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We've all been hurt. We all carry scars. We can all overcome these things and be

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healed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's build that relationship

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together right here. Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. Hey everybody

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welcome back to the sanctuary. It is so good to have you with us here today as

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always. Now as we get started here today we're going to be picking back up our

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study of Habakkuk. Now to refresh your memory we're looking at you know

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Habakkuk as he's boldly questioning God because the evil that he's seeing every

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day in his life and because of how it's shaken his faith. I mean it's rattled

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him to his core. So he's starting to have doubts and he's asking God really hard

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questions now. You know those hard questions that you know sometimes even

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we are hesitant to ask. And as we started to see in the last chapter you know God

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started to answer some and we're going to see in this chapter what we're

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studying today the whole thing is all God answering him now. So we're

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definitely getting into those bold answers now. Now in addition to that you

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know let's let's just step back for a second. I want to remind you at this

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point Judah had been ruled by four kings who rejected God and oppressed their own

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people were absolute horrible horrible people. They didn't care. They were

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just vile people. They were horrible weak leaders that had led their people

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were leading their people astray and into ruin and away from God. And they

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were about to be put into submission by an empire that was noted for their

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viciousness and cruelty. Matter of fact an empire that you know it really

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risen to become the most vicious and the most cruel. And Habakkuk was

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wondering you know where's God and all this. We see this happening where is he?

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What's going on? Where's he been? Why doesn't he do anything? And he's learning

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that in faith in God alone that God will provide for him and not only for that

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you know for that but for that matter he will provide for us as well. And

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he will provide the answers that were so desperately needed. So we're going to go

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ahead today and we're going to jump right back in to the scripture. We're

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going to pick up where we left off. So I invite all of you all to join me here in

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turning to the book of Habakkuk chapter 2. Again this chapter is a record about

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God's answers to the questions that Habakkuk had about the things that had

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him doubting in his faith you know and the evilness that he was seeing and what

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he knew was going to come. And if you recall in chapter 1 he'd already asked

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you know how long these evil things and these horrible people were going to go

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unchecked and you know why Judah was going to be punished by a nation that

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was even more evil than what Judah had become. That's straight even further away

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you know and it just completely turned its back on God.

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Now God had answered that the judgment you know had been slow coming. As we'd

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say today it had been a long time coming. Alright and well Judah was going to be

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punished for its own transgressions. God also noted you know that he was aware of

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Babylon's misdeeds and that in time in their time you know well really in the

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Lord's time but there was going to come a time that they would be punished as

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well. And at the end of the chapter Habakkuk was still taking issues to God.

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He was still asking questions. Something we all need to do you know remember

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prayer is how we talk to God. That is how we get that conversation going. That is

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also how we develop you know and improve our relationship with them just like

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anybody else. Communication is key and we again prayer is how we communicate with

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God. Now just like Habakkuk you know you don't need special words. You just need

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to talk to them. You know like I said you can't be in a relationship with

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anybody and that includes Jesus if you don't talk to them. How do you know

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people if you don't talk to them? How do they get to know you? You don't talk to

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people. Communication is key in any relationship. A lot of relationships

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today it's because communication fails. People aren't communicating the way that

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they need to and they start fighting and what happens? Well you know more and more

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so especially this day and age we see people divorcing and splitting up and so

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on and so forth you know fighting. So again join me in Habakkuk chapter 2 and

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as we read here I'm going to quickly go over some translation differences during

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the read as well. So I will interject those as we go through so that we're not

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having to go back to go back through them all. Alright so Habakkuk chapter 2

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verses 1 through 5 the Bible says I will stand my watch and station myself on the

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ramparts. I will look to see what he will say to me and what answer I am to give

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to this complaint or and what answer what to answer when I am rebuked. Alright

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then the Lord replied write down the Revelation and make it plain on tablets

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so that a herald or so that whoever reads it may run with it for the

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Revelation awaits in a point in time it speaks to the end it will not prove

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false though it linger wait for it it or though he linger wait for him he you

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know will certainly come and will not delay see the enemy is puffed up his

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desires are not upright but the righteous person will live by his

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faithfulness or it might just say faith indeed wine betrays him he is arrogant

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and never at rest because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is

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never satisfied he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all

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the peoples at this point you know Habakkuk he stopped asking questions

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he's brought every concern every complaint you know everything that was

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burning him he's brought it all to God and now he's making a declaration that

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he's just he's going to stand by he's gonna wait for God to answer him and or

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to send his answers you know in military terms it's what we you know what we

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refer to as hurry up and wait you know stand by to stand by he's vented

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everything he needed to is he's gotten those frustrations out it's off of his

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chest it's now you know at the feet of the Lord you know and there comes you

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know there's a certain peace that comes with that you know you get it all off

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his it's like okay there it is it's out there and that's what it means to leave

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your troubles at the feet of the Lord you know it's it's not necessarily that

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your troubles are gone but you know you just take it all and you leave it's like

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hey Lord this is it and you put it there you put it out there you have to

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communicate them though you know also you know the image of the watchman here

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you know the image of the watchman on the watchtower you know it's awesome

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isn't it I mean it's absolutely awesome I love this image you know it just it

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evokes that imagery you know of a soldier or century just standing there

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and guarding his post you know looking out for the well-being of the camp and

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you know everyone within it just on the alert and ready to just you know send

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up send up the alarm you know if there's something happens or something

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suspicious is needing you know or happening happening you know it's it's

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in the military or least in the Marine Corps it's often what we refer to as a

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fire watch all right now with that said I don't know about you but just a thought

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of that you know fires up a little little Hendrix in the back of my mind as

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well you know all along the watchtower you know which in itself if you're not

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familiar with the song you know it's it's filled with biblical imagery as

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well you know a little background on that Hendrix is not the one who wrote

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who wrote it it was actually written by Bob Dylan you know after you know when

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he was in recovery after an accident I recall but you know it's also often

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compared to Isaiah chapter 21 verses 5 through 9 which which reads very similar

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to the song you can actually read it to the same tune if you you know if you

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tried it's not that hard you know what but you know watchmen would stand on

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walls or ramparts they'd man watch towers where they could look out and

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they could see for long distances you know they can identify all the people

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that are coming and going things that stood out as suspicious you know trying

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to identify people as friend or foe that sort of thing you know and watchmen on

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the city walls you know or something common throughout the Bible as well you

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know when we see prophetic visions of impending destruction you know

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destruction coming towards you you know they're the sentries who would

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typically see trouble coming you know first so and as you know as Christians

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we're all spiritual watchmen and we need to be vigilant to spiritual dangers you

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know not only for individuals or ourselves but for the church as a whole

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well while we look for ways to complete God's work so you know in some way we

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need to be very vigilant to we need to be on the alert to you know these

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guardians you know they also paint a picture of expectation you know because

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they're they're out there they're they're watching they're anticipating

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something going on you know we've all heard prepare for the worst and hope for

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the best and that's what's being illustrated here Habakkuk was standing

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vigilant while waiting and watching for a response from God he's also a great

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demonstration of how to best position yourself to receive what the Lord is

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sending you you know we all need to make sure we're in a good place not only to

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see but to be able to listen and actually hear what God is saying in

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response to our prayers you know we need to pay extra attention because he may

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not be sending us an answer in a way that we expect let alone the answer that

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we expect you know nothing's changed since Habakkuk's time you know every day

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we leave our homes we go out to the world you know we listen to the radio we

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watch TV we stream information from the web on our phones and tablets you know

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and it seems like the bad guys are winning there's just so much just evil

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hey you know these absolute heinous things are just going on every day sin

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is so prevalent and it's so accepted that they're just there's it seems like

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there's just no room for good guys you know and there's these big pushes for

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you know trying to force people to accept sin as being okay and like

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Habakkuk we feel that same discouragement that same hopelessness we

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get angry but we feel like there's nothing we can do even in elections we

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accept this garbage two-party deal and buy into the nonsense you know the

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nonsense that these are the best people for the job the only ones that you know

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we could or should vote for and that anything else you know is a waste or

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lesser than so you know we we accept that and we remain powerless and voiceless

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in our nation while these evil leaders just do whatever they want and take

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advantage of the system and take advantage of people you know Habakkuk he

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took his complaints to God and we as Christians we should be doing the same

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thing we need to be aware that the answer hasn't changed his answer then is

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the same now and it says though it linger wait for it it will certainly

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come and will not delay meanwhile we sit here and we forget and I went in the

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words the old cranberry song do you have to let it linger you know it we need to

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keep in mind it's not in our timing it's never in our timing as much as we want

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it to be as much as we like to see things happen right now in front of us

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it's in his timing the Lord's timing it's his time and it's to his glory not

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ours but his yes things are ugly out there however God has shown time and

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time again that he will take care of his children and we have that hope because of

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it the punishment of evil will come the Babylonians would fall you know we're

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we're we're in a time now where we're past that history is showing that that's

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exactly what happened and as verse 4 says the righteous person will live by

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his faithfulness as Christians we need to stand fast we need to hold on to our

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faith and let it be tested ever think about that letting your faith be tested

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to let you know our weaknesses my weaknesses your weaknesses all of our

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weaknesses be shown so that we're better aware of where the enemy is going to

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attack us so that we're better prepared to look to Jesus for help and for

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comfort in our storms when we need that protection you know everything that God

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is allowing is ultimately going to his work and to his purposes for each and

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every one of us and his glory his glory join me now we're gonna we're gonna go

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back in here to have a cook chapter 2 we're going to look now at verses 6

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through 8 so I have a cook chapter 2 verses 6 through 8 the Bible says will

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not all of them taught him with ridicule and scorn saying woe to him who piles

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up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion how long must this

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go on will not your creditors suddenly arise will they not wake up and make you

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tremble then you will become their prey because you have plundered many nations

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the peoples who are left will plunder you for you have shed human blood you

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have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them plain and simple God

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doesn't like it when people acquire their wealth dishonestly notice that I

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said acquire not earn because it's there is a difference acquire it's kind of a

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nice way of saying steal right and just as we learned in the in the book of

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Naum greed is a vicious sin and depending on your translation this

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passage may very well say pledges or loans instead of extortion this is

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because part of how the Babylonians built their wealth was through other

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people's money essentially the way it was supposed to work you know the way

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they masked it or shrouded it was that the Babylonians would quote unquote

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loan people things in exchange for their money and the stipulation would be that

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they could use that money as they saw fit if that other party could not repay

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the loan now the reality of that was that they would force people to pay these

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as pledges and then they would force their victims to pay things that you

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know but pay things that they didn't actually own you know so they're

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paying for goods that they didn't actually have or you know they're being

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squandered basically they're being you know robbed you know it sounds an awful

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lot like government today and taxes doesn't it so you're gonna have to pay

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all this and we're gonna do this that and the other you know we're gonna have

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a you know people who aren't even politicians being able to take

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advantage of using the Secret Service of security and getting escorts and things

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like that you know we see a lot of things that we you know we question you

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know how much money is actually used for the certain things that we're being told

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it is you know suddenly you know we don't have money to help out with things

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that people in our nation need but we suddenly have all this other money to

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send to others like what's going on right very much like government that

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government compared to our government and not just ours but governments around

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the world for that matter things haven't changed they just haven't picking back

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up here in verse 9 so I have a cook chapter 2 verse is 9 through 14 yeah 14

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here the Bible says woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain setting

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his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin you have plotted the ruin of

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many peoples shaming your own house and forfeiting your life the stones of the

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wall will cry out and the beams of the woodwork will echo it woe to him who

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builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice has not

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the Lord Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the

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fire that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing for the earth will be filled

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with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea now

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again Babylon built its wealth by exploiting and hurting others

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manipulating and taking advantage of people and their circumstances so on you

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know something to keep in mind because just as these were more strikes against

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Babylon when judgment came these are the same kinds of things that are going to

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be strikes against us if we give in to the same sins first Timothy chapter 6

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verse 10 the Bible says for the love of money is a root and of all kinds of evil

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some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced

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themselves with many griefs so the money it it's not the money it's that's the

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sin it's the love of it that is the sin that the greed is the sin it you know

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it's the idol that just it takes over and it consumes the person it touches and

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this is an idol like all idols but you know that God just absolutely condemns

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and not only that but the means of which people use to get wealthy to get money

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you know to to give in when they give in and they came to this idol and they would

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just want to keep building that wealth you know if you think about it it's

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very much like a drug you see you know if you take a moment you think of all

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that the heinous things that people will do for drugs and there's a pretty gnarly

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things that addicts will do now what do those and you know those empower do to

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get more well they lie they cheat and they steal not a whole lot of difference

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there is there now they might get laws passed saying that what they're doing is

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legal and to force your hand so that you have to you know pay these taxes and

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everything you know and it's okay if they're behind you know thought they're

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they're behind on following through on their promises and their delivery dates

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you know where you know they just don't do it at all but you you better not be I

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better not be you know or else that that interest is going to accrue or we're

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going to you know face other penalties you know the others inflate prices and

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they gouge the pumps I could go on because it's not just government you

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know like I said you think of gas and you look at what got gas prices do it's

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like oh it's okay for it to be cheap here but then you know expensive here

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you know this type of gas which really isn't that much different you know but

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versus this and so there's so many things that go into it here I could go

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on and on at great length here the point is money is a tool and we should use it

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as such and then move along not you know don't don't let the drive for more take

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control of you don't you know not give into that you know I need more oh how

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much does this job pay oh yeah I'm not making enough I need a different job you

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know for forever chasing that buck it will lead you down a path of ruin that

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you don't want to go down and a lot of us are already on it we really need to

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stop and reevaluate where we are you know so back into Habakkuk chapter 2

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here when we look at verse 14 specifically if you noticed he quotes

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Isaiah 11 verse 9 so Isaiah chapter 11 verse 9 you know and this is when he

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prophesied about the day that the Lord returns and that money is no longer

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going to mean anything it's not going to be an item of concern it's not going to

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be anything you know if you know that matter of fact let's take a moment here

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to look at the full passage turn with me here to Isaiah chapter 11 a second here

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turn here as well okay so Isaiah chapter 11 and we're actually gonna look at

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verses 6 through 10 so the Bible says the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb

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and the leper shall lie down with the kid and the calf and the young lion and

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the fatling together and a little child shall eat them and the cow and the bear

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shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat

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straw like the ox and the sucking child shall play on the whole of the asp and

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the weaned child shall put his hand on the concatrice's den they shall not hurt

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nor destroy and all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge

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of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and in that day there shall be a root of

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Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people or an ensign depending on

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where you're at and how you pronounce it all right to it shall the Gentile seek

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and his rest shall be glorious it's the golden age that's going to come when

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Christ returns think about children our children can go out and play in safety

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they go out and do whatever they want and nobody is going to be taken advantage

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everyone's needs will be met there will be no more pain no more suffering even

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with animals there will be no need to wonder hey is it going to be safe to pet

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that animal or let alone approach it you know everyone and everything will be

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living in peace and perfect harmony people animals plants weather everything

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as it was always meant to be doesn't that sound wonderful it's absolutely

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incredible we'll all be in perfect fellowship with Jesus each other and all

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of creation all right guys we're going into the home stretch here all right so

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let's look at Habakkuk chapter 2 verses 15 through 19 the Bible says woe to him

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who gives drink to his neighbors pouring it from the wineskin until they are

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drunk so that he can gaze on their naked bodies you will be filled with shame

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instead of glory now it is your turn drink and let your nakedness be exposed

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some texts may say and stagger here all right the cup from the Lord's right hand

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is coming around to you and disgrace will cover your glory the violence you

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have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you and your destruction of animals will

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terrify you for you have shed human blood you have destroyed lands and cities

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and everyone in them of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman or an image

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that teaches lies for the one who makes it trust in his own creation he makes

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idols that cannot speak woe to him who says to wood come to life or to lifeless

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stone wake up can it give guidance is it covered with gold and silver there is no

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breath in it idol tree is pushed aside by way too many these days people don't

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recognize what it is anymore just cut you know it's just one of those words

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that it doesn't seem to make sense to a lot of people especially you know well

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especially to the non-believer you know sports TV film music you know books

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you know especially those that glorify other sins cars clothing jewelry oh

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here's a big a big one some of y'all might like not not like the word that

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I'm about to use makeup now before I get further here I'm not saying makeup in

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and of itself is bad it's not it's perfectly fine by all means you know

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knock yourself out you know a bit here a bit there that's fine but by now you

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know what I'm talking about that that vanity of oh I you know I got to put my

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face on right I don't have my eyebrows on you know or oh this color doesn't

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match what I'm wearing and so on and so forth you know that just absolute that

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vanity that kicks in here which is a sin you know some of you have drawers with

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hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of different makeups you know what

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I'm talking about it's not cheap either some of you have lipstick on that cost

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more than the shoes that a lot of us are wearing to be quite honest and it's not

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just that though some of you with your video games are in the same boat and a

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lot of you have hobbies that no no better no better whatsoever see

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idolatry it's not just bending the knee to false gods you know it's trusting or

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relying on anything other than God you know say oh I'm not pretty enough I so

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I got to put on this work you know even guys know I got to dress a certain way

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I got to shave a certain way or do my hair up a certain way you know people

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get really really into these things and they spend a ton of money because they

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care more about that image you know spending the bulk of your time with

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something other than God that's an idol you know depending on something to get

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you through more than God idol we can have a long talk about a lot of things

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here and I do mean a lot you know not even just hours we could talk for days

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there's so many things out there weeks even months in the end though it comes

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down to us becoming selfish and trusting that we can do things on our own and in

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our own way we put our trust into things and banks and properties and

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universities and businesses and organizations you know legal entities

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politicians so on and so forth you know all these other people and places and

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things and yet we want to say that we worship God but we're depending on all

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these others and all these other things to take care of us and not God so we all

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need to step back and evaluate our lives do I trust that God will provide or am I

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hoping to get lucky because I said a few words and others are going to see my

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deeds there's a good one right there right you know do I trust in God or do

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I trust in all this this other stuff that's been made by man you know the

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the fact is idols they have no life of their own they have no identity you know

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other than the identity that people build up and give to them you know kind

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of like a kid with a stuffed animal no power they have no power they had they

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can't actually do anything for any of us they are you know either empty hollow

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vessels or solid pieces of matter like wood stone steel and so on you know but

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they are devoid of all life people build temples to their idols think about

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Coliseums museums these grandiose buildings fancy cars that very few

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people can afford you know there's a ton of stuff out there that they build you

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know with their name you know or the the new name you know that's so popular

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these days for it you know as they call it their brand yeah everybody you know

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that's a lot of people talk about that you know build your brand in other words

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worship yourself you know the enemy did something really sneaky there didn't he

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I'm really sneaky there again though there's no life in these idols but God

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God is very much alive God is powerful he's all-powerful he is real well I

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should say idolaters look at something to take care of them to get them through

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and then go on to the next big thing when it doesn't happen we as Christians

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are really different in that respect we don't need anything or anyone else we

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look to Jesus you know why idolaters are running their mouths and trying

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desperately to figure out how to save themselves Christians come to God you

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know and really you know we look up to him in awe and wonder we don't have to

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run our mouths because we already know that we're we're provided for that God's

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going to take care of us we know we're good to go you know God's in control

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Jesus knows what he's doing and where all these idols and these false gods have

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no voice and they can't speak to the lost God on the other hand is you know

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working he's hard at work and he's speaking all the time just like Kabakuk

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we can take our questions our needs our frustrations our complaints to him but

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then afterwards we need to be quiet and we need to listen while we wait for the

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answer or answers that he's going to provide or that you know he does provide

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for us you know and sometimes that's a trick though isn't it shutting our mouths

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so that we can actually hear Psalm 37 verse 7 the Bible says be still before

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the Lord and wait patiently for him do not fret when people succeed in their

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ways when they carry out their wicked schemes be still be still underline that

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highlight it put a little box on it something that you know you come back to

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it it catches your eye be still is really it's it's a nice way of saying

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shut up and sit down let the walkers walk and the talkers talk but as

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Christians shut up and sit down have a seat close your mouth and listen just

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listen listen to what God is saying listen to what God's telling us to

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listen what he's telling you what he's telling me he says a lot but we need to

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listen and we need to listen to hear all right we're gonna read our last verse

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here for today Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 20 the Bible says the Lord is in his

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holy temple let all the earth be silent before him after hearing from God

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Habakkuk was done talking he was quiet he was at peace he was at peace just

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like okay here we go praise Jesus we're good he was able to relax a bit a bit

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he was you know he found that that that peace that only God can provide he had

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no more questions he had no more complaints you know God answered his

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questions and not only that but he recognized that he was in the presence

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of God his relationship with God was restored there is no more doubt there's

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no more wonder he unloaded his burden God provided the answer the bridge had

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been mended and he was good to go his faith was restored and like him all of

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us you me the entire world for that matter we need to learn to be quiet and

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his presence as well everyone in the temple became silent when God came into

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their presence why contrary to all the noise it's out there that so many places

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like to put out silence actually helps us to worship that's why during a lot of

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services especially towards the end there's usually a point that you know

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when we're when we're in the middle of you know towards the end of a service at

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some point there's always well not always but usually there's a point that

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we get to when the noise stops you know the the preacher starts moving things

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and he might even see you know let's go into a time of silence here you know

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usually you know it's like you know hey you know it's all bow our heads and

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close your eyes you know and you know and pray you know and we pray as

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Christians we pray that's our conversation again with God and we

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voice ourselves to the Lord we voice our concerns everything that's on our you

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know our burdens the whole the whole bit even the things that we're thankful for

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but we we take everything that's on our mind on our heart that's weighing on us

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and we pray and we leave it for the Lord and then we become quiet ourselves our

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thoughts our desires our fears anything and everything running through our minds

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is silenced and if it's not it should be you need we need to silence that stuff

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so that we can listen for what God has to tell us there's no room for noise not

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even background noise when we open up ourselves and God fills our hearts and

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our minds with his presence all right now I'm not saying oh you can't listen

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music in the background or something like that because there's a certain

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there's certain things that bring that peace to us and help us to silence

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everything else you know out so you know we need to be we all have questions

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because we all have questions we all have complaints we all have fears that

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need answers and God will provide them he will sometimes they're a little

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delayed like in the book of Daniel you know however God will provide an answer

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so we need to be still and we need to listen for his voice as we look to Jesus

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and and we need to be prepared to receive an answer that we aren't

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expecting or possibly won't like not just listen to what we're told but

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actually hear what we're being told there is a difference between listening

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and hearing God knows what we need he knows before we even ask and like a good

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parent because he said that he sets an example for all the good parents out

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there he's simply waiting for us as his children to take our take our questions

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to him to talk to him to tell him what's going on you know I'll put it to you

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this way for those of you who have kids you'll know you know exactly what I'm

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talking about here for those of you who don't think back to when you're growing

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up and you went to your parents for certain things you know there's those

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times when a child goes to their parents and as soon as they start to talk or ask

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about anything the parent already has an answer for them they already know

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exactly what their child is talking about or asking for God is no different

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he just wants you to reach down and have the courage to open your mouth just talk

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to him he loves you the father loves you he wants to have a relationship with you

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he'll take care of you you simply need to start the dialogue and then wait

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patiently and quietly for the answer Jesus is in control keep your eyes on

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him don't focus on what on the storm around you focus on Jesus all right now

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that's all we have for this week next week we're going to finish our series

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here on Habakkuk and we're gonna look at his prayer of faith as we pull everything

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in together remember you are loved now go and be the church I want to thank you

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for joining us today if you have any questions prayer requests or would like

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to know more about our ministry you can find us on our website at be the light

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sanctuary org or on Facebook at be the light sanctuary we'll catch you next

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time God bless