Jesus: Returning King
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Text: Habakkuk 3:1-19
This afternoon let us remember that Jesus is coming again:
Among the many titles of Jesus, we must always remember that Jesus is our soon coming King.
So, we pray in the Name of Jesus, who is coming again — soon!
HOW will He return?
Acts 1:9–11 (NASB95) And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Matthew 16:26–27 (NASB95) “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.
John 14:1–3 (NASB95) “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
In a day of great evil, many of us are ready for Jesus’s return.
We LONG for it with great anticipation.
I will tell you that one of the things that gives me hope in these days of hopelessness is the promise that my King
Jesus
The King of kings
The Lord of lords is coming back.
Even a little more that confident expectation of Jesus returning is the thought (NOT a prophecy!] that it could well happen on a day like THIS coming Sunday, Rosh Hashana — the Feast of Trumpets.
I’m not saying it WILL happen, but it certainly COULD happen.
Are you ready?
Just as important is your family ready or are they out playing?
Are your neighbors, co-workers, fellow Georgians ready?
Jesus could come at any moment.
But there are things that could well happen before His return.
Most of these things are terrifying in their scope — evil WILL be punished.
That evil being punished by Almighty God is something that we may see if we don’t go the way of death (soon!) and I think we will have to sing and pray along with Habakkuk what he sang and prayed in Chapter 3 of his prophetic book.
I read in:
Habakkuk 1:1–4 (NASB95) The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. 2 How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted.
God responds in:
Habakkuk 2:1–3 (NASB95) [Habakkuk says… ] I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved. 2 Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. 3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
I encourage you to read what God said He would do.
It is terrifying.
Once God starts it will not delay.
Habakkuk tells us his response (and ours?) in our text:
READ TEXT
A book that Teresa Wilcox gave me is written by Christians who suffer persecution in other countries.
These persecuted believers exhort us to learn Principles for the gathering of believers under the headship of Jesus Christ:
In this book I read that:
Keith Green said, several years ago; when God wants to speak to His people, He will do it in three ways.
First; He will touch their economy. He will touch them where it hurts, in their economy. If that doesn’t work, if that doesn’t turn God’s people to repentance,
then God will touch their ecology. Then you have floods and pestilences, hurricanes, a drought this year that has covered a huge part of this nation, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis.
Lastly though he said, God will raise up a nation to come in and invade them.
That is exactly the judgment that God is pronouncing here [in Habakkuk 2] and that is the judgment that is soon to come upon this nation and upon North America.
In light of that coming judgment, let’s join with Habbakuk and pray:
Again from Principles:
1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”
If the Apostle Peter said that when the Spirit of God moved him to write this, how much closer are we to the end of all things? The end of all things is at hand, therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. Because the end of all things is at hand, get serious about prayer. Get back to our knees. Get back to our purpose, Church. My house shall be called a house of prayer.893 The prayerless church will not be ready for this soon coming storm, I assure you. The most effective ministry of preparation we have is prayer.
So, with guidance from Habakkuk 3, let’s pray:
Lord, just as You helped Your people, ancient Israel — come alongside Your Remnant and help us!
Give us the strength to stand even as your judgment is poured out on the nations — including OUR nation.
Let’s see God’s judgment for what it is for us: salvation (vs.13).
When this nation is invaded (isn’t already being invaded with what will destroy us?
I’m not against legal immigration, but what is currently happening will destroy this nation.
But there is also an invasion you don’t see: other nations buying our farm lands, controling our food supplies.
Other nations controlling manufacturing.
We gave these other nations financial control decades ago when we got in hoc to them beyond what we can repay.
An invasion and no shots were even fired.
Even if I get caught up in the judgment and suffer, let me do so with praise on my lips and joy in my heart:
Habakkuk 3:17–18 (NASB95) Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
Let us turn to God wholeheartedly as our strength — the One who causes us to walk on high places in the midst of the storm of His judgment.
Habakkuk 3:19 (NASB95) The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my [guitar] stringed instruments.
Let’s turn to God in prayer!