God N America

Wait and Write

In a late night experiment on April 26, 1986, two electrical engineers were conducting an unauthorized experiment in the control room of a nuclear power plant. They were trying to see how long a turbine would ‘free wheel’ when they took the power off it. Taking the power off that kind of a nuclear reactor is a difficult, dangerous thing to do. They had to manually override six separate computer-driven alarm systems that warned, “STOP! – DANGEROUS! – GO NO FURTHER!” However, rather than shutting off the experiment, they shut off the alarms and kept going. Then at 1:21AM, it finally happened – the No.4 reactor exploded!  The result was nuclear fallout recorded all over the earth, from the largest industrial accident ever to occur in history – Chernobyl.

God repeatedly warns His people about violating His covenant. But, what happens when you try to tell someone something and they won’t listen? What happens when you give warnings, but they go unheeded? You can’t force someone to do what you think, especially when it comes to obeying God. That was the dilemma of Habakkuk and his contemporary, Jeremiah.

In Habakkuk 1 the prophet challenged God regarding what he saw as Judah was crashing and burning spiritually. Habakkuk thought God was disengaged through indifference and inactivity. Then God told him of his solution with the Babylonians being sent to conquer them and Habakkuk thought He was inconsistent.

Now all Habakkuk can do is wait and write. Notice Habakkuk 2:1 (ESV):

I will take my stand at my watchpost
    and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
    and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

Sometimes we have to wait and see what the LORD is going to do. While we are waiting we must remember to continue doing His will. It is not a time to let down our guard, but to reinforce our resolve and even more closely follow Him. Psalm 37:34 (ESV) reads:

³⁴ Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

In Habakkuk 2:2-3 (ESV) the LORD tells him to write what he is told and to keep waiting. Notice the text:

² And the Lord answered me:

“Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,
    so he may run who reads it.
³ For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.

What God was saying through Habakkuk was worth writing and certainly worth waiting for. It was going to be hard on the nation of Judah but in the long run, the nation would wake up to the reality of the LORD and His will. The remnant would eventually return from Babylonian captivity and rebuild the nation.

If America is to be restored it will be by the hand of God. It won’t be by Trump or some “political end-run.” This is why we need GodNAmerica.

We are called to active duty, not passive. While we wait, we keep His covenant, which includes engaging the enemy with the spiritual weapons of Ephesians 6 because as Paul stated, in verse 12 (ESV):

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We must be ready as we wait on the LORD.

Habakkuk had a story worth telling and so do we. Tell the story of Jesus every way you can. But, tell the whole story. For instance, Jesus is the epitome of love from God, but in His love He is also just. Don’t forget that God will not hold us blameless if we freely go along with the willing sinfulness of our culture.

We are in kind of a holding pattern right now. I wonder if God is waiting to see who is willing to repent and truly come to Him and who isn’t. Peter said it like this in 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV):

⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Do you remember Thomas Jefferson’s concern for America? He said:

I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.

Which do you think is coming to America, Judgment or Redemption? While we wait to see, let’s keep His covenant. Let’s tell the story of the longsuffering God who gave His Son to avert eternal condemnation. This same Son provides a roadmap of how to live now as well. Maybe we can put God in America again and have “a new birth of freedom.”

Keep The Light of God’s Story Burning!

Habakkuk had been watching his nation, Judah and saw for himself how corrupt things had gotten. So, like a good prophet, he brings it to God’s attention, as though God was unaware. He essentially asks why and how long God was going to let these kind of things go on. Then in Habakkuk 1:5-11 (ESV) God answers him:

⁵ “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
⁶ For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation,
who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own.
⁷ They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. . . .
¹¹ Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!”

Obviously, God was (and is) perfectly aware of what is going on with us. He saw (and sees) the corruption of people (and we might add, knows them by name). Then, even when we don’t see, He is at work. In verse five, God says, “For I am doing a work in your days. . . ”

Did you catch it? He says, “I AM DOING.” The work God was doing was in the days of Habakkuk. It wasn’t some far off future event, it was happening in his days. I realize there are some things that God is going to do in the unknown future, but He is also at work in the here and now.

I had a history teacher my freshman year of college at Jacksonville University in Jax, FL who told our class that he was a Deist. I had little understanding of such things then. He explained that he believed that God created the world, wound it up like a clock (or put in a battery for those who are unfamiliar with wind-up clocks) and then went away. When the clock winds down (or the battery is used up), He will come back and do whatever He is going to do. That description is NOT the description of the God of the Bible. He is intimately involved in His creation and with His people. (BTW, Benjamin Franklin is accused of being a Deist but repeatedly called for prayer – would a Deist do such a thing if God is not at work in the world?).

God Himself describes the work that He was doing. He called it, “unbelievable.” In the second half of verse five, He said:

For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.

There are so many things God has done that seem, “Unbelievable.” Creation itself is amazing and beyond our comprehension. The height of God’s unbelievable work is the gospel, contained in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. How, indeed, can God so love the world that He would give His Son for us? Or, how could He so love ME that Jesus would die for ME as Paul writes in Galatians 2:20? It’s unbelievable.

In Habakkuk’s case, God did a deliberate work. The word for “work” pictures a man intentionally working his trade. God’s intentional, deliberate work is working with people. When you look at the life of Jesus you see Him at work with people. He was not interrupted in His daily activities by people, because they were His work, and still are.

God was deliberately raising up the Chaldeans (or Babylonians) for this particular work. Notice Habakkuk 1:6 (ESV):

⁶ For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation,
who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own.

This is a surprise to the prophet. The Chaldeans were worse people than the people of Judah. They were a ruthless, violent, selfish people, and yet they would be used to discipline the chosen people of God. How often God does the unexpected. Even today we can draw closer to Him through current unpleasant events.

God told Habakkuk that this was HIS work. He would do it deliberately. He would do it carefully and yet lovingly. Remember, in Revelation 3:19 (ESV) Jesus told the lukewarm church of Laodicea:

¹⁹ Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

God is still at work in our chaos. We may not see what He is doing but we can rest assured that He is doing. Likewise, we may not understand what He is doing, but we can rest assured that He is at work for our benefit in the long-run, even when we don’t understand.

In light of the events in the book of Habakkuk, we might agree with C.S. Lewis’ statement:

“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

America certainly needs God, whatever it takes. The cost is high. It is not, “might be high,” it IS high. It costs us everything to have Him. Luke 9:23 (KJV) reads:

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

In 1786, Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote “Thoughts Upon the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic,” in which he stated:

A Christian cannot fail of being a republican…for every precept of the Gospel inculcates those degrees of humility, self-denial, and brotherly kindness which are directly opposed to the pride of monarchy…. A Christian cannot fail of being useful to the republic, for his religion teaches him that no man “liveth to himself.”

Do you feel Him stripping away our idols? Do you feel Him stripping away our selfishness? We may not like the discomfort but we will like the end result: We can walk closer to God.

Keep The Light of God’s Discipline Burning! It WILL pay off!

At times one of the biggest regrets I have is that I did not serve in the military. It’s not about the uniform, the retirement, or recognition on days like Veterans Day. No, it is about missing the privilege of serving alongside other patriots.

Are you a Patriot? When you hear or sing the Star Spangled Banner, do you tear up a little? On days like today do you remember our forefathers in Valley Forge, Little Round Top, San Juan Hill, Battle of the Marne, and Pearl Harbor? Do you remember the courage of Americans at Heartbreak Ridge, the Tet Offensive, and Desert Storm? Just to name a few.

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg–or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul’s ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can’t tell a vet just by looking.

Someone made an insightful observation:

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the community organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN, who salutes the Flag,
who serves under the Flag.

Each time you see someone who has served our country, remember to say, “Thank you.” That’s all most people need. In most cases, it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.

On May 13, 1938 the 11th of November became a legal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I. In 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. They certainly deserve both recognition and honor! Romans 13:7 (ESV) reminds us:

⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Christians are veterans of war, too. It may be in the military conflicts of the world, but it is assuredly the spiritual. Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV):

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

There are many sermons in these verses. Today, just remember that we are in a spiritual battle. The people indoctrinating our children and pushing mandates on us are fighting to take the soul of America. This war is not about territory, it is about tyranny. The way we fight this war is with all of the spiritual resources God gives us. That includes His armor, His Spirit, and His word. It includes prayer and the spiritual resolve to persevere.

You see, we are all veterans of a great spiritual war. That spiritual war engages our very nature. It challenges us in our choices. It involves our reason and reasonable service.

John Stuart Mill, philosopher from London, England, died in 1873, said:

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight is a miserable creature…”

Let’s honor our veterans and recognize our fight and let’s Keep The Light of Honor Burning!

It doesn’t take a genius to see that there are problems on every hand. It is true in America and it is true all over the earth. I read of a Missouri couple who had a personal problem a few years ago. They built their 5,300-square-foot home in a gated community in Florida. The three-story house had five bedrooms, three floors, beautiful verandas, and it was bordered with palm trees. The only problem: The contractor built the house on the wrong lot. I never heard how it turned out. But it was obviously a problem.

Look at our nation today there is problem after problem. Seventy-five per cent of Americans polled recently said we are going the wrong direction as a nation. A few of the problems we face are:

• The Virus with all of its implications
• Marxist “soft takeover”
• Loss of morals – The “Bible Belt” City Council of Edmond, OK authorized “Gay Pride Month” a few months ago. Pastor Paul Blair and only ten other Pastors joined together to challenge the Council’s decision. The Mayor and the Council ignored their petition.
• Many schools now are about indoctrination not education
• Lack of godly political representation – election fraud and Christian apathy

We have questions in light of the problems:

• What’s going on?
• Why is this happening?
• Where’s God and why isn’t He fixing this?

The prophet Habakkuk saw similar things in his day. Habakkuk 1:1-4 (ESV) reads:

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.

² O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?
³ Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
⁴ So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

I know there are many who don’t want to see inconvenient truths in their lives, the life of their church, or the life of the nation. The reason is often because seeing truth will of necessity compel us to act. “If I don’t see it, I don’t have to do anything about it,” we think. The problem is, the truth is there whether we see it or ignore it. Pastor G. Campbell Morgan once said:

Men of faith are always the men who have to confront problems. (Emphasis added, PMG)

Habakkuk sees what is going on and sees the oracle from God and prays. He reminds us that prayer is always a good thing. It is good and right to bring our concerns to the LORD. I read that by 1815 Americans had over 1400 calls to prayer in various levels of civil government.

John Hancock even authorized twenty-two calls to prayer as Governor of Massachusetts. He knew that was a good beginning, but that there was more. He said:

“I urge by all that is dear, by all that is honorable, by all that is sacred, not only that ye pray, but that ye act.”

As Habakkuk begins his prayer, he accuses God of indifference. Notice verse 2 again:

² O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?

He acts like either God is blind to it or doesn’t care about it. Are we there? Do we feel like God is simply turning a blind eye to all of the evil that is happening in our culture and world? It can feel frustrating.

The prophet’s first cry was a cry for help. We can identify on a personal level, a church level, a community level and a national level. This is similar to disciples in Mark 4:38 (ESV) when they cried out in the storm, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

His second “cry” was a loud scream about the violence and injustice that he saw. His once godly society was falling apart. Habakkuk prayed about the sins of the people. He prayed that people would get stirred up to repent and resist evil but gets no answer. So, he asks: and you will not save?

He goes on in verses three and four to accuse God of inactivity with the nation. Then, in the rest of the chapter he accuses God of inconsistency. God told him He was going to use Babylon to correct the problems of Judah. Judah was bad, but Babylon was worse, how can God use them?

Sometimes God has to get our attention so we will see troublesome truths before He will act. Sometimes we have to hurt enough to want to change. Only then will we be willing to act with God to make changes.

Today we might ask God, “Why do you allow injustice?” He might respond, “Why do YOU allow injustice?” When we feel the pains of injustice we see the problems. Then we will rise up with God to correct them.

Let’s continue to Keep the Light of God’s Wow Burning!