(Clip) Judgment of Nations and Coming Great Suffering of the Saints — Brian Long

Longing for Revival and Spiritual Awakening

We prayed the same way. I know I'm not the only one. How long have we prayed for revival? I remember the first conference that was held here, the burden that I came to Atlanta with and I was with such expectation that there was a revival conference and I knew some about sermon index.

So I knew this is real revival we're talking about and fully expecting that after this conference, we're going to see a great spiritual awakening. How long have we prayed for revival? And yet there is no revival.

Granted, God has moved in little pockets around the nation. He is moving, but I'm talking about spiritual awakening, the kind of revival that turns the whole tide of a nation, you know, a city or even a society.

We've not seen that in this nation. We've not seen anything that compares to the great awakenings of the past, nor of the great revivals like the Welsh revival or the Hebrides revival. We prayed. And yet God hasn't answered like we might have expected him to, but I want to tell you tonight that God does answer.

Habakkuk's Unexpected Answer to Prayer

God has heard those prayers. God heard the prayer of Habakkuk and he answers, maybe not like Habakkuk expected him to answer, maybe not like we expected God to answer, but God speaks. And here's his answer in verse five.

God says, 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. Now, that's that sounds amazing to me when God says, be astounded, I'm going to work a work in your days that you would not even believe, though it were told you.

But the question is, what kind of work? And the next verse, the Lord says, for indeed, I'm 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.

I'm going to work a work in your day, and here's the work. I'm raising up the Chaldeans. Who were they? Babylonians. These were not God fearing people. These were enemies of God, enemy armies that God would sovereignly raise up and use as an instrument of his judgment to chasten his own people.

And can you believe it? Can you believe that God would do that? Maybe that's why God said, be utterly astounded, for I will work a work in your day which you would not believe, though it were told you.

Judgment Through Economic, Ecological, and Military Calamity

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'll touch them where it hurts in their economy. And if that doesn't work, if that doesn't turn God's people to repentance, then he said God will touch their ecology.

And then you have floods and pestilences and, you know, hurricanes, a drought this year that's covered a huge part of this nation, tornadoes, 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, and that is the judgment that is soon to come upon this nation and upon North America. God sovereignly raising up enemy armies to invade a nation and America.

The Threat of National Judgment

This nation believes she's too strong for that, that she could never her military force is too strong for that, that that can never happen. I want to tell you tonight that this nation sits on the brink of utter destruction, that she is ripe for the judgment of God.

She is ripe for the judgment of God. Judgment is at the door. America will not have a godly president to save the day nor the nation. National leaders and politicians will become even more corrupt. Muslims and other antichrist groups will be God's instrument of judgment.

Persecution of the Holy Remnant

And what is most surprising of all, probably, is that this holy remnant and she is found all over the earth, gathered in all different kinds of congregations. But this holy remnant that has seen the king has come to know Jesus and is following him wholeheartedly.

She will be persecuted by a people who profess to be Christians, churches, if you will, persecuting them because they're not pledging allegiance to patriotism or anything else but the Lamb of God. And she will be arrested.

We will be imprisoned, hated, beaten and even executed in this nation. And I want to tell you, brothers and sisters, when it happens, do not think that God's hands are tied. Don't think that this has taken God by surprise.

God has actually executed the judgment. However, and whenever he chooses, we need to see the sovereign hand of God behind it all. I love what the brother said earlier. The lions had to look up. God here raised up the Chaldeans and God is the God who will allow even his people to suffer at the hands of enemies.

His hands are not tied. Judgment is surely coming. That is a hard message for some to embrace. Habakkuk himself is wrestling with this. He says in verse 12, Are you not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my holy one?

We shall not die. We shall not die, O Lord, you have appointed them for judgment, O Rock, you have marked them for correction. You are of pure eyes and to behold evil and cannot look on it. Wickedness.

Why do you look on those who deal treacherously and hold your.