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Continuation of Pastor's Messages on Habakkuk

Good Morning,
As we continue our study in this book, again we will see how Habakkuk, as he prays, realizes the destruction that is about to come upon his enemies. In the following verses we read: " You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, my legs trembled;...". Habakkuk very clearly has been asking the Lord to defeat his enemies and finally the Lord gives him an idea of how this will take place. He says their will be so many warriors that the waters will turn brown; and the destruction will be so great that the fear of God will cause the legs of Habakkuk to buckle. Many times we wonder when the Lord will exact His punishment on the nations. How long will it take for Him to revenge His name. We may not know when, but we know He will. However, when we see Him do it I beleive we will be like Habakkuk. Fear will stike our hearts because of the power shown by the Lord. We need to minister to these people so that they will not have to endure the wrath of God. We must not wait for judgement, but rather show the love of Christ in our lives so these might come to know Him. In Georgia where I went to school there was a beautiful falls that when it fell you could see the grandeur of God in it; however, one night when the dam broke and the water came over that same falls and killed thirty-eight people all we experienced was horror. The same falls but different emotions felt. We may want to see the Lord's wrath, but if we do we may respond the same way and that is in fear and trembling. Be careful what we ask for in our prayers.
Blessings on you,
Pastor Hengle

I trust that your holidays were a blessed time for all of you and this year will be one filled with the presence of God and His blessings.

We will conclude Habakkuk this morning by looking at the last three verses of chapter three. He concludes his book by showing the Israelites that He is the All-sufficient God. In chapter three, verses 17-20 we read: " Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crops fail and the fields produce no food,... yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength...". Throughout the book, Habakkuk is telling how God's people are being attacked and ravished continually. Here, he talks of crop failure, no food, cattle or the necessities of life available. Yet because of his faith in God he says he will rejoice. He finally comes to a truth that is greater than any he knew before; and that is circumstances do not determine how we feel. The world we live in today is not a secure place. Look at Israel, Russia, the stock market and the morality in our nation. This could be reason to be depressed. Yet, because The Lord is on the throne we can rejoice in Him because nothing, not even death can separate us from Christ. Remember this year that no matter how bad things may get, the Lord will always be there to sustain you.

Blessings on you,
Pastor Hengle