10/31/2022

Lesson 3 of 3

Habakkuk 3:1-19 In judgment we experience the love of God and can run to Grace!

Old Testament Reading Habakkuk 3:1-15

“1 ¶ A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth. 2 O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. 3 ¶ God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. 4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden. 5 Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet. 6 He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian trembled. 8 O LORD, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? 9 Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw You and trembled; The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, And lifted its hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; At the light of Your arrows they went, At the shining of Your glittering spear. 12 You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger. 13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah 14 You thrust through with his own arrows The head of his villages. They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. 15 You walked through the sea with Your horses, Through the heap of great waters.” (Habakkuk 3:1-15 NKJV)

“16 ¶ When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops. 17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:16-19 NKJV)

Habakkuk finally hears God and prays “on Shigionoth”. Shigionoth is a word we really do not know the meaning of. It comes from a word which means to go astray.

Habakkuk remembers and honors how God rescued Israel from Egypt then how God defeated the nations He had judged to prepare the Promised Land for Israel.

Since God’s ways are everlasting we can know the God who redeemed Israel will redeem us from judgment. God WILL save His people even if it takes “trampling” the nations.

Knowing this Habakkuk shares his hope even in time of judgment. Listen to verses 16-19! Listen how faith can become Joyful song especially in the face of judgment and incredible loss! Run to God’s Joy in judgment!

 

10/30/2022

Lesson 2 of 3

Habakkuk 2:2-20 Judgment is God using evil to break evil! Reading Habakkuk 1:12-2:1

“12 ¶ Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. 13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he? 14 Why do You make men like fish of the sea, Like creeping things that have no ruler over them? 15 They take up all of them with a hook, They catch them in their net, And gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. 16 Therefore they sacrifice to their net, And burn incense to their dragnet; Because by them their share is sumptuous And their food plentiful. 17 Shall they therefore empty their net, And continue to slay nations without pity? 2:1 ¶ I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.” (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1 NKJV)

“2 Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. 5 ¶ "Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man, And he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, He gathers to himself all nations And heaps up for himself all peoples. 6 "Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his—how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. 9 "Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, That he may be delivered from the power of disaster! 10 You give shameful counsel to your house, Cutting off many peoples, And sin against your soul. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the beam from the timbers will answer it. 12 "Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, Who establishes a city by iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts That the peoples labor to feed the fire, And nations weary themselves in vain? 14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. 15 ¶ "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, Pressing him to your bottle, Even to make him drunk, That you may look on his nakedness! 16 You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also—drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the LORD’S right hand will be turned against you, And utter shame will be on your glory. 17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. 18 "What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, The molded image, a teacher of lies, That the maker of its mold should trust in it, To make mute idols? 19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all. 20 But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him."” (Habakkuk 2:2-20 NKJV)

What do you do when God doesn’t make sense? You tell God who He is! And then you remind Him, because He surely must have misunderstood, your burden. WOW! We are so amazing! So Habakkuk goes to the city wall and waits for God to explain himself.

SMACK DOWN! Basically God says write it down and prepare to RUN! You can misunderstand, you can chide God, you can disagree, you can plead! BUT IT WILL COME! GET READY TO RUN!

In mercy God explains AGAIN why judgment must come! The cancer is so deep we no longer see it, or even worse we no longer see it as evil! We have explained it and have unexplained God’s Truth and Word. Surgery is the only answer to save the patient, to save God’s people.

When evil surrounds you and all is falling apart GET READY TO RUN! God has warned you! God has prepared those who will hear!

 

10/29/2022

Habakkuk

Seeing prayer as a conversation

Lesson 1 of 3

Habakkuk 1:5-11 GOD SAID WHAT?

God’s answer to your prayer may surprise you!!!

Old Testament Reading Habakkuk 1:1-4

“1 ¶ The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. 2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save. 3 Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4 NKJV)

“5 ¶ "Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. 6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs. 7 They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. 8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. 9 "They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. 10 They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. 11 Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god."” (Habakkuk 1:5-11 NKJV)

We live in a fallen world filled with violence where justice seems lost and the good overwhelmed by evil.

Habakkuk, like us, cries out to God and shares the burden he carries of the pain, destruction, plundering and violence he sees. Even those who should ensure justice and protect the weak surround the righteous with “perverse judgment”.

How can God stand this? How can God allow this? Habakkuk’s burden is not just the injustice and violence he sees but that God seems to be doing nothing about it and to not even care. How can God respond to this?

This is an answer to prayer?

God responds, “Be utterly astounded!” God not only knows about all that is wrong, He has a plan to make things right!

God is going to send the Chaldeans to bring God’s judgment upon Israel! WHAT! Listen to the description of the Chaldeans that GOD gives us. To put it bluntly the Chaldeans were masters of ethnic cleansing and would make ISIS hide in fear! They would take cites and leave behind heaps. They lived for the enjoyment of violence and destruction and killed weak and strong.

God would humble the evil of His people by ALLOWING a violent nation to conquer them. For evil allowed is like a cancer that takes radical treatment or it will destroy our souls! For God will even kill the body to save the soul and will allow destruction of a nation to redeem a people!

But evil will be judged! They will transgress and offend God by going too far and by not humbling themselves before God! In all of the destruction we can see God’s “treatment” for sin! Just as the word savior has the meaning of healing and making whole! God uses death and destruction to bring redemption!

 

Over the next three days I will offer a series of sermons on Habakkuk which I later used as a study.

 

10/28/2022 During prayer time today Bonnie mentioned she was reading in the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk saw the evil in his times and asked God why He allowed such evil to be and over the three chapters where we see prayer as a dialogue with God ending with an amazing declaration of faith.

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls —  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV)

How will you choose to face your troubles today?

 

10/27/2022 At times I wonder what people think of me and my condition. Do they feel sorry for my pain? Are they embarrassed by me and what I am going through? Do they not know what to say so say nothing? Do they think I am lazy and just want to lie around. I do not know what they think but I do know in the long run it doesn’t matter as much as what I think.

Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake! Psalms 79:9

 

10/26/2022

But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. Psalm 63:11

 

10/25/2022 This blog began as an attempt to recognize the glorious God Who is so much more than we can ever know. Psalm 62:7 reminds us God also shares His glory with us and the glory others see in us is a reflection of God’s glory. God is so glorious all within Him are glorified through His glory. So “this little light of mine” is the glorious God shining in and through us!

In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:7

 

10/24/2022 One of my favorite songs is “Heaven in the Real World” by Whiteheart. The words of the song lift us up above everyday philosophy and theology and call us to live within God’s Kingdom and as though we are in heaven now. Because we are. Heaven does not begin with our physical death but with our spiritual death and resurrection. Christians live in the presence of God and though we may not see, by faith we dwell with and in God. You do not need to ask for God’s presence for He is always with you. You do not need to ask for God’s blessings for they surround you. Ask God to open your eyes and see God and His blessings surrounding you.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. Psalm 57:5

 

10/23/2022 Once again it is Sunday and we have our weekly reminder of the suffering of God for us and the resurrection which is life for us. Resurrection is not just about life after death but life while we are still alive here on earth. The bodily resurrection of Jesus reminds us resurrection is for now.

Ps 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

 

10/22/2022 Did I depress you with the last post? I didn’t mean to but it came from over a month of physical and emotional pain with a lack of spiritual strength. It was truth. Maybe it set someone free. Pain strips away the nice things we say to not offend others or risk others thinking we are weak. By the way we are weak. Oops, here I go again. Hope and grace strengthen our physical, emotional and spiritual muscles and can unlock a heart hardened to pain. The verse below is a reminder when the floods and storms overcome us God is over it all. Jesus walked on waters and calmed storms. Do not get lost in looking at pain but look and see God over the storms in your life.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. Psalm 29:3

 

10/21/2022 Pain does not celebrate Thank God its Friday for every day is the same to pain, even Sunday. I could wax eloquent and pious and say Friday is the day Jesus died for our sin but I cannot. Even the suffering of God can get lost in pain, especially when it goes on for years. Pain is like water and searches out every weak place in your life and wears at it until you crack. Over time pain wears down all the nice thoughts about how we do not deserve to hurt like this until we are just left with pain. Pain is a jealous master that seeks to destroy everything in our life so you will be left only with pain. I have hurt for over 40 years and I am still learning about pain. I write about hope because without hope pain will destroy you. Or maybe pain finds that part of broken humanity that is self-destructive? There is a difference. I write about grace and seek to live out grace because often that is all I have. The hope of grace and the brief joy when either I receive or offer grace. Without hope and grace I would fall into despair and either become bitter or suicidal. With hope and grace there is the hope of life beyond mere existence. A hope of life. DO NOT GET LOST IT PAIN!!! For then you are indeed lost!!!

¶ «To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.» The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1

 

¶ «To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.» The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1

 

10/20/2022 Pain sets in and progresses and then after the tide of pain recedes weariness is like a weight crushing you and befuddling your mind. In the midst of all of this hope provides a strength to face and even overcome all you are going through. Hope calls us back from the edge of the cliff of despair and helps us find even the tiniest light in the darkness in your life.

 

10/19/2022 I know there are people who hurt worse than I do and I wish that helped with my pain but it doesn’t. Pain can not really be measured by either comparison with other people or with other times pain was experienced. The pain of this moment is unique and must be faced not with numbers showing how much you are hurting but with hope and by treating others with a grace you do not feel.

We must remember pain is not bad or evil but is a warning sign we too often ignore to our peril. Lepers feel little if any pain in the outer parts of their body and some parts can be destroyed without the warning of pain. Pain is the friend you need but don’t want to spend a lot of time with.

 

10/18/2022

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Edmund Burke

 

10/17/2022

“More often than not, it’s not that we don’t believe in God. Rather, it’s that we don’t want to.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

 

10/16/2022 Sunday is a day of resurrection and new life because of the resurrection of Jesus. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are a sign and example of the hope and grace living in the world. Even those who do not have faith in Jesus can receive the blessing and benefit of God’s hope and grace. Some have questioned there is hope and grace for non-Christians but the God who sends the rain on the just and the unjust must also make hope and grace available for all. Even though hope and grace are available we must accept them and use them in our lives.

 

 This has been my prayer for many years. 

I pray my God that there would be no screaming in the streets!

That the young girl could walk safely the streets of our towns.

That young boys could play safely in their yards and streets.

That the aged could walk and be treated with respect.

I pray my God that parents would care about their kids.

They would teach them to love and honor You.

And then their kids could honor their parents.

And all could livelong in the land together.

I pray my God for those who seek to keep the peace.

That they would be just as they bring about justice.

That they would be protected by Your power my God.

That they can return to their families at day’s end.

I pray my God for those who care in fire and suffering.

Protect them as they rush to bring help and comfort.

May they be protected by Your power my God.

So they can return to their families at day’s end.

I pray my God for those who serve in the military.

Protect each of them as they protect all of us.

Keep them from physical and emotional harm.

Let them return safely to their family at tours end.

I pray my God for those who share Your hope in danger.

Loving even those who would kill them enough to share.

May they ever be in the palm of Your hand my God.

May they be safe under Your Altar and before Your face.

I pray my God for those who do not know You.

Give us words to share and a heart to care!

Draw them through Your Holy Spirit to You.

That they may see the face of God one day.

I pray my God for the enemies of Your Church.

Though they kill and destroy all the day long.

May You break their heart and save their souls.

That they too may see the face of God one day.

I pray my God for Your beloved Body the Church!

Awake us from our slumber and from our lethargy.

Put a fire in our heart and cleanse us from sin

That many more may see Your face one day!

I pray my God for You to be glorified in me!

May the world see the wonder of God clearly.

May Your light dispel the darkness that destroys.

And be so bright that they will see Your face!

This is my prayer oh my God! Hear the cry of the hurting! Hear the cry of those being sold into slavery! Hear the cry of those addicted to things that crush their soul. Hear the cry of those whose bodies are in pain and those whose minds are in pain. Hear the cry of those who hate and yet desire love! Hear the cry of those who don’t know what to cry out for! May You be glorified and honored now and forevermore my God, my heart and my love! This is my cry my God! So be it!

Ronald Ramsey,World Day of Prayer March 6, 2015

10/15/2022 the fever will not go away but runs the gamete from normal to 100.8. drinking water to keep hydrated means the exercise of going to the bathroom frequently. Very frequently! The pain is doubled by the communist Chinese disease known as COVID and as my muscles and skin hurt now my bones hurt. The pain is making me feel like I am drunk and makes me very confused. Hope and grace are medicine for my soul which refreshes my body and do not have side effects. I must not surrender to the pain!!! You must not surrender to the pain!!!

 

10/14/2022 The communist Chinese disease or as it also known as COVID has been a long term problem for me as I still have a fever and my pain has doubled. Hope is my seeing beyond the current pain to a day when either the pain will decrease or I will learn to live within it. May I live in the hope the glorious God offers to all people.

 

10/10/2022 Sometimes it seems life goes from worser to worser or bad to badder. Holding on to hope and grace can be so hard and it seems it may not be worth the strength and effort to hold on. BUT THIS A LIE! Letting go of hope and grace multiplies all the negative and even worse weakens the good in our life! HOLD ON! NEVER LET GO! LIFE MATTERS AND IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR!

 

10/9/2022 It has been a long time and a weary time. With the usual pain and weariness has been added the fun of the Communist Chinese Disease or COVID which has added another whole layer of pain, fatigue, feeling cold and the inability to sleep. Hope and grace were such an important part of holding on during this time. I had hope that as the Bible says “this too shall pass” and by seeking to treat others with grace I could experience and acknowledge their grace shown to me. Grace and hope are not limited by how you feel but how you feel and your condition can be enhanced by hope and grace.

 

10/8/2022 Giving up is always an option but surrender either takes away or limits your ability to choose and even to live. When you surrender to pain you greatly limit any chance of finding relief and especially strength to find life within the pain. If you surrender to death you throw away life and settle for an existence of pain becoming who you are. On a Japanese TV show a character said To choose life leaves you open to many possibilities while choosing death takes away all possibilities. Choosing life or death is not something we do one time or even daily but is choice we must make when we want to give up.

I share this not as something from a self-help book but as what I have learned from facing emotional and spiritual pain as long as I remember and intense physical pain since I was 19. The last 7 to 10 years have seen my pain grow to beyond endurance which medications and a spinal stimulator only made somewhat bearable.