 17. [May I paraphrase, please?]
"Though the food supplies are not available, and no sources
of nice drinks; though the means of lighting, and cooking - e.g.
electricity is cut off; (and maybe petrol too), and there are no
vegetables, let alone meat supplies, -lamb or beef, or milk, cheese
or dairy products... or even basic food…
YET I WILL
~REJOICE IN THE LORD, I WILL BE JOYFUL IN GOD MY SAVIOUR."
[Easier to say than do!]
SO WHAT
DOES THIS 'WATCHMAN' SEE IN THIS 21st CENTURY?
(A
range of thoughts and observations in general - written in October
2002. However nothing in any of our articles is presented in a
dogmatic way, but as a basis for your own study and prayer. The
responsiblity of those who share a word wrongly, or outside of
Scripture is severe. But we feel it is important in some cases to
give our honest prayerful understanding even if it is different from
some others. May the LORD bless your reading.)
LOOKING
AT:
AFRICA. It seems
impossible to grasp what a huge, diverse, rich, yet poverty-plague-
famine and war-stricken continent this is! Yet anyone who sees a 'One
World Government' without any reference to this vast block of
nations, must be prophetically blind. Therefore the significance of a
recently formed new pan-African organisation (A.U.) to unify
the nations is surely a step nearer to becoming one of the "10
kings" who give their power and allegiance to the
'False-messiah'. (Revelation 13:1,17:2-3, & 12. Not necessarily
'Roman' as some are saying.)
ARABIA &
the nations of the Middle East. The one unifying factor
here is Islamic hatred of Israel, (and the 'Christian' West). But
Scripture indicates that one day God will surely break the power
of extreme Islam world-wide, very visibly, and free the people to
know the true God through Jesus. He will bless Israel too! Together
they will be a blessing, (like an ointment?) on the Earth! (Isaiah
19:23-25). It seems only Almighty God can bring any order or meaning
in this part of the world. 'This will happen after Israel and
surrounding nations have a time of false peace. When everyone is
saying peace, peace...'
ASIA. A
hot cauldron of peoples of extreme wealth and poverty; fearful of
other Asian powers and yet struggling to cope with their own huge
populations and BIG problems of diverse religions, castes and
customs, with many extreme fanatics among them all. A part of the
world where the description of a 'sea of people' seems very apt. It's
influence is BIG!
CHINA.
It is surely destined to change, even to accept
religious groups like the 'Phalengong', and other 'spiritual' groups
so that even China will fit in with the 'One World' religion that is
forming so fast. It is also destined as a totally anti-God,
persecutor of thousands of Christians over many decades, to huge
problems of all kinds, including natural disasters. God is not
unmindful of his brave followers who have and are suffering so
much! Consider; as a result of the 'one-child' policy and therefore
an over-population of young adult males, this will lead to
homosexuality, pornography, AIDS, rapes, drugs and crime. A 200
million army is totally possible and a way to employ many. (See Rev.
8:13-16, & 16:12)
RUSSIA. This
is a nation that has had Christianity and the Bible for over a 1000
years, yet for 70 years brutally enforced atheism at the cost of
thousands of lives, many of them Jews and true Christians. Now
it can only be expected to continue on a 'downward path'. This
will be with natural disasters, but the apathy of the people in a
cycle of poverty, 'accidental' deaths or in wars and the continual
fear of crime, sickness, secret surveillance and the next disaster,
breeds a cult of terror. Although there is no love for Islam, the
Nation's poverty and desire for 'restored glory' and
anti-Semitism will drag this nation into a terminal war of
destruction as described in Ezekiel 38 & 39. Although God largely
broke the power of Communism, the Evil One is still active, and
cruel! Terrorism has many faces, and places to cause great
sorrow.
GERMANY. Again,
any nation which causes 55 million people to die in one war, and
includes in that number 6 million Jews, as well as many brave
Christians, having had the Word of God for many centuries, cannot
expect to avoid terrible troubles. It is my personal belief that
maybe it was the urgent, sacrificial prayers of Mother Basilea
Schlink and her Sisters that enabled West Germany to escape God's
judgement for 50 years. But as a nation, in pride, still seeking some
dominance in Europe, along with other nations it will face
destruction. The rise of neo-Nazism will cause it to come against
Israel but for it's own destruction. God will not be mocked;
worship of Mammon will cause its demise.
THE
WEST. In-spite of much godlessness, (which grieves us
deeply in our own nation), there are many truly great
Christians and ministries in these nations. Because the key to
'the End' is the spread of the Gospel into the entire world, and this
still needs godly people, and resources, perhaps God will allow a few
more years of economic blessing. This might be in proportion
to the giving of God's Christian people to 'world mission' and
to helping Israel and the Palestinians and other suffering
peoples around the world. Let us pray for this.
Our
challenge is to sacrificial living and urgent prayer for God's people
everywhere!
The future as Habukkuk saw it, and as we see it is
not for a lot of
peace and prosperity, but hardship and sorrow.
We praise God for brave workers and Christians in every Land who
are
bravely staying true to their LORD, even suffering for it.
If
you are in a place like that we want you to know we pray for you
every day.
Remember God Has said, “I will not leave you or
forsake you.’