Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021321
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:46 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:50 WE ARE COMING TO YOU FROM CALIFORNIA'S CAPITAL CITY. 00:52 IT IS A BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY DAY HERE IN SACRAMENTO AND I HOPE 00:56 THAT WHEREVER YOU ARE JOINING US FROM, EVEN IF IT'S NOT SUNNY 01:00 OUTSIDE, THAT YOU ARE HAPPY IN YOUR HEARTS. 01:03 I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE HAD A WONDERFUL WEEK AND THAT YOU ARE 01:07 READY TO OPEN UP GOD'S WORD AND STUDY TOGETHER WITH US HERE AT 01:10 CENTRAL CHURCH AND, OF COURSE, SING YOUR FAVORITE SONGS. 01:14 TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION. WE HAVE A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR 01:17 OUR FIRST SONG, SO IF YOU'RE AT HOME AND YOU HAVE A HYMNAL, PULL 01:20 IT OUT AND SING WITH US - #373 - 'SEEKING THE LOST'. 01:26 THIS IS A REQUEST FROM VAUGHN IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, ROSLYN IN 01:29 AUSTRALIA, MARCEL, TERRY AND SAMANTHA IN THE BAHAMAS, MICHAEL 01:33 AND RHEA IN CALIFORNIA, BOB, KOFI AND ROXANNE IN CANADA, DEAN 01:37 IN COLORADO, ANN, KIMBERLY, SIMREN, DIAMOND, AND SANJAY IN 01:42 ENGLAND, AND LET'S SEE, SIMREN IN ENGLAND SENT IN A MESSAGE. 01:46 SHE'S NINE YEARS OLD AND SHE LOVES TO SING ALONG WITH US 01:49 EVERY SABBATH MORNING AND THIS IS HER FAVORITE SONG. 01:53 'THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU' AND HER FOUR-YEAR-OLD SISTER AND 01:56 THEY'RE FROM MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. 01:58 SO IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HEAR FROM OUR YOUNG VIEWERS. 02:02 OWEN IN FINLAND, DENVER IN FLORIDA, FRANK AND MARRIE IN 02:05 GEORGIA, DAVID, DABBIE AND SHANTE IN GRENADA, LEOPOLD IN 02:09 JAMAICA, ERNIE IN KENYA, CINDY AND MARGARET IN MARYLAND, HASANI 02:13 IN MICHIGAN, CONNIE AND HARLAND IN MINNESOTA, JACQUES AND 02:17 MICHAEL IN NEW JERSEY, ALLISON, HAZEL, JADE, LEILA AND LINDA IN 02:20 NEW YORK, JENA IN SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, IRVIN IN SAINT 02:24 VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, THAPELO IN SOUTH AFRICA, KAM AND 02:29 NATALIE IN TENNESSEE, NICK IN TEXAS, AYESHA, JAYELLE AND JOEL 02:33 IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, CHRISTA IN VIRGINIA, AND CAMILLE, 02:37 XAVIER, AND KENDELL IN WASHINGTON. 02:40 OKAY GUYS, WE WANT TO HEAR YOU SINGING EXTRA LOUD THIS MORNING. 02:44 #373 - WE'LL DO ALL THREE STANZAS - 'SEEKING THE LOST'. 02:47 (MUSIC) 05:08 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING IN THAT REQUEST AND FOR 05:12 THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING FROM ENGLAND, I WILL LET YOU 05:15 KNOW THAT MY MOM AND DAD AND I ARE GOING TO BE IN THE YORK 05:19 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH ON MAY THE 31ST. 05:22 THAT IS A SABBATH AND I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST LET YOU KNOW IN 05:25 CASE YOU'RE IN THAT AREA AND, IN FACT, IT'S VERY EXCITING, WE GOT 05:28 AN E-MAIL FROM A LADY WHO WAS WANTING TO COME TO CENTRAL TO BE 05:32 BAPTIZED - AND HER SON - BUT THEY COULDN'T COME AND THEY GO 05:35 TO THE YORK CHURCH. AND SO, I THINK, IF THEY WORK IT 05:38 OUT MY DAD'S GOING TO DO TH BAPTISM - WHICH IS THE PLACE 05:41 WHERE HE WAS BAPTIZED, MY MOM WAS BAPTIZED, THEY WERE MARRIED 05:44 AND MY SISTER WAS DEDICATED, SO IT'S VERY EXCITING. 05:47 SO WE'RE GOING TO BE BACK VISITING FAMILY FOR A FEW DAYS 05:49 AND WE WILL BE IN YORK ADVENTIST CHURCH ON MAY 31. 05:52 SO WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU, OUR ENGLISH VIEWERS AND LITTLE GIRLS 05:56 IN MANCHESTER, IT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM YORK...HINT HINT. 06:01 OUR NEXT SONG IS ONE OF OUR NEW ONES. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. 06:05 #55 - 'O GLADSOME LIGHT'. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE TUNE. 06:11 IT WAS WRITTEN BY A MOM FOR HER TWO CHILDREN, MARY AND HARRY, IN 06:15 THE 1800S AND WE ARE JUST LEARNING THIS ONE AND IT IS JUST 06:20 BEAUTIFUL, SO WE'RE GOING TO SING IT. 06:22 #55 - WHY AM I NOT SEEING THAT? WRONG TITLE! 06:29 'JESUS TENDER SHEPHERD HEAR ME' - THERE WE GO. 06:32 (MUSIC) 07:47 >>THAT WAS SO SHORT AND SWEET AND IT WAS REQUESTED BY 07:50 ANNAMARIE IN ARIZONA AND JOYCE IN KENYA. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO 07:54 #56 - SEEING AS #55 WAS SO SHORT AND THIS IS A GORGEOUS SONG. 07:58 I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO YOUTUBE - JEN SENT ME THE LINK FOR THIS 08:01 ONE LAST NIGHT FOR THIS AMAZING ARRANGEMENT - LOOK FOR THE 2008 08:05 SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE FROM THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL AND YOU WILL 08:08 HEAR THIS WITH CHOIR BOYS AND AN ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR - AND IN MY 08:13 HEAD THIS MORNING I SEE CHOIR BOYS COMING IN AND JOINING WITH 08:15 US BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UNFORTUNATELY. 08:18 SO JUST IMAGINE IT AND GO LOOK IT UP ON YOUTUBE. 08:21 #56 - BEAUTIFUL SONG AND WE WILL DO ALL FOUR STANZAS. 08:25 (MUSIC) 10:50 FATHER IN HEAVEN, THROUGH TIME EMPIRES HAVE COME AND GONE. 10:58 YOU TOLD US THAT IN THE BIBLE. NOTHING WOULD LAST FOREVER 11:05 APART FROM YOURS, WHICH IS COMING VERY SOON. 11:09 AND I PRAY THAT WE WILL BE READY FOR THAT DAY WHEN YOU DO 11:13 COME SO WE CAN SPEND ETERNITY WITH YOU IN HEAVEN WHERE 11:20 THERE'LL BE NO MORE PAIN, NO MORE SUFFERING, AND HAPPINESS 11:26 FOREVERMORE. FATHER, I PRAY THAT WE WILL EACH BE READY. 11:30 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LOVING US, FOR DYING FOR US, AND FOR GIVING 11:34 US THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. BE WITH US RIGHT NOW AS WE OPEN 11:39 UP YOUR WORD AND WE STUDY TOGETHER. 11:41 BE WITH PASTOR CHRIS AS HE BRINGS US THE LESSON. 11:44 BE WITH OUR EXTENDED FAMILY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND 11:47 THE WORLD. YOU KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. YOU KNOW 11:50 EACH AND EVERYONE'S PERSONAL NEEDS AND I JUST PRAY THAT 11:53 YOU'LL BE WITH US TODAY IN A SPECIAL WAY. 11:56 IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. AT THIS TIME, OUR LESSON STUDY 12:01 IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR CHRIS BUTTERY. 12:05 HE IS OUR FAMILY LIFE AND EVANGELISM PASTOR, THAT'S RIGHT, 12:11 AND HE'S ALSO FROM AUSTRALIA. >>I KNOW NO ONE HERE IS GOING TO 12:23 HOLD THAT AGAINST ME - BEING FROM AUSTRALIA - 12:25 AT LEAST I HOPE NOT. GOOD MORNING TO EACH OF YOU. 12:28 GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH. ABSOLUTELY. 12:32 I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO AFTER DEBBIE GETS BACK FROM ENGLAND IS 12:36 WORK OUT A WAY TO GET HER TO AUSTRALIA. 12:39 THEN SHE'LL KNOW WHAT THE TRUE COUNTRY LOOKS LIKE. 12:44 AND WAYNE - WAYNE AND SANDY FROM AUSTRALIA - LOOK, YOU KNOW WHAT 12:48 I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE. AND, BY THE WAY, JUST IN CASE 12:50 YOU WERE CONCERNED WHEN I TOLD OUR FRIENDS FROM SYDNEY THAT 12:54 ADELAIDE WINS HANDS DOWN, I KNOW WAYNE IS ORIGINALLY FROM 12:58 ADELAIDE, SO I WAS SAFE THERE, BUT SANDY I'M NOT SURE. 13:01 YOU MAY BE TALKING TO ME AFTERWARDS. 13:04 BUT LOOK - GOOD TO SEE YOU AND GLAD WE COULD BE HERE TOGETHER 13:08 TO STUDY GOD'S WORD. AND ALSO, WE WANT TO WELCOME 13:11 THOSE WHO ARE VIEWING ONLINE OR WATCHING ON TV OR LISTENING BY 13:17 RADIO THIS MORNING. WE'RE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE 13:19 AS WELL, STUDYING WITH US. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR 13:25 ONLINE AND TV VIEWERS ARE AWARE OF OUR FREE GIFT OFFER. 13:30 IT'S ENTITLED, 'IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT YOU CAN TRUST?' 13:35 AND IT'S TODAY'S SPECIAL OFFER AND IT'S OFFER #103 AND YOU CAN 13:40 RECEIVE THIS BY CALLING 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 13:43 1-866-788-3966. AND CERTAINLY IN TODAY'S MORALLY 13:51 CHALLENGED WORLD, ONE ASKS THE QUESTION WHETHER THERE IS 13:55 ANYTHING LEFT YOU CAN TRUST AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS 'YES. 13:58 YOU CAN TRUST GOD'S HOLY WORD AND SO THE STUDY GUIDE IS GEARED 14:02 TOWARD ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU CAN TRUST GOD'S WORD. 14:06 IT'S FILLED WITH EVIDENCES DECLARING GOD'S WORD IS 14:10 TRUTHFUL AND YOU CAN TRUST IT. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE IN OUR - 14:17 WITH OUR SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY. 14:19 WE'RE IN LESSON #8 AND SO IF YOU HAVE YOUR QUARTERLY WITH YOU, 14:25 WE'RE GOING TO BE TURNING OVER THERE TO LESSON #8 IN THIS 14:29 QUARTER'S THEME, 'MAJOR LESSONS FROM MINOR PROPHETS' - 14:33 'TRUSTING GOD'S GOODNESS'. THAT'S WHAT THE TITLE IS OF THIS 14:40 WEEK'S LESSON, 'TRUSTING GOD'S GOODNESS AND WE'RE GOING TO BE 14:43 STUDYING AND LOOKING AT THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK - FOR THOSE WHO 14:47 PRONOUNCE IT OTHERWISE, LIKE HABAKKUK, IT'S THE SAME BOOK, 14:51 HABAKKUK. I DID MY HOMEWORK AND MADE SURE 14:53 I PRONOUNCED IT CORRECTLY HERE THIS MORNING. 14:56 HABAKKUK IS FINE, I UNDERSTAND, BUT WERE IN - WE'RE GOING TO BE 15:00 IN HABAKKUK AND WE'RE - FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OUR 15:02 MEMORY VERSE HERE THIS MORNING - HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 14. 15:07 I'M GOING TO BE READING FROM THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION - 15:10 HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 14. 15:13 IT SAYS, 'FOR THE EARTH WILL BE FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE 15:16 GLORY OF THE LORD, AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA." 15:22 AND WE'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AS WE PROGRESS 15:24 THROUGH OUR STUDY HERE THIS MORNING. 15:27 SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHO TERMED 15:30 HIMSELF, 'TERMINAL MAN' - THE TERMINAL MAN - AT LEAST THAT 15:34 WHAT HE CALLED HIMSELF IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 15:37 HIS REAL NAME IS MEHRAN KARIMI NASSERI AND MEHRAN NASSERI LIVED 15:46 IN A DEPARTURE LOUNGE OF TERMINAL ONE IN THE CHARLES DE 15:49 GAULLE AIRPORT IN PARIS, FRANCE. 15:52 NASSERI WAS EXPELLED FROM HIS OWN COUNTRY DUE TO PROTESTS TO 15:58 THE THEN KING OF IRAN, MOHAMMAD REZA SHAH, BUT WAS EVENTUALLY 16:03 AWARDED REFUGEE STATUS IN BELGIUM BY THE UNITED NATIONS 16:07 HIGH COMMISSION. THIS MEANT THAT HE COULD TAKE UP 16:10 RESIDENCY IN ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY. 16:14 HIS CHOICE WAS ENGLAND. HMMM, INTERESTING...ENGLAND. 16:20 WELL, DURING HIS STOPOVER IN PARIS ON THE WAY TO ENGLAND, THE 16:23 BRIEFCASE HE USED TO CARRY HIS IMPORTANT PAPERWORK IN VANISHED. 16:28 HE LOST IT. BUT IN SPITE OF THIS, HE STILL 16:30 BOARDED HIS FLIGHT TO BRITAIN BUT WAS QUICKLY RETURNED TO 16:33 FRANCE WHEN HE COULDN'T PRODUCE HIS PASSPORT THERE IN ENGLAND. 16:38 HE WAS INITIALLY ARRESTED BY THE FRENCH BUT THEN RELEASED FOR 16:41 REASONS THAT HIS ENTRY INTO THE AIRPORT WAS LEGAL AND THAT HE 16:45 HAD NO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN TO BE RETURNED TO. 16:48 THUS BEGAN HIS RESIDENCY IN TERMINAL ONE. 16:52 SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE OVER THE YEARS TO FIND A WAY TO GET 16:55 NASSERI TO ENGLAND, BUT THEY ALL FAILED, SO FROM AUGUST 26, 1988 17:02 TO JULY 2006, THE BETTER PART OF 17 YEARS, MEHRAN NASSERI WAITED. 17:13 WOW. THERE'S AN UNCANNY SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE STORY OF 17:19 NASSERI AND THE THEME OF THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK - 17:23 WAITING PATIENTLY FOR GOD'S SALVATION. 17:27 AND SO, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HABAKKUK HERE. 17:30 YOU WANT TO TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO THAT LITTLE BOOK. 17:33 BY THE WAY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LITTLE, IT'S JAM-PACKED FULL OF 17:35 GREAT SPIRITUAL TRUTHS AND LESSONS FOR US TODAY. 17:39 SO YOU WANT TO TURN THERE TO HABAKKUK. 17:42 WE'RE GOING TO BE STARTING IN CHAPTER 1, BUT HABAKKUK, I 17:44 UNDERSTAND, HIS NAME MEANS 'ONE WHO EMBRACES' OR 'ONE WHO CLINGS 17:50 AHOLD OF' OR CLINGS TO. AND WE'LL SEE WHY THAT'S PRETTY 17:54 IMPORTANT OR SIGNIFICANT LATER ON. 17:55 NOT MUCH ELSE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROPHET. 17:57 I'M NOT SURE IF GOD CALLED HIM FROM SOME OTHER OCCUPATION. 18:01 MAYBE HE WAS A TEMPLE SINGER, BASED UPON CHAPTER 3 18:05 OF THE BOOK. MAYBE HE WAS A TEMPLE SINGER. 18:08 WE DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS TRAINED IN THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS. 18:11 WE JUST DON'T KNOW THESE THINGS. 18:12 BUT NONETHELESS, HERE HE IS DOING WHAT HE IS CALLED TO DO. 18:15 NOW HABAKKUK LIVED DURING A TIME OF DEEP APOSTASY - MAYBE TOWARD 18:19 THE LATTER END OF MANASSEH'S REIGN DURING, MAYBE, HIS SON 18:23 AMMON'S RULE OR AT THE FRONT END OF JOSIAH'S REIGN. 18:28 THESE WERE ALL KINGS OF THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM. 18:32 THE ASSYRIANS HAD SUBJUGATED THE TEN NORTHERN TRIBES BY THIS TIME 18:36 AND MANY OF GOD'S PEOPLE HAD BEEN DISPERSED AMONG THE 18:39 NATIONS. THE ONLY TRIBES LEFT WERE JUDAH 18:41 AND BENJAMIN, AT THIS TIME. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE READING IN 18:44 THE OLD TESTAMENT ABOUT JUDAH, YOU'RE TO CONSIDER JUDAH AND 18:48 BENJAMIN TOGETHER. JUDAH WAS THE LARGER TRIBE THAT 18:52 HAD THE LARGER PIECE OF TERRITORY. 18:54 THOSE OF YOU JOINING US TUESDAY NIGHTS FOR PRAYER MEETING ARE 18:57 LEARNING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 19:00 BUT HABAKKUK WAS A PROPHET TO THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM - TO JUDAH 19:05 - TO THE KINGDOM THERE OF JUDAH PRIOR TO BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 19:11 NOW WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2 19:14 AND VERSE 20, THE TEMPLE OF GOD IS STILL STANDING. 19:18 IT'S NOT IN RUINS. AND WE KNOW THAT NEBUCHADNEZZAR 19:22 DESTROYED THE TEMPLE IN 586 BC. IT'S STILL STANDING SO WE KNOW 19:26 THIS WAS PRIOR TO BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY AND THE DESTRUCTION 19:30 OF JERUSALEM. AND ALSO, ACCORDING TO HABAKKUK 19:33 CHAPTER 1 AND VERSES 5 THROUGH 7, THE RISE OF BABYLON SEEMS 19:37 LIKE A FANTASTIC PROPOSITION. GOD SAYS, 'LOOK HERE. 19:42 SOMETHING STARTLING IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND I'M GOING TO RISE UP 19:45 SOMEONE WHO WILL DISCIPLINE JUDAH.' AND SO WE KNOW THAT 19:51 BABYLON IS YET TO TAKE THE STAGE. NABOPOLASSAR, WHO RULED 19:58 FROM 626 - 625 ON HASN'T YET COME ON THE SCENE. 20:03 SO WE KNOW THAT HE IS MINISTERING TO THE - TO THE 20:07 TRIBE OF JUDAH, PREACHING AND PROCLAIMING GOD'S MESSAGE OF 20:11 WARNING TO THEM PRIOR TO THEIR CAPTIVITY. 20:16 NOW, ACCORDING TO 'PROPHETS AND KINGS' - THAT FABULOUS BOOK IN 20:19 THAT 'CONFLICT OF THE AGES' SERIES - ON PAGE 381, WE'RE TOLD 20:25 ABOUT THAT TIME. SHE SAYS, "THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH, 20:28 PROSPEROUS THROUGHOUT THE TIME OF HEZEKIAH, WAS ONCE MORE 20:31 BROUGHT LOW DURING THE LONG YEARS OF MANASSEH'S WICKED REIGN 20:35 WHEN PAGANISM WAS REVIVED AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE WERE LED INTO 20:38 IDOLATRY.' AND THEN SHE QUOTES 2 CHRONICLES 20:41 33, VERSE 9, WHICH SAYS, "MANASSEH MADE JUDAH AND THE 20:44 INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM TO ERR AND DO WORSE THAN THE HEATHEN." 20:49 SHE GOES ON TO SAY, "THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF FORMER 20:51 GENERATIONS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE DARKNESS OF SUPERSTITION AND 20:54 ERROR. GROSS EVIL SPRANG UP AND FLOURISHED, TYRANNY, OPPRESSION, 20:59 HATRED OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, JUSTICE WAS PERVERTED AND 21:03 VIOLENCE PREVAILED." THIS WAS THE TIME IN WHICH 21:06 HABAKKUK WAS LIVING AND MINISTERING IN. 21:10 ACCORDING TO 2 KINGS 21, VERSE 16 THE AUTHOR SAYS, "MANASSEH 21:14 SHED BLOOD VERY MUCH TIL HE HAD FILLED JERUSALEM FROM ONE END TO 21:20 ANOTHER." NOW ALTHOUGH HIS SON AMMON RULED 21:24 FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, HE WAS A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK. 21:27 HE WAS PRODIGIOUSLY WICKED, JUST LIKE HIS FATHER. HIS REIGN CAME 21:30 TO A SHORT END WHEN HE WAS MURDERED BY HIS SERVANTS. 21:34 THINGS WERE PRETTY BAD IN THE CHURCH AT THE TIME OF HABAKKUK. 21:39 IF WE WERE TO SUMMARIZE THE BOOK, PERHAPS WE COULD SAY IT 21:42 THIS WAY, 'ALTHOUGH REPEATEDLY CALLED TO REPENTANCE, JUDAH 21:46 STUBBORNLY REFUSES TO RESPOND, THEREFORE BRINGING INTOLERABLE 21:50 CONDITIONS TO THE COUNTRY.' HABAKKUK IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE 21:54 STATE OF HIS COUNTRY AND SO ASKS GOD 'HOW LONG WILL THE JUDGMENTS 21:58 LAST?' GOD RESPONDS, WHICH LEADS 22:01 HABAKKUK TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE SHOULD TRUST GOD'S WISDOM, AS 22:04 THOUGH HE DOESN'T FULLY - EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN'T FULLY 22:07 UNDERSTAND HIS WAYS, AND PATIENTLY WAIT ON GOD. 22:12 I READ THIS ABOUT THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK TOO AND I THOUGHT I'D 22:15 SHARE THIS. THE AUTHOR SAYS, 'HABAKKUK' - 22:17 WHEN YOU READ THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK IT PROVIDES A SOLUTION 22:19 TO WHY GOD PERMITS EVIL TO PROSPER COMPARABLE TO THE 22:24 SOLUTION PROVIDED BY JOB AND TO THE PROBLEM OF WHY GOD PERMITS 22:28 SAINTS TO SUFFER. SO THESE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN 22:32 LEARN WHEN WE STUDY THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK 22:35 AT SOME OF THESE THINGS HERE THIS MORNING. 22:38 AND SO YOU'RE IN CHAPTER 1 AND SO AM I AND WE'RE GOING TO GO TO 22:41 SUNDAY'S LESSON 'THE PERPLEXED PROPHET' AND REALLY, 22:46 THIS IS LOOKING AT THE FIRST 11 VERSES OF CHAPTER 1 - HABAKKUK 22:50 CHAPTER 1, VERSES 1 THROUGH 11. THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK BEGINS WITH 22:54 THE PROPHET ASKING TWO QUESTIONS. 22:57 IT BEGINS BY ASKING TWO QUESTIONS AND IT'S INTERESTING - 23:00 THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK IS AN INTERESTING BOOK BECAUSE 23:03 NORMALLY THE PEOPLE - THE PROPHET - SPEAKS ON BEHALF OF 23:07 GOD TO THE PEOPLE, BUT HABAKKUK SPEAKS TO GOD ABOUT THE PEOPLE. 23:13 IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND YOU'LL SEE THAT HERE. 23:16 FIRST, HABAKKUK QUESTIONS WHY JUDAH'S SINS ARE ALLOWED TO GO 23:21 UNPUNISHED - THAT'S VERSES 1 THROUGH 4. 23:23 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. 23:24 GOD ANSWERS IN THE FOLLOWING VERSES THROUGH TO VERSE 11 BY 23:28 TELLING HIM THAT JUDAH WILL BE PUNISHED BY THE CHALDEANS OR BY 23:32 THE BABYLONIANS. THIS RAISES THE SECOND QUESTION 23:35 FOR HABAKKUK. 'HOW CAN GOD USE A MORE WICKED 23:39 NATION THAN JUDAH TO PUNISH JUDAH, HIS PEOPLE?' 23:45 AND THAT'S IN VERSES 12 AND 13. SO IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF 23:49 HABAKKUK, WE HAVE HABAKKUK'S TWO QUESTIONS. GOD ANSWERS ONE IN 23:54 CHAPTER 1 AND THE OTHER ONE HE'LL ANSWER IN CHAPTER 2. 23:57 AND SO LET'S LOOK AT VERSES 2 THROUGH 4 OF HABAKKUK CHAPTER 1 24:01 AND LET'S READ THAT HERE TOGETHER. 24:05 HABAKKUK CHAPTER 1, VERSES 2 THROUGH 4 - IT SAYS, "O LORD, 24:08 HOW LONG SHALL I CRY, AND YOU WILL NOT HEAR? 24:12 EVEN CRY OUT TO YOU, 'VIOLENCE!' AND YOU WILL NOT SAVE. 24:17 WHY DO YOU SHOW ME INIQUITY, AND CAUSE ME TO SEE TROUBLE? 24:19 FOR PLUNDERING AND VIOLENCE ARE BEFORE ME; THERE IS STRIFE, AND 24:22 CONTENTION ARISES. THEREFORE THE LAW IS POWERLESS, 24:27 AND JUSTICE NEVER GOES FORTH. FOR THE WICKED SURROUND THE 24:30 RIGHTEOUS; THEREFORE PERVERSE JUDGMENT PROCEEDS." 24:35 HOW LONG - THIS IS HIS QUESTION - 'HOW LONG, GOD WILL THE WICKED 24:40 CONTINUE TO PROSPER AND VIOLENCE REMAIN UNCHECKED AND THE 24:44 RIGHTEOUS CONTINUE TO BE VICTIMIZED BY THE UNGODLY?' 24:49 I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE MORE THAN ONE QUESTION BUT THAT'S THE 24:51 GENERAL TENOR OF HIS QUESTION. 'WHY ARE THE WICKED ALLOWED TO 24:54 PROSPER? WHY IS IT THAT I'M LOOKING AT ALL THIS STUFF? 24:57 ALLOWED TO LOOK AT ALL THIS STUFF? 24:59 WHY ISN'T WICKEDNESS AND VIOLENCE BEING CHECKED? 25:02 WHY AREN'T YOU INTERVENING? WHY AREN'T YOU STEPPING IN? 25:05 THE QUESTION 'HOW LONG?' OF COURSE IS A CRY OF HUMAN 25:10 DESPAIR AND DISTRESS AFTER WAITING FOR A LONG TIME. 25:14 THIS QUESTION IS RAISED WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE SEE INJUSTICE 25:18 HAPPENING AROUND THEM AND EVEN, PERHAPS - EVEN TO THEM AND THERE 25:24 DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY STOPPING IT. THIS CRY DOESN'T 25:27 ASK WHETHER GOD IS ALIVE, NO, BUT ASKS WHEN GOD WILL WORK. 25:32 'WHEN WILL YOU WORK, LORD, AND WHEN WILL THE TYRANNY COME TO AN 25:37 END?' THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING, THE SPIRIT 25:40 BEHIND THIS CRY IS DIFFERENT FROM THE SPIRIT OF THAT CRY FROM 25:45 A PERSON THAT'S BEEN STUCK BEHIND TRAFFIC, WHICH IS MAKING 25:49 HIM OR HER LATE FOR HER APPOINTMENT OR FOR WORK. 25:51 VERY DIFFERENT. OR FOR THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN 25:53 STUCK IN SOME WAITING ROOM FOR AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME 25:56 WAITING TO SEE THE DOCTOR OR THE DENTIST OR WHOEVER THEY'VE GONE 25:58 TO SEE. VERY DIFFERENT 'HOW LONG?' 26:01 THIS IS A DIFFERENT SPIRIT BEHIND THIS. 26:03 'LORD, HOW LONG UNTIL YOU WORK?' OTHER BIBLE WRITERS ACTUALLY 26:06 ASKED THE SAME QUESTION AND SOMEONE HERE HAS JEREMIAH 26:10 CHAPTER 12, VERSES 1 THROUGH 4 - THEY'RE GOING TO READ THAT FOR 26:12 US THIS MORNING. WONDERFUL. WE'LL COME TO YOU 26:14 IN JUST A MOMENT. LET ME JUST READ A COUPLE OF 26:17 VERSES FOR YOU. YOU CAN JOT THEM DOWN. THERE ARE PLENTY OF THEM 26:21 BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM. 26:23 PSALM 94, VERSE 3, THE PSALMIST SAYS, "LORD, HOW LONG WILL THE 26:28 WICKED, HOW LONG WILL THE WICKED TRIUMPH?" NOW, I DIDN'T STUTTER, 26:33 THAT'S EXACTLY HOW WHAT IT SAYS. "LORD, HOW LONG WILL THE WICKED, 26:35 HOW LONG WILL THE WICKED TRIUMPH?" 26:39 DANIEL 8, VERSE 13 IS INTERESTING AS WELL. 26:42 "THEN I HEARD A HOLY ONE SPEAKING; AND ANOTHER HOLY ONE 26:46 SAID TO THAT CERTAIN ONE WHO WAS SPEAKING, "HOW LONG WILL THE 26:51 VISION BE, CONCERNING THE DAILY SACRIFICES AND THE TRANSGRESSION 26:54 OF DESOLATION, THE GIVING OF BOTH THE SANCTUARY AND THE HOST 26:58 TO BE TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT?" HOW LONG? 27:01 OF COURSE, DANIEL HAD JUST WITNESSED THE RISE OF THE LITTLE 27:06 HORN POWER AND IN DANIEL CHAPTER 8 THAT LITTLE HORN IS ROME IN 27:10 ITS TWO PHASES - PAGAN AND PAPAL ROME - AND HE SEES THIS POWER 27:14 TRAMPLING ON GOD'S TRUTH AND UNFAIRLY TREATING GOD'S PEOPLE 27:20 AND THESE SAINTS ARE SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER AND SAYING, 'HOW 27:23 LONG IS THIS GOING TO LAST? HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO 27:26 GO ON FOR?' AND THEN IN REVELATION CHAPTER 6 27:29 AND VERSE 10, "THEY CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE," - THESE ARE THE 27:33 SOULS OF THOSE UNDER THE ALTAR - PERSONIFICATION OF THESE SOULS. 27:41 THEY CRY OUT FOR VENGEANCE. THEY SAY, "HOW LONG" - THIS IS 27:45 REVELATION 6, VERSE 10 - "SAYING, 'HOW LONG, O LORD, HOLY 27:47 AND TRUE, UNTIL YOU JUDGE AND AVENGE OUR BLOOD ON THOSE WHO 27:51 DWELL ON THE EARTH?'" HOW LONG? AND THEN IN JEREMIAH 12, VERSES 27:56 1 THROUGH 4, YOU'VE GOT THAT FOR US BROTHER. THANKS. 28:00 >>"RIGHTEOUS ARE YOU O LORD, WHEN I PLEAD WITH YOU; YOU LET 28:05 ME TALK WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR JUDGMENTS. 28:08 WHY DOES THE WAY OF THE WICKED PROSPER? 28:12 WHY ARE THOSE HAPPY WHO DEAL SO TREACHEROUSLY? 28:17 YOU HAVE PLANTED THEM, YES, THEY HAVE TAKEN ROOT; THEY GROW, YES, 28:23 THEY BEAR FRUIT. YOU ARE NEAR IN THEIR MOUTH BUT 28:27 FAR FROM THEIR MIND. BUT YOU, O LORD, KNOW ME; YOU 28:32 HAVE SEEN ME, AND YOU HAVE TESTED MY HEART TOWARD YOU. 28:36 PULL THEM OUT LIKE SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER, AND PREPARE THEM FOR 28:40 THE DAY OF SLAUGHTER. HOW LONG WILL THE LAND MOURN, 28:44 AND THE HERBS OF EVERY FIELD WITHER? 28:47 THE BEASTS AND BIRDS ARE CONSUMED, FOR THE WICKEDNESS OF 28:52 THOSE WHO DWELL THERE, BECAUSE THEY SAID, 'HE WILL NOT SEE OUR 28:57 FINAL END.'" >>WHY LORD? AND HOW LONG? YOU 29:02 SEE THE - YOU SEE THE THEME, RIGHT? 29:04 THE EARNEST PLEA OF THE PROPHET. 'LORD, WHEN WILL YOU INTERVENE 29:08 AND HOW LONG WILL THIS - THESE JUDGMENTS CONTINUE. 29:11 IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF WE'RE NOT ASKING 'HOW LONG?' 29:16 WE EITHER AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING 29:20 AROUND US IN THE WORLD TODAY, OR WE'VE BECOME TOO FAMILIAR WITH 29:25 WHAT WE SEE IN THE WORLD AROUND US AND WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE 29:29 IT JUST DOESN'T BOTHER US ANYMORE. 29:32 I WOULD SUSPECT THAT THOSE WHO ARE WAITING AND LONGING FOR THE 29:34 SALVATION OF GOD - THE RETURN OF CHRIST - WOULD BE CRYING OUT THE 29:38 SAME QUESTION, 'LORD, HOW LONG?' HOW LONG WILL YOUR TRUTH BE 29:41 SUPPRESSED? HOW LONG WILL YOUR PEOPLE HAVE TO ENDURE? 29:45 HOW LONG WILL THE WICKEDNESS CONTINUE? 29:47 HOW LONG?' AND SO THIS WAS THE QUESTION OF 29:50 THE PROPHET. GOD ANSWERS HABAKKUK. 29:53 GOD ANSWERS HABAKKUK BY REVEALING THAT HE WILL USE 29:55 BABYLON AS HIS TOOL OF DISCIPLINE. AND WE'LL LOOK AT - 29:59 WE'LL READ THAT IN VERSES 6 THROUGH 8 OF HABAKKUK CHAPTER 1. 30:03 IT SAYS, "FOR INDEED I AM RAISING UP THE CHALDEANS, A 30:06 BITTER AND HASTY NATION WHICH MARCHES THROUGH THE BREADTH OF 30:09 THE EARTH, TO POSSESS DWELLING PLACES THAT ARE NOT THEIRS. 30:13 THEY ARE TERRIBLE AND DREADFUL; THEIR JUDGMENT AND THEIR DIGNITY 30:16 PROCEED FROM THEMSELVES. THEIR HORSES ALSO ARE SWIFTER 30:21 THAN LEOPARDS, AND MORE FIERCE THAN EVENING WOLVES. 30:24 THEIR CHARGERS CHARGE AHEAD; THEIR CAVALRY COMES FROM AFAR; 30:28 THEY FLY AS THE EAGLE THAT HASTENS TO EAT." 30:32 IT'S INTERESTING THE IMAGERY THAT USED HERE WITH REGARD TO 30:34 BABYLON - THE EAGLE AND THE - IS THAT THE WOLF THERE? THESE 30:39 ANIMALS - THE WOLVES, YEAH - SWIFT LEOPARDS - SWIFT ANIMALS. 30:44 ANIMALS THAT ARE QUICK AND BABYLON CERTAINLY CONQUERED THE 30:50 REGION THAT IT WAS EYEING IN A VERY SHORT TIME AND SO - AND SO 30:57 GOD SAID, 'LOOK, I'M GOING TO USE BABYLON TO DISCIPLINE MY 31:01 PEOPLE. I'M LETTING YOU KNOW, HABAKKUK, WE'RE GOING TO DEAL 31:05 WITH THIS THING - THIS QUESTION THAT YOU'VE ASKED. 31:08 NOW, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO - WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO JUDAH. 31:12 YOU CAN TURN WITH ME TO 2 CHRONICLES 36 IF YOU WANT. 31:15 WE'RE GOING TO READ FIVE VERSES THERE - OR SIX RATHER. 31:18 2 CHRONICLES 36, VERSES 15 TO 20. 31:21 I'M GOING TO READ THIS FOR YOU. HERE'S WHAT THE WRITER SAID WITH 31:25 REGARD TO JUDAH AND THEIR DEMISE UNDER BABYLON. 31:30 IT SAYS, "AND THE LORD GOD OF THEIR FATHER SENT WARNINGS TO 31:33 THEM" - THAT IS TO JUDAH - "BY HIS MESSENGERS, RISING UP EARLY 31:38 AND SENDING THEM, BECAUSE HE HAD COMPASSION ON HIS PEOPLE AND ON 31:41 HIS DWELLING PLACE. BUT THEY MOCKED THE MESSENGERS OF GOD, 31:44 DESPISED HIS WORDS, AND SCOFFED AT HIS PROPHETS, UNTIL THE WRATH 31:48 OF THE LORD AROSE AGAINST HIS PEOPLE, TILL THERE WAS NO 31:51 REMEDY." - VERSE 17 - "THEREFORE HE BROUGHT AGAINST THEM THE KING 31:55 OF THE CHALDEANS, WHO KILLED THEIR YOUNG MEN WITH THE SWORD 31:59 IN THE HOUSE OF THEIR SANCTUARY, AND HAD NO COMPASSION ON YOUNG 32:01 MEN OR VIRGIN, ON THE AGED OR THE WEAK; HE GAVE THEM ALL INTO 32:06 HIS HAND." - VERSE 18 - "AND ALL THE ARTICLES FROM THE 32:08 HOUSE OF GOD, GREAT AND SMALL, THE TREASURES OF THE HOUSE 32:11 OF THE LORD, AND THE TREASURES OF THE KING AND OF 32:13 HIS LEADERS, ALL THESE HE TOOK TO BABYLON. 32:15 THEN THEY BURNED THE HOUSE OF GOD, BROKE DOWN THE WALL OF 32:18 JERUSALEM, BURNED ALL ITS PALACES WITH FIRE, AND DESTROYED 32:21 ALL ITS PRECIOUS POSSESSIONS. AND THOSE WHO ESCAPED FROM THE 32:25 SWORD HE CARRIED AWAY TO BABYLON, WHERE THEY BECAME 32:28 SERVANTS TO HIM AND HIS SONS UNTIL THE RULE OF THE KINGDOM 32:31 OF PERSIA." PRETTY DEVASTATING STUFF. 32:34 THESE VERSES SPEAK ABOUT THE END OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S CAMPAIGN 32:38 AGAINST JERUSALEM - OR AT LEAST JUDAH. 32:41 GOD DIDN'T ALLOW BABYLON TO COME DOWN TOO HARD ON JUDAH AT FIRST. 32:46 GOD WAS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. BUT AS THEY BECAME MORE 32:48 OBSTINATE, REFUSING TO LISTEN TO GOD'S PROPHETS AND SEEKING TO 32:52 FORM AN ALLIANCE WITH EGYPT, NEBUCHADNEZZAR CRACKED DOWN. 32:56 TO HELP YOU SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE, NEBUCHADNEZZAR CAME 32:59 UP AGAINST KING JEHOIAKIM IN 605 B.C. THIS IS WHEN DANIEL AND HIS 33:05 FRIENDS WERE TAKEN CAPTIVE, YOU UNDERSTAND. 33:08 BECAUSE, THEN, OF KING JEHOACHIM - JEHOIAKIM'S SON JEHOACHIM - 33:13 BECAUSE HE DIDN'T COOPERATE WITH NEBUCHADNEZZAR, HE CAME - 33:17 NEBUCHADNEZZAR CAME BACK TO JERUSALEM IN 597 B.C. - 33:20 8 YEARS LATER. THIS IS WHEN EZEKIEL WAS TAKEN TO BABYLON. 33:26 THEN ZEDEKIAH WAS NO BETTER THAN THE KINGS BEFORE HIM AND SO 33:30 NEBUCHADNEZZAR CAME BACK AND COMPLETELY LEVELED THE CITY OF 33:34 JERUSALEM IN 586 B.C. IT TOOK 19 YEARS TO GET TO THIS 33:39 POINT THAT WE READ ABOUT IN 2 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 36. 33:42 IT DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. 33:44 GOD WORKS PATIENTLY WITH HIS PEOPLE, DRAWING - GETTING THEIR 33:47 ATTENTION AND SEEKING TO BRING THEM BACK TO HIMSELF. 33:50 GOD WAS VERY PATIENT WITH HIS PEOPLE. 33:52 HE HAD WARNED THEM - NOW THE CHALDEANS WERE GOING TO COME AND 33:57 IT TOOK 19 YEARS AND THEY STILL DIDN'T LEARN THEIR LESSON. 34:02 LET'S GO TO MONDAY'S LESSON 'LIVING BY FAITH'. WE'RE GOING 34:05 TO JUMP DOWN HERE - WE'RE BACK IN HABAKKUK CHAPTER 1. 34:10 I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS LUTHER, MARTIN LUTHER, THAT SAID, 'HOPE 34:15 DESPAIRS AND YET DESPAIR HOPES.' HOPE DESPAIRS AND YET DESPAIR 34:22 HOPES. THAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE OF HABAKKUK. 34:25 HIS HOPE WAS DESPAIRING AND YET HE - HIS DESPAIR HOPES. 34:32 HABAKKUK ACCEPTS GOD'S METHOD OF DISCIPLINE AND EXPRESSES FAITH 34:36 IN GOD'S PROMISES FOR HIS PEOPLE. 34:38 LOOK AT VERSE 12 OF HABAKKUK CHAPTER 1. 34:41 "ARE YOU NOT FROM EVERLASTING, O LORD MY GOD, MY HOLY ONE? 34:44 WE SHALL NOT" - WHAT? - DIE. "WE SHALL NOT DIE. O LORD, YOU HAVE 34:49 APPOINTED THEM FOR JUDGMENT; O ROCK, YOU HAVE MARKED THEM FOR 34:53 CORRECTION." AND SO HIS DESPAIR IS BEGINNING TO HOPE. 35:00 BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE HABAKKUK SEES ANOTHER PROBLEM. 35:04 HERE'S WHERE HE ASKS HIS SECOND QUESTION IN VERSE 13. 35:08 LET'S READ THAT. "YOU ARE OF PURER EYES THAN TO 35:11 BEHOLD EVIL," - HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE LORD - "AND CANNOT 35:13 LOOK ON WICKEDNESS. WHY DO YOU LOOK ON THOSE WHO 35:15 DEAL TREACHEROUSLY, AND HOLD YOUR TONGUE WHEN THE WICKED 35:24 DEVOURS A PERSON MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN HE?" HOW CAN GOD - 35:30 THIS IS THE QUESTION - HOW CAN GOD USE A MORE WICKED - 35:33 PERCEIVABLY - MORE WICKED CITY OR NATION TO INFLICT DISCIPLINE 35:39 UPON GOD'S PEOPLE. IS THAT FAIR? IS THAT REASONABLE? 35:43 NOW HIS QUESTION IS A LITTLE RASH HERE, BUT HE'S EARNEST AND 35:50 PROBABLY INNOCENT, BUT HABAKKUK DEMANDS AN ANSWER TO THIS 35:54 QUESTION. YOU KNOW, GOD'S GOOD. 35:57 GOD DIDN'T BRUSH HABAKKUK ASIDE BECAUSE HE ASKED THE QUESTION, 36:02 GOD DEALS PATIENTLY WITH HABAKKUK. 36:04 IT'S GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE QUESTIONS FROM TIME TO 36:06 TIME AS WELL, AMEN? BY THE WAY, IT'S OKAY TO ASK QUESTIONS. 36:10 I HEAR, SOMETIMES, FOLKS SAY, 'YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN'T ASK GOD 36:13 ANY QUESTIONS.' NO, NO - YOU NEED TO ASK GOD QUESTIONS. 36:15 IF YOU, IN SINCERITY, ARE LOOKING FOR TRUTH AND YOU WANT 36:18 TO FOLLOW TRUTH, THEN YOU CAN ASK GOD - YOU CAN SEARCH HIS 36:22 WORD - YOU CAN PRAY, THAT'S OKAY. 36:24 HABAKKUK WASN'T BEING HARD TO GET ALONG WITH. 36:28 THERE ARE FOLK WHO ASK QUESTIONS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF STIRRING 36:30 THE POT AND CAUSING TROUBLE. WE RUN INTO SOME OF THEM. 36:33 PERHAPS WE'VE EVEN BEEN THERE OURSELVES, BUT IT'S OKAY TO ASK 36:35 QUESTIONS. GOD HAS AN ANSWER AND HABAKKUK KNEW GOD HAD AN ANSWER. 36:39 HE KNEW THAT HE COULD TRUST GOD. BUT THERE DOES COME A TIME WHEN 36:44 SOME THINGS JUST AREN'T CRYSTAL CLEAR AND - AND SO HABAKKUK 36:49 ASKED GOD FOR CLARITY ON THE ISSUE. 36:52 AND NOTICE THE WAY GOD GIVES AN ANSWER - HIS ANSWER. 36:55 VERSES 2 THROUGH 4 OF HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2 - WE'RE OVER THERE NOW 36:59 - HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2, VERSES 2 THROUGH 4, "THEN THE LORD 37:02 ANSWERED ME AND SAID: 'WRITE THE VISION AND MAKE IT PLAIN ON 37:05 TABLETS, THAT HE MAY RUN WHO READS IT. 37:07 FOR THE VISION IS YET FOR AN APPOINTED TIME; BUT AT THE END 37:10 IT WILL SPEAK, AND IT WILL NOT LIE. THOUGH IT TARRIES, WAIT FOR 37:13 IT; BECAUSE IT WILL SURELY COME, IT WILL NOT TARRY. 37:17 BEHOLD THE PROUD, HIS SOUL IS NOT UPRIGHT IN HIM; BUT THE JUST 37:21 SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH." NOW GOD, ADMITTEDLY, BRIEFLY 37:27 PASSES OVER THE QUESTION OF HABAKKUK, HIS RASHNESS, BUT 37:31 ASSURES HIM AT THE SAME TIME OF THE CERTAINTY OF HIS PURPOSES. 37:35 THEN HE POINTS HABAKKUK IN THE DIRECTION OF NEEDING TO BE 37:38 PATIENT AND NEEDING TO BE TRUSTING WHILE GOD'S PLAN 37:42 UNFOLDS FOR JUDAH - EVEN WHILE HABAKKUK WAITS HE MUST TRUST THE 37:48 LORD. SO GOD SAYS, 'WRITE THE VISION. WRITE THE VISION.' 37:52 WRITING WOULD GIVE PERMANENCY TO THE MESSAGE THAT HABAKKUK WAS TO 37:56 BEAR. ISAIAH CHAPTER 30, VERSE 8 SAYS, "NOW GO, WRITE IT BEFORE 37:59 THEM ON A TABLET, AND NOTE IT ON A SCROLL, THAT IT MAY BE FOR 38:02 TIME TO COME, FOREVER AND EVER:" WRITING THE VISION DOWN WOULD 38:06 GIVE IT PERMANENCY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ON EITHER A 38:09 STONE TABLET - ENGRAVED THERE - OR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ON 38:12 A BOARD COVERED WITH WAX AND WRITTEN ON WITH AN IRON PEN. 38:16 THEN IT WAS, APPARENTLY, HUNG IN A PUBLIC PLACE - PROBABLY OUT IN 38:20 FRONT OF THE PLACE OF THE PROPHET SO EVERYONE WHO PASSED 38:23 BY COULD READ IT, YOU SEE. IT'S INTERESTING. 38:27 THOSE - THESE WORDS, OF COURSE, THAT WE'RE READING HAVE 38:30 IMMEDIATE APPLICATION IN THE TIME OF HABAKKUK, BUT THEY'VE 38:34 ALSO PROVEN - THESE WORDS HAVE PROVEN TO BE ENCOURAGEMENT 38:37 TO GOD'S PEOPLE AT OTHER TIMES. 38:39 I'M THINKING HERE OF THE MILLERITE MOVEMENT OF THE 38:41 MID-1800S - DURING THE GREAT SECOND ADVENT AWAKENING. 38:46 IT WAS ARDENT MILLERITE CHARLES FITCH - A FORMER 38:50 CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER - WHO DESIGNED THE 1843 CHART - THE 38:55 1843 CHART THAT PROBABLY ALL THE LECTURERS USED DURING THE GREAT 38:59 SECOND ADVENT AWAKENING. 39:01 HE WAS INSPIRED TO DO SO BECAUSE OF THE WORDS IN THE BOOK OF 39:04 HABAKKUK AND AS A RESULT, MANY COULD PLAINLY SEE AND GRASP THE 39:08 GREAT PROPHECIES OF DANIEL AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 39:13 MOST ARE THINKING OF SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST PIONEER JAMES WHITE, 39:16 WHO WAS CHARGED TO WRITE NOT ONLY BOOKS, BUT HE WAS 39:21 ENCOURAGED TO PRODUCE A PERIODICAL - SOMETHING THAT 39:24 WOULD PERSISTENTLY WITNESS FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD - ALL 39:27 THE WAY BACK THERE IN 1848, 400 YEARS AFTER THE GUTENBERG PRESS 39:33 WAS INVENTED - 400 YEARS AFTER THAT, IN 1848, GOD HAD TOLD HIM 39:39 THROUGH HIS WIFE THAT HE WAS TO START A PERIODICAL. 39:44 IT WOULD BE SMALL AT FIRST BUT THEN IT WOULD GROW. 39:47 THERE WOULDN'T BE A LOT OF MEANS COMING IN, BUT THEN MORE MEANS 39:49 WOULD COME IN AND IT WOULD BE LIKE STREAMS OF LIGHT THAT 39:52 WOULD GO CLEAR AROUND THE WORLD. THAT WAS A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE 39:56 VISION FOR A POVERTY-STRICKEN PEOPLE. 39:59 'HOW ON EARTH ARE THESE THINGS GOING TO GO ALL AROUND THE 40:01 WORLD?' BUT FROM THAT SMALL BEGINNING, 40:04 'THE ADVENTIST REVIEW AND SABBATH HERALD' WAS FORMED AND 40:07 TODAY'S 'ADVENTIST REVIEW' AND TODAY'S WORLD - IS IT CALLED 40:11 'THE WORLD ADVENTIST'? HANG ON, I WANT TO MAKE SURE 40:14 I GET THIS RIGHT, 'THE WORLD ADVENTIST'? 40:16 I'M GETTING IT WRONG, I KNOW I AM. BUT IN ANY CASE, 40:18 THE FLAG - THE FLAGSHIP JOURNAL OF THE ADVENTIST CHURCH 40:22 THAT IS ALL OVER THE WORLD BRINGING ITS WORK AND TEACHING 40:28 GOD'S PEOPLE AND BRINGING GOD'S PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM ALL OVER 40:31 THE WORLD. FROM THAT SMALL BEGINNING SHE SAID IT WOULD BE 40:33 LIKE STREAMS OF LIGHT THAT WOULD GO CLEAR AROUND THE WORLD. 40:35 HOW TRUE THOSE WORDS WERE. TALK ABOUT A DREAM COMING TRUE. 40:41 NOT TO MENTION ALL THE OTHER BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN TO 40:43 UPHOLD THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD AND THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGES 40:47 AND THE 12 OR 13 PUBLISHING HOUSES THE CHURCH HAS ACROSS THE 40:51 WORLD POURING OUT MATERIALS TO SHARE WITH THE MASSES. 40:55 TRULY, IT WAS A VISION - A DREAM COME TRUE. 40:59 BUT THEN THE PROPHET GOES ON TO SAY HE THAT - 'WRITE THE VISION, 41:02 MAKE IT PLAIN ON TABLES THAT HE MAY RUN WHO READS IT.' 41:05 SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THIS MEANS 'WRITE IT SO INTELLIGIBLE 41:09 AS TO BE EASILY READ BY ONE RUNNING PAST.' 41:13 WELL, IF THAT WERE THE CASE THEN IT SHOULD READ 'THAT HE RUNNING 41:18 MAY READ.' BUT IT DOESN'T SAY THAT. 41:21 THE TRUE SENSE OF THIS - OF THIS VERSE IS 'WRITE IT SO LEGIBLE 41:26 THAT WHOEVER READS IT MAY RUN TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS 41:31 OF THE ENEMY'S DOOM AND JUDAH'S DELIVERANCE.' 41:35 I'M THINKING OF DANIEL CHAPTER 12 AND VERSE 4 FOR JUST A MOMENT 41:38 - DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THAT SAYS? 41:40 "AT THE TIME OF THE END BUT DANIEL SHUT UP THE WORDS AND 41:42 SEALED THE BOOK UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END. MANY SHALL" - 41:44 DO WHAT? "RUN TO AND FRO." IT'S THE SAME CONCEPT HERE. 41:49 MANY WILL RUN AT THE TIME OF THE END WITH THE EXPLANATION OF THE 41:52 PROPHECIES REVEALED IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL, YOU SEE. 41:56 RUN IS EQUIVALENT TO ANNOUNCING A DIVINE REVELATION. 42:00 TO RUN IS TO DISPATCH AND MAKE IT KNOWN TO OTHERS SO THAT 42:04 WHOSOEVER READS MAY RUN TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT IT, YOU SEE. 42:10 AND THEN IN VERSE 3 IT WAS TO BE COMMITTED TO WRITING BECAUSE THE 42:14 FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY WAS YET STILL IN THE FUTURE. 42:18 THOUGH IT WAS YET TO BE IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS ENOUGH - IT WAS 42:24 ENOUGH FOR - I SHOULD SAY HABAKKUK'S - HABAKKUK'S FAITH - 42:29 IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FOR HABAKKUK'S FAITH THAT GOD SPOKE 42:31 IT. WRITE IT DOWN. MAKE IT PLAIN. LAMENTATIONS 3:26 SAYS, 42:35 "IT IS GOOD THAT ONE SHOULD HOPE AND WAIT QUIETLY FOR THE 42:39 SALVATION OF THE LORD." HABAKKUK WAS TO TRUST THAT GOD 42:43 WOULD WORK IT ALL OUT IN DUE TIME AND HE'S CALLING US, OF 42:46 COURSE, TO DO THE SAME THING TODAY. 42:48 NOW VERSE 4 - VERSE 4, "BEHOLD THE PROUD, HIS SOUL IS NOT 42:52 UPRIGHT IN HIM; BUT THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH." 42:55 NOW THE 'NOT UPRIGHT' IS REFERRING HERE, IN THE IMMEDIATE 42:59 CONTEXT, TO THE CHALDEANS. FOR A TIME THEY WOULD SEEM TO BE 43:03 - SEEM TO PROSPER, BUT THEY WOULD BE LIFTED UP - LIFTED UP 43:07 WITH PRIDEFUL UNBELIEF. CONTRAST THAT WITH THE JUST THAT 43:12 SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH. THE HUMBLE MAN WILL GO FORWARD 43:16 IN FAITH TRUSTING THE WISDOM AND PROVIDENCE OF GOD IN CONTRAST 43:20 WITH THE MAN WHOSE SOUL IS LIFTED UP AND DOUBTS THE WISDOM 43:23 AND THE JUSTICE OF GOD'S DEALING WITH MANKIND. 43:25 THE MAN WHO IS JUST WILL EXERCISE HIS FAITH. 43:30 YEAH, THAT'S WHAT HABAKKUK IS SAYING RIGHT HERE. 43:32 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A FEW VERSES BECAUSE WE WANT TO LOOK 43:35 AT THE - HOW THE NEW TESTAMENT USES THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE. 43:39 SOMEONE HAS GALATIANS CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 11 - GALATIANS 3, 43:43 VERSE 11 - WONDERFUL. WE'LL COME OVER TO MELISSA IN JUST A 43:46 MOMENT. LET'S GO TO ROMANS CHAPTER 1 AND VERSE 17. 43:49 LET'S SEE HOW PAUL USED - PAUL USED THIS VERSE IN THE NEW 43:53 TESTAMENT. ROMANS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 16, PAUL 43:59 IS TALKING ABOUT THE GOSPEL HAVING POWER - THE GOSPEL BEING 44:04 THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION. THEN IN VERSE 17 HE SAYS, "FOR 44:08 IN IT" - THAT IS THE GOSPEL - "THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS 44:12 REVEALED." WHETHER THAT BE GOD'S RIGHTEOUS 44:16 DEALINGS WITH HIS PEOPLE OR JUST HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS OR HIS 44:19 RIGHTEOUSNESS REFLECTED IN HIS PEOPLE. 44:21 "THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM FAITH TO FAITH; AS 44:24 IT IS WRITTEN, 'THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY' - WHAT? "FAITH." 44:27 "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." THEN IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 10, 44:31 VERSES 35 TO 39 - INTERESTING PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE - NOTICE 44:36 THESE WORDS THAT WERE PENNED. "THEREFORE DO NOT CAST AWAY YOUR 44:42 CONFIDENCE, WHICH HAS GREAT REWARD. 44:44 FOR YOU HAVE NEED OF ENDURANCE, SO THAT AFTER YOU HAVE DONE THE 44:48 WILL OF GOD, YOU MAY RECEIVE THE PROMISE: 'FOR YET A LITTLE 44:52 WHILE,'" - NOW HE'S QUOTING FROM HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 3 - 44:55 "'FOR YET A LITTLE WHILE,'" - AND NOTICE HOW HE CHANGES IT. 44:57 NOW, THE WRITER IS INSPIRED AND HE'S A - HE'S ADAPTING THE 45:01 PROMISE HERE IN HABAKKUK, IN CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 3, FROM 45:04 THAT TIME - THE TIME WILL COME WHEN BABYLON WILL COME AND BRING 45:08 PUNISHMENT AND DISCIPLINE TO JUDAH. 45:11 HE'S APPLYING IT TO THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS. 45:14 HE GOES ON TO SAY, "'FOR YET A LITTLE WHILE, AND HE WHO IS 45:17 COMING WILL COME AND WILL NOT'" - WHAT? - HE "'WILL NOT TARRY. 45:20 NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;'" - NOW NOTICE - "'BUT IF 45:26 ANYONE DRAWS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.' 45:30 BUT WE ARE NOT OF THOSE WHO DRAW BACK TO PERDITION, BUT OF THOSE 45:34 WHO BELIEVE TO THE" - WHAT? - "SAVING OF OUR SOULS." 45:38 THIS IS NOT A PASSIVE FAITH HERE. 45:40 THIS IS A FAITH THAT PRESSES ON AND PERSEVERES AND CONTINUES 45:43 ONWARD AND UPWARD IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US. 45:46 WE ARE NOT OF THOSE WHO DRAW BACK, BUT OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE 45:49 TO THE SAVING OF OUR SOULS. NOW NOTICE HOW PAUL USES IT IN 45:53 GALATIANS CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 11. 45:56 >>"BUT THAT NO ONE IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW IN THE SIGHT OF GOD 46:00 IS EVIDENT, FOR 'THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.'" 46:05 >>SO PAUL USES THIS VERSE TO PROVE THAT THE MAN WHO EXERCISES 46:10 FAITH WILL BE CONSIDERED JUST. IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE 46:14 ORIGINAL CONTEXT FOUND IN HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2. 46:17 THE JUST MAN WILL EXERCISE HIS FAITH BUT PAUL SAYS YOU BECOME 46:22 JUST BY HAVING FAITH, YOU SEE. AND, OF COURSE, FAITH IS THE 46:28 FUNDAMENTAL PREREQUISITE TO ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD. 46:31 THIS IS WHAT HE'S SAYING. WHILE ONE WHO LIVES BY FAITH IS 46:33 NOT SAVED BY HIS WORKS, HIS WORKS SHOW THAT HE LIVES BY 46:36 FAITH, YOU KNOW, HIS FAITH IS REVEALED BY HIS WORKS AND THUS 46:42 HE IS PROMISED ETERNAL LIFE. THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. 46:50 FAITH IN CHRIST'S PROMISES. FAITH IN GOD'S WORD. 46:53 FAITH IN CHRIST'S SACRIFICE. FAITH. 46:56 IN THE BOOK 'PROPHETS AND KINGS' PAGE 387, WITH REFERENCE TO THIS 47:01 CONCEPT OF THE JUST LIVING BY FAITH, WE'RE TOLD WE MUST 47:04 'CHERISH AND CULTIVATE THE FAITH OF WHICH PROPHETS AND APOSTLES 47:07 HAVE TESTIFIED. THE FAITH THAT LAYS HOLD ON THE 47:10 PROMISES OF GOD AND WAITS FOR DELIVERANCE IN HIS APPOINTED 47:13 TIME AND WAY. THE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY WILL 47:16 MEET ITS FINAL FULFILLMENT IN THE GLORIOUS ADVENT OF OUR LORD 47:19 AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 47:22 THE TIME OF WAITING MAY SEEM LONG. 47:25 THE SOUL MAY BE OPPRESSED BY DISCOURAGING CIRCUMSTANCES. 47:28 MANY IN WHOM CONFIDENCE HAS BEEN PLACED MAY FALL BY THE WAY, BUT 47:33 WITH THE PROPHET WHO ENDEAVORED TO ENCOURAGE JUDAH IN A TIME OF 47:36 UNPARALLELED APOSTASY, LET US CONFIDENTLY DECLARE THE LORD IS 47:41 IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE, LET ALL THE EARTH KEEP SILENCE.' 47:45 GOD'S GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL. DON'T PANIC. 47:48 DON'T FRET. KEEP YOUR MOUTH QUIET AND DON'T DOUBT GOD. 47:52 TRUST HIM. 'MAY ALL THE EARTH KEEP SILENCE.' 47:56 WELL, LET'S MOVE ON NOW TO TUESDAY'S LESSON. 47:58 TUESDAY'S LESSON, 'THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED'. 48:02 GOD, NOW, IS GOING TO ENUMERATE THE SINS OF BABYLON. 48:05 THIS IS HIS ATTEMPT - GOD'S ATTEMPT - TO ANSWER THE 48:08 QUESTIONS OF HABAKKUK AND HE WILL DECLARE HERE THAT HE IS 48:13 STILL IN CONTROL OF ALL HUMAN - EVEN THOUGH BY HUMAN 48:16 APPEARANCES, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE OUT OF CONTROL. 48:19 GOD IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL AND, APPARENTLY, FIVE WOES ARE 48:22 PRONOUNCED UPON BABYLON IN VERSES 6, 9, 12, 15, AND 19. 48:27 IN OTHER WORDS, BABYLON IS GOING TO END UP REAPING WHAT IT SOWED. 48:30 IT WAS A PRETTY FIERCE CONQUERING NATION AND SO IT 48:34 WOULD END UP SUFFERING UNDER - SUFFERING THE SAME FATE AND WE 48:37 KNOW THAT BABYLON CAME TO ITS KNEES UNDER THE REIGN OF THE 48:41 MEDES AND THE PERSIANS. NOW IN ALL OF THIS - IN ALL OF 48:44 THE - IN ALL OF THIS, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE WICKEDNESS OF 48:48 BABYLON AND ITS DESTRUCT - AND ITS FORTHCOMING DESTRUCTION, GOD 48:52 SAYS THAT HE HAS A PEOPLE WHO WILL SHINE BRIGHTLY FOR HIM AND 48:56 THAT'S FOUND IN HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 14. IT WAS OUR 49:00 MEMORY TEXT HERE THIS MORNING. LET'S READ THAT TOGETHER. 49:03 HABAKKUK CHAPTER 2, VERSE 14, "FOR THE EARTH WILL BE FILLED 49:06 WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD." 49:11 SO IN ALL OF THIS GOD HAS A FAITHFUL PEOPLE WHO WILL SHINE 49:15 BRIGHTLY FOR HIM, YOU SEE. HABAKKUK 2, VERSE 14 TALKS ABOUT 49:20 THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHARACTER OF GOD FILLING THE ENTIRE EARTH. 49:24 EVEN DURING DIFFICULTY - DIFFICULT TIMES - EVEN BACK IN 49:29 THE DAYS OF HABAKKUK AND JUDAH, IT WAS TO BE A PEOPLE WHO WOULD 49:33 REFLECT IN THEIR LIVES THAT GOD WAS JUST AND THAT GOD WAS FAIR, 49:37 YOU SEE. AND THERE'S COMING A TIME WHEN, 49:40 IN A LARGE WAY, ACROSS THIS GLOBE, THROUGH THE LIVES OF 49:46 GOD'S PEOPLE, ALL QUESTIONS WILL BE CEASED. 49:50 NO MORE DOUBTING, NO MORE GUESSING AS TO WHY GOD IS DOING 49:52 WHAT HE'S DOING. IT WILL BE SEEN THAT GOD IS 49:54 FAIR, GOD IS JUST. THE CONCEPT IS PLAYED OUT, OF 49:58 COURSE, IN OTHER BIBLE VERSES. I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE 50:00 A FEW OFTHESE. PSALM 72, VERSE 19, "AND 50:03 BLESSED BE HIS GLORIOUS NAME FOREVER! 50:05 AND LET THE WHOLE EARTH BE FILLED WITH HIS GLORY. 50:07 AMEN AND AMEN." 50:10 AND THEN OVER IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 60, VERSES 1 THROUGH 3 - NOTICE 50:14 WHAT THE PROPHET SAYS, "ARISE, SHINE; FOR YOUR LIGHT HAS COME! 50:18 AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS RISEN UPON YOU. 50:22 FOR BEHOLD, THE DARKNESS SHALL COVER THE EARTH, AND DEEP 50:25 DARKNESS THE PEOPLE; BUT THE LORD WILL ARISE OVER YOU, AND 50:30 HIS GLORY WILL BE SEEN" - WHERE? - "UPON YOU. 50:34 THE GENTILES SHALL COME TO YOUR LIGHT, AND KINGS TO THE 50:37 BRIGHTNESS OF YOUR RISING." THIS WAS THE HOPE OF GOD FOR HIS 50:39 PEOPLE BACK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - THEY FAILED. THIS IS HIS HOPE 50:42 FOR HIS PEOPLE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ERA. IN THE NEW 50:46 TESTAMENT, 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSE 6 PAUL SAYS, "FOR IT IS 50:50 THE GOD WHO COMMANDED LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS, WHO HAS 50:54 SHONE IN OUR HEARTS TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE 51:00 GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST." 51:03 THAT'S THE REASON YOU AND I HAVE BEEN CALLED - TO BE - TO WALK 51:07 WITH CHRIST AND TO REFLECT HIS GOODNESS - TO SHARE HIS 51:10 CHARACTER, HIS LOVE, HIS GRACE WITH OTHERS AROUND US. 51:13 THEN IN REVELATION 18 AND VERSE 1 IT SAYS, "AFTER THESE THINGS I 51:17 SAW ANOTHER ANGEL COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN, HAVING GREAT 51:20 AUTHORITY, AND THE EARTH WAS ILLUMINATED WITH HIS GLORY." 51:24 THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE LATTER RAIN AND THE LOUD CRY WHEN GOD'S 51:28 PEOPLE WILL BE DARTING ACROSS THIS EARTH IN EARTH'S FINAL 51:32 MOMENTS TO SHARE THIS MESSAGE AND CALLING GOD'S PEOPLE OUT OF 51:36 BABYLON AND TAKE THEIR STAND WITH CHRIST AND HIS TRUTH. 51:40 IT'S GOING ON TODAY, BUT IN A LARGER WAY GOD IS WAITING TO 51:44 POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT UPON HIS PEOPLE. WELL WE NEED TO MOVE 51:49 OVER TO WEDNESDAY'S LESSON HERE FOR TIME'S SAKE. 51:51 WANT TO REMEMBER - WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REMEMBERING GOD'S FAME - 51:54 WE'RE IN HABAKKUK CHAPTER 3 LOOKING AT VERSES 1 THROUGH 16. 51:58 IN CHAPTER 3 HABAKKUK REALIZES THAT HE'S GONE A LITTLE TOO FAR 52:01 IN ASKING GOD QUESTIONS SO HE REPENTS, BUT IN THE SAME BREATH 52:06 HE PLEADS FOR JUSTICE TO BE SEASONED WITH MERCY. 52:09 LOOK AT VERSE 2, "O LORD, I HAVE HEARD YOUR SPEECH AND WAS 52:12 AFRAID; O LORD, REVIVE YOUR WORK IN THE MIDST OF THE YEARS! 52:14 IN THE MIDST OF THE YEARS MAKE IT KNOWN; IN WRATH REMEMBER 52:17 MERCY." AND SO THE FOLLOWING VERSES 52:21 PRESENT A SUBLIME PICTURE OF GOD COMING IN JUDGMENT TO DELIVER 52:24 HIS PEOPLE AND IT'S A PRAYER OF HABAKKUK AND APPARENTLY HE WANTS 52:28 IT PUT TO - OR IT IS PUT TO MUSIC. 52:31 THESE VERSES ALSO ARE DESCRIPTIVE OF THE COMING OF 52:34 CHRIST FOR HIS PEOPLE. THEY PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT TO 52:37 ALL THOSE WHO ARE WAITING FOR THEIR LORD TO DELIVER THEM. 52:41 HABAKKUK LOOKS BACK TO SEE HOW GOD HAS ACTED AND LED IN THE 52:44 PAST, WHICH PROVIDES CONFIDENCE WITH THE WAY GOD IS GOING TO 52:48 LEAD HIS PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE. AND THIS IS HOW YOU AND I ARE TO 52:51 PERSEVERE - TO LIVE WITH THE VISION - TO LOOK IN THE PAST TO 52:55 SEE HOW GOD HAS LED US INDIVIDUALLY AND TO SEE HOW HE'S 52:57 HAS LED HIS CHURCH. GOOD IDEA TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW 53:00 THE HISTORY OF THE ADVENTIST CHURCH. 53:01 IF WE SEE HOW GOD HAS LED IN THE PAST, WE'LL BE ENCOURAGED TO 53:04 KNOW THAT HE'LL CONTINUE TO LEAD US IN THE FUTURE AS WE ARE 53:07 FAITHFUL TO HIM AND MEET THE CONDITIONS FOR THE OUTPOURING OF 53:10 HIS HOLY SPIRIT. YOU KNOW, OTHER BIBLE WRITERS 53:13 ENCOURAGE US TO USE SONG TO RALLY THE BELIEVER WHILE HE OR 53:18 SHE IS WAITING FOR GOD'S SALVATION. 53:20 NOTICE THESE VERSES - I'M GOING TO READ EPHESIANS 5:19 AND 20 IN 53:23 THE MEANTIME, "SPEAKING TO ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND 53:26 SPIRITUAL SONG, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO 53:30 THE LORD, GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS TO GOD THE FATHER 53:33 IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." 53:34 SO THE APOSTLE PAUL ENCOURAGES US TO SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER, 53:37 ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS. 53:42 IT DOESN'T MEAN WE GO AROUND CHURCH LITERALLY SINGING TO 53:45 EACH OTHER, 'HI, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?' 53:48 WE AREN'T WANTING TO BE SINGING TO EACH OTHER BUT TO COME 53:50 TOGETHER AT TIMES AND TO SING AND IN THE SONGS THAT ARE RICH - 53:53 THAT HAVE RICH THEOLOGY AND THAT ARE SONGS THAT ARE NOT 53:56 MANTRA-LIKE - THAT ARE SONGS THAT ARE MEDITATIVE - THAT WILL 53:59 LIFT US TOWARD HEAVEN. WE ARE TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER. 54:02 JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSE 13, "IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SUFFERING? 54:05 LET HIM PRAY. IS ANYONE CHEERFUL? 54:06 LET HIM SING PSALMS." ACTS 16:25, "BUT AT MIDNIGHT 54:11 PAUL AND SILAS WERE PRAYING AND SINGING HYMNS TO GOD, AND THE 54:14 PRISONERS WERE LISTENING TO THEM." 54:17 IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY PAUL AND SILAS WERE ENCOURAGING EACH 54:20 OTHER, SINGING HYMNS AND PRAYING. 54:22 IN 1 CORINTHIANS 14:26 PAUL SAYS, "HOW IS IT THEN, BRETHREN? 54:26 WHENEVER YOU COME TOGETHER, EACH OF YOU HAS A PSALM, HAS A 54:29 TEACHING, HAS A TONGUE, HAS A REVELATION, HAS AN 54:31 INTERPRETATION. LET ALL THINGS BE DONE FOR 54:33 EDIFICATION." LET THE MUSIC BE TO EDIFY. 54:36 AND, OF COURSE, IN MATTHEW 26, VERSE 30, "AND WHEN THEY HAD 54:40 SUNG A HYMN," - TALKING ABOUT JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES - 54:42 "THEY WENT OUT TO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES." 54:44 PSALMS WERE OLD TESTAMENT PSALMS SUNG, PROBABLY, TO INSTRUMENTS. 54:47 HYMNS WERE PRAISES TO GOD COMPOSED BY BELIEVERS AND SUNG 54:51 BY THE WHOLE GROUP. SPIRITUAL OR SACRED SONGS WERE 54:55 OF A MORE GENERAL OR MEDITATIVE NATURE WITH OR WITHOUT 54:58 ACCOMPANIMENT. TO BE HONEST, I CAN'T SEE 55:01 CHRISTIAN ROCK OR RAP INCLUDED IN ANY OF THIS. AMEN. 55:08 ALRIGHT, THURSDAY 'GOD IS OUR STRENGTH' - AS WE WRAP UP. 55:10 LOOK AT THE LAST FEW VERSES OF HABAKKUK CHAPTER 3, VERSES 17 TO 55:14 19, "THOUGH THE FIG TREE MAY NOT BLOSSOM, NOR FRUIT BE ON THE 55:18 VINES; THOUGH THE LABOR OF THE OLIVE MAY FAIL, AND THE FIELDS 55:21 YIELD NO FOOD; THOUGH THE FLOCK MAY BE CUT OFF FROM THE FOLD, 55:25 AND THERE BE NO HERD IN THE STALLS - YET I WILL REJOICE IN 55:29 THE LORD, I WILL JOY IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION. 55:32 THE LORD GOD IS MY STRENGTH; HE WILL MAKE MY FEET LIKE DEER'S 55:36 FEET, AND HE WILL MAKE ME WALK ON MY HIGH HILLS. 55:39 TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN WITH MY STRINGED INSTRUMENTS." 55:43 THE PROPHET BEGINS BY ASKING QUESTIONS - NOT SURE THIS 55:48 THING'S GOING TO WORK OUT AND HE CLOSES WITH WORDS OF HOPE AND 55:55 ENCOURAGEMENT THAT GOD IS GOING TO WORK THINGS OUT ACCORDING TO 56:00 HIS PLAN. HE'S GOING TO BE MY STRENGTH. 56:02 HE'S GOING TO GIVE ME FEET LIKE DEER'S FEET, YOU SEE. 56:06 WE'LL BE STRONG - IN OTHER WORDS HE'S SAYING WE'LL BE STRONG FOR 56:09 OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND WORK. WE'LL BE SWIFT FOR OUR SPIRITUAL 56:15 RACE RUNNING THE WAY OF GOD'S COMMANDS AND OUTRUNNING OUR 56:19 TROUBLES. WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR SPIRITUAL ENTERPRISES. 56:25 SO THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK BEGINS WITH QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, BUT 56:28 CLOSES WITH AFFIRMATION OF CONFIDENCE IN THE PROMISE AND 56:32 THE PURPOSES OF GOD. HABAKKUK CLINGS TO GOD'S WORD. 56:36 THAT'S WHAT HIS NAME MEANS - TO CLING. HABAKKUK EMBRACES 56:41 WHO GOD IS AND WHEN YOU KNOW WHO GOD IS, IT MAKES 56:44 IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO TRUST HIM, EVEN IF THINGS AREN'T GOING 56:47 THE WAY YOU WANTED THEM TO WORK - THE WAY THINGS YOU PLAN DON'T 56:52 HAPPEN THE WAY THEY - YOU HOPED THEY WOULD GO. 56:55 YOU CAN TRUST GOD BECAUSE YOU CAN TRUST HIS HEART. 56:58 THERE'S A LITTLE SONG THAT STEVE GREEN SANG AND THE CHORUS SAYS, 57:03 "WHEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, WHEN YOU DON'T SEE HIS HAND, 57:07 WHEN YOU CAN'T TRACE HIS PLAN," - SOME OF YOU KNOW THIS SONG - 57:12 "TRUST HIS HEART." I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO 57:14 THAT HERE THIS MORNING. IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, CAN'T 57:17 SEE HIS PLAN, CAN'T TRACE HIS HAND, YOU CAN TRUST GOD'S HEART 57:21 TODAY. HABAKKUK DID. THE PSALMIST DID. 57:24 GOD'S PEOPLE OF OLD DID. 57:25 YOU CAN TRUST HIM AND KNOW THAT GOD'S GOING 'TO WORK OUT ALL 57:29 THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE THAT LOVE HIM AND ARE 57:31 CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE'. 57:33 I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR VIEWERS CALL IN FOR THEIR FREE OFFER - 57:36 #103 - SPECIAL GIFT OFFER #103 - 'IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT YOU CAN 57:42 TRUST?' AND YOU WANT TO CALL 57:44 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 1-866-788-3966. 57:50 I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE THIS MORNING, WHETHER 57:53 YOU'RE VIEWING ON TV OR YOU'RE LISTENING ON RADIO AND THOSE 57:55 THAT ARE SITTING HERE THIS MORNING, GLAD YOU COULD BE HERE. 57:58 TAKE COURAGE IN GOD'S WORD TODAY AND KNOW THAT 'THE JUST SHALL 58:02 LIVE BY FAITH.' (MUSIC) |
Revised 2013-06-28