Gtcotr/ss010222
Habakkuk 1 NKJV
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.
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.”
God has a part which only He can do … and He will do it!
We also have a part.
Faith is a temporal, earthly, mortal message. Heaven needs no faith … Faith is only an earthly matter.
By our own choice we have entered a season of ReConnect. It was not our choice to become disconnected during the recent past. However, covid concerns, the onslaught of misinformation through the great social media propaganda machine, political divisions, and the contrived racial separation and segregation attempts of the devil have served to disconnect people from one another, from God, and also from the Church.
I have witnessed a collective apathy coupled with a desire to stop hearing the divided opinions and aggravations of those who still seem to care. It is as though many have given up thinking they could ever make a difference in the way things are.
As my son recently repeated to me – “The next step from apathy is anger.” I’ve already seen this in play. Families and friends, workplaces, communities, and even churches divided and angry over opinions as though they were facts. However, there is a way out not imagined by this world. A way out that will catch the devil by surprise once again. He, and those who follow him are always so caught up in their own self importance and false confidence that they are unaware God is unfolding His plan.
This has always been the way of the Lord. God is always working behind the scenes while the devil is grandstanding and deceiving the masses. We see truth and justice being sacrificed for gain. Nothing has changed …
God has a part to play and believe me when I say, God will do His part! However, we also have a part to play in this great disconnect, and today we are going to begin to reveal the next steps we will take to accomplish God’s will in our lives and in this generation.
What
can you expect from God, from your pastor, and our Church in 2022?
·
God
is going to work a work in our days which, if you were told about it right now,
you would find it difficult to even imagine. (Hab 1:5)
· Our Church will provide strong and courageous leadership in 2022, empowered by the Holy Spirit, in line with the Word of God and aimed to grow you into a powerhouse of faith and practice.
We
are going to embark on a strong and valuable reconnection with the roots and
the doctrines of Jesus Christ. We will follow the pattern of the first Church
as seen in the book of Acts. We are going to reconnect with the Word and Will
of God concerning:
·
Our
Individual and Corporate Faith
o This will include the
Power of Prayer
o The Power of Prophecy
– Speaking on behalf of God.
o And the gifts of the
Holy Spirt in operation in the Church
·
Our
Family as our first field of service to Christ
o Serving your family as
you serve Jesus
o Serving with your
family in the Church for Kingdom of God
·
Our
Finances – How to receive and be a greater blessing.
o Faith for the increase
of your resources
o Faithfulness with the
resources God has made available to you
·
Our
Future here on earth and beyond.
o We will discover what
to expect from the world and how to live life above in the carnal chaos that
drives this world system.
o Our future is two-part:
§ First eternal … the
sweet by and by …
§ Then there’s the immediate … the nasty now and now.
We all know what the world has been doing behind the scenes in darkness. No one need educate us on how much trouble, how many lies, and how much hardship has been perpetrated against the common man by this world’s system and its leaders. While many families have been suffering with the results of this pandemic during the past two years, and with the national debt at an all-time high, BBC News reported in a June 2021 article that 5.2 million people have become millionaires since 2020. Projections are that by 2025, there will be almost 100 million millionaires in the world due to the transfer of wealth during these very difficult times.
As well, the number of billionaires has spiked by 30% just during the last 12 months, according to a new report from Forbes. Neither God nor I am against people having money … it’s when money is pursued at the expense of truth and justice, the results are ungodly. The Holy Spirit revealed in 1 Timothy 6:10 “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
We can all easily see the corruption which has been and is now ongoing behind the scenes, carried out by the prince of the darkness of this world and his followers. It is my prayer and hope that we will now begin to see what our God can do in the open and in the light of day. That’s what the prophet Habakkuk prophesied …
Habakkuk 1:5 ¶ “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.”
You might say it can’t happen … I’d encourage you to watch and be astounded! My God is able! He has a plan … and it will work!
This morning we will begin our “ReConnect” adventure by going back to the basics. I will be preaching a little more extemporaneously today than usual. Perhaps some of you might consider taking notes since I will be speaking from my heart as I feel led by the Holy Spirit. I full well expect the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth for today. After all, that’s His promise and that’s His job. All that being said, let’s open our Bibles to:
Hebrews 10
Remember, we are reconnecting with our
faith today.
37 “For yet a little while, And
He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by
faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
God, by Executive order, has declared a universal law that:
Over time, an ordinate amount of resistance increases strength.
This works with every gift from God including faith.
Romans 5
3 We also glory in
tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
James 1
2 ¶ My brethren, count it all
joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of
your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We must begin to resist darkness encroaching in our own lives. Begin this new year resisting the devil’s attempt to work in your mind against you and against God. Strengthen your faith during every trial and each temptation.
ReConnect with faith in God and let the adventure begin.
