Gates of the City

I doubt many will believe it, …even though a man declares it unto you.

Habakkuk 1:5 – Look among the nations, and behold and wonder marvelously; for I will work a work in your days which you will not believe, not even if it is declared to you.

 The above verse is God’s response to Habakkuk the prophet after he cried out to the Lord, wondering when He would move in judgment against the wicked.

 Habakkuk 1:2 – O LORD, until when shall I cry and You will not hear? I cry out to You of violence, and You do not save! ³ Why do You show me evil, and You look on toil? For destruction and violence are before me; and there is strife, and contention rises up.

Habakkuk felt God was taking forever to come and save His people and to move against the wicked. Listen Church, God knows the fate of His people is secure, for they that are His have entrusted their lives unto Him. However, for the wicked, their judgment is final and eternal. Therefore, the Lord is longsuffering, allowing His goodness to be known in that His judgments and wrath tarries; because once it is unleashed, the consequences are eternal. It is simple and true that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

But people are slow to believe, especially when there are so many deceivers pretending to be “ministers of righteousness,” who keep the foolish from repenting, seeking, proving, and embracing truth. These are false witnesses, sent and anointed by that fallen angel of light. As true as it was back in the Garden of Eden, false doctrines are of the devil, and are sent to stir up pride, and covetousness, to misdirect the slothful, and to create a spirit of procrastination in the foolish. Such deceivers as were exposed by all the prophets, can be seen in many of today’s religious leaders, just as it was in Jesus’ days. Take a look around and you can see error and hypocrisy abounding everywhere.

Nonetheless, because of God’s love, mercy, and grace, He has always caused His wrath to tarry as long as possible, extending an opportunity for all to repent before it’s too late, and His judgment against them becomes fixed and final. If only people had ears to hear and eyes to see so as to flee the wrath to come, because God sends sign after sign, and warning after warning by His watchmen. But because they love darkness rather than light, their hearts are hardened, their pride emboldened, so that they cannot see and foolishly cast the words of God behind them. Instead, running with their itchy ears, they eagerly embrace those deceivers who prophesy lies unto them and they love it so. That is why many years after Habakkuk’s days, Paul once again uttered those words to the Jews warning them of the judgment and destruction that God was about to visit upon them again, when once again they defiantly would not listen and so judgment soon fell upon them.

 Acts 13:41 – Behold, you despisers, and marvel, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no way believe, though a man declare it to you.

But I must share here, that it has been just a little over three decades ago when I left a job one day early and headed for home. On the way, I pulled over at a convenient place to fish for a while with a friend who had been working with me. However, after a brief time I began feeling heavy in my heart and went back to the truck. Sitting there in the passenger side of the truck praying, I grabbed a Bible and mindlessly just flipped it open and there was Jeremiah 26, the following being the heart of its message. 

Jeremiah 26:2 – Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: ³ If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent Me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. ⁴ And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to Me, to walk in My law, which I have set before you, ⁵ To hearken to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but you have not hearkened; ⁶ Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

While I was reading these verses there was a strong conviction that somehow this was applicable to my own country, the church within her, and for me too. I prayed, closed the Bible and went home to my family to finish up the day.

That night after dinner and taking care of other evening obligations, I grabbed my house Bible and headed to the couch for some quiet time. Sitting down and without any thought I just flipped it open only to once more find myself in that same chapter on the same day, two different times with two different Bibles and both opening to the exact same place. Never before had that happen to me, never again since. The Lord convicted me twice that day that the time would come when His bride and watchmen in this country would have to stand up and “diminish not a word” concerning the judgment God was going to pour out upon America. The very thought of having to stand up and cry out against the wicked in this country terrified me then, even as it does today. But be assured, not as much as my fear of the coming judgments of my Holy Father which are righteous and true. For these are judgments of wrath, for America has long rejected those judgments which were designed to convince her of sin and lead her to repentance that mercy might find place to rejoice against judgment.

James 2:13 – For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment.

Then about two years before authoring this book, I felt the need to literally go to the seat of America and to pray for our country, and feeling that I might not be the only one being so led of the Lord, I sought out any possible prayer events that might be happening in Washington DC, and found that there was indeed an organized prayer event happening in a couple of weeks. But even more amazing, without any action on my own part, the Lord amazingly worked things out so as to slip me into the My People Pray 2012 event as the final speaker.

It was truly a God thing, arranged without my knowledge, simply needing my approval afterwards. For as the time drew closer, some brothers in the Lord I had mentioned this to had wanted to go as well, and the day before we leave one of them contacted the organizers to see if he could volunteer to assist in anyway. The moderator called him back when she heard we were coming from Florida, and during the conversation mentioned that 15 of the 16 slots for people to give topical prayer were filled, but the final spot concerning the coming of the Kingdom had not. My brother then suggested that they consider me.

Before leaving for Washington DC, as I was taking care of last-minute business, my friend calls me to tell me that everything’s taking care of and that I was going to be closing speaker and began to explain to me what took place. Immediately I stated that I wasn’t sure about it and that I simply felt a need to go and pray for America, that I wasn’t prepared for such. But after a few moments of prayer, I felt as if the Lord admonished me, “Did not I put this on your heart? Do not I direct your steps?” So, in obedience to the Lord, I went and spoke.

For some time now and again today, I have found the same words of Habakkuk on my own lips, “I declare a work in your days that you will no wise believe,” that such a great city and powerful nation as America could be brought to naught. Yet as Jeremiah with a trembling heart uttered those words of the Lord, “This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant,” so do I likewise declare that so shall it be with America as well. But do not think I am saying this as the proclamation of a prophet, but rather as a watchman and student of bible prophecy.  Remember what the Lord said three times to Jeremiah after naming the many sins of Israel, “Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?” Has not America become “such a nation as this?”

Now Shiloh was the place where the Prophet Samuel was born and ministered, the place where the Tabernacle of God and the Ark of the Covenant first rested when it entered into the Promise Land. However, that area was later judged and destroyed for its unbridled wickedness, much of which was evident even within the religious system of its day. It was under the fat and gluttonous leadership of the High Priest Eli who refused to discipline his sons who openly stole from God and His people, taking the best portions for themselves.

Sadly, their sins once again filled up the measure of God’s patience as He brought them again into a battle with their enemies, but this time their enemies prevailed against them. Astonished, the people and the elders reasoned amongst themselves how could it be that they were being defeated, so they said, “Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.”

These fools thought the Ark which God gave them as a symbol of His law and presence would deliver them. Their hearts had become so darken that sadly they did not realize their sins had obligated the Holy One of Israel to remove His protection, and that it was Him who was bringing this chastisement upon them. Their faithlessness had resulted in their forfeiting the Ark of the Covenant. Their enemies prevailed because they had limited the Holy One of Israel by their hard hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes. The sons of the High Priest Eli were killed in the battle and Eli being so old and blind, for “his eyes were dim that he could not see,” when he heard of his sons’ deaths and the Ark being captured “fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man and heavy.”

At this time Eli’s daughter-in-law gave birth to a son, but upon hearing of her husband’s death, the defeat of the people and the Ark being captured, she named her son “Ichabod,” saying, “The glory is departed from Israel.” Sadly, she too died in giving birth to her son.

Today children are being born in America which I am sure should also receive the name “Ichabod.” For in America our fat, gluttonous, hypocritical, and blind religious system has willingly been manipulated for years by our enemy. If only the Churches could see that it is their fault that their nation has fallen to this place. Where once again we’ll go arrogantly into battle only to discover our sins have filled up the measure and that we too have been abandoned. Get ready to be judged of the Lord. However, be warned, this time it will be a judgment without mercy.

Revelation 18:7 – How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. ⁸ Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

 Yes, for being “such a nation,” America too will be made like Shiloh, a curse to all the nations of the earth . . . but I doubt many will believe it . . . though a man declares it unto you. Nevertheless, peace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ.