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The Evening Wolf
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Shalom,
What your about to read is from a minister friend of mine in Welkom South Africa, Pastor Cornelius Claassen.
Cornelius has a true Messianic heart, and is learning more everyday about our Jewish Roots. I pray that you will be blessed this month by what he has written. If it does bless you, and if you like to post him to tell him so, let me know Mayim@doitnow.com and I will give you his email address.
May the L-rd bless,
Rev.Barbara Di Gilio
Greetings in the Name of Our Saviour
It is the early hours of Sunday Morning in this part of the World (South Africa). It is my habit
every Sunday to rise extremely early - while the rest of the family sleeps - to spend time alone in my small Study-
part of the garage which I converted into a Study - with the Lord and to go over my sermon. It is still dark and
sunrise is expected at 6:30am - the weather is changing - it is autumn in this part of the world and although it
is still hot during the days the evenings and early morning before sunrise are chilly!
In a few hours I will stand before my small Assembly with the awesome tasking of delivering the Word of God to
them! I am aware of the great responsibility that rests on a servant of the Almighty.
Certain experiences make certain verses of Scriptures come alive - while reading or rather paging down (I downloaded
it) Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions
- Habakkuk 1:8 jumped out of the page at me. It was as if God was speaking to me
personally.
The evening wolf has attacked me recently, giving me many sleepless night - sadly I must admit that I became so
aware of the evening wolf devouring ... that I forgot that God is greater then any evening wolf!
This Sermon I want to share with you - We may differ on certain points of doctrine and Theology - But I pray
it may help you should the evening wolf ever stalk you!
Praying for you - Hoping that you are praying for us in this part of HIS vineyard!
My Sermon notes follow.
Yours in HIS service
Pastor Cornelius Claassen
Welkom South Africa
The Evening Wolves
Habakkuk 1: 5-11
Reading in Habakkuk 1:8
"Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen
shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat."
More fierce than "the evening wolves!"
I have entitled my message today: The Evening Wolves!
In one of the Bible Versions in my Study the section we have read comes under the heading: The Lord Answers: I
will work a work for you! (Afrikaans Bible) The first verse of our Bible reading:
Habakkuk 1:5
"Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which
ye will not believe, though it be told you."
A verse that will make any Pentecostal Preacher jump with joy - A verse worthy of a sermon many hours long.
Job once said:
Job 12:7
"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee."
We can learn much from the animals mentioned in the Bible and for this reason I want this day to stand still and
talk about the "Evening wolves".
John, the disciple whom Yeshua loved, calls Satan the Devil six times, the Evil One six times, and the Liar and
the Father of Lies three times. He calls him a murderer, once; a thief, once; the Wolf, once; the Deceiver, once;
the Ruler of this World three times; he who is in the world once. Finally he says "the whole world lies in
the power of the evil one."
John calls the devil a Wolf!
John 10:12
"But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and
leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep."
The devil is the wolf that catches and scatters the sheep - The evening wolf is therefore a symbol - a picture
of the devil ! The evening wolves are therefore also a picture or symbol of the evil spirits and demons controlled
by the evil one !
We read about the wolf or wolves in twelve verses of Scripture and almost all the references to wolves found are
figurative, and usually are the symbol of the enemies of God or Israel and or wicked men.
The wolf looks like a large dog but is wild, savage and cruel. It travels in bands of up to 30 animals and almost
always go out by night.
The Bible also tells us this in:
Jeremiah 5:6
"Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a
leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions
are many, and their backslidings are increased."
What a picture of the devil!
Talking of our Bible text in Habakkuk - Charles H Spurgeon
comments:
"They will scarcely attack the Christian in the daylight of faith, but in the gloom of soul conflict they
fall upon him. "
The evening wolf -attacks us when darkness overshadows our lives.
The evening wolf of problems
The evening wolf of sickness
The evening wolf of our finances
The Evening wolf - Have you ever been attacked by the evening wolf ? Tossed and turned in bed unable to sleep because
the evening wolf is busy attacking you - the evening wolf of a guilty conscience - the evening wolf of worries!
I am sure that each and every one in this Church has at some time or the other been attacked by the evening wolf!
But friends - but Church! Did you know that in England many years ago January used to be called Wolf-monat, or
wolf month?
An Old Book tells us that Wolves could not find sufficient animals to feed upon because of the extremity of the
cold and snow during this month and therefore people were more in danger to be devoured by wolves then in any other
season of the year.
We in this part of the world do not experience the extremity of the cold and snow during the month of January and
yet we also experience the attacks of the evening wolf.
We call January the long month - the evening wolf devoured all our finances during the festive season and now we
have the long wait for January's "pay-day"! For the Church the long month of January has extended right
into April! Did you notice the huge increase in the number of suicides on the Goldfields during January! Even Loved
ones in our Assembly have felt this pain! But don't be fooled the evening wolf does not just roam and attack people
during the month of January - the wolf-month - he is still stalking many in this Church even today!
The May 1987 edition of National Geographic included a feature about the arctic wolf.
Author L. David Mech described how a seven-member pack had targeted several musk-oxen calves who were guarded by
eleven adults.
As the wolves approached their quarry, the musk-oxen bunched in an impenetrable
semicircle, their deadly rear hooves facing out, and the calves remained safe during a long stand-off with the
enemy.
But then a single ox broke rank and the herd scattered into nervous little groups. A skirmish ensued, and the adults
finally fled in panic, leaving the calves to the mercy of the wolves. Not a single calf survived!
It is a fact - the evening wolf always targets the young - many in this Church are concerned because they have
witnessed the evening wolf targeting their children - What can we do?
Did you notice? The Wolves were only able to attack and kill the young calves when the Parents broke rank! Friend,
Church, this illustrates the importance of Church attendance. We need to protect our Children by united prayer.
Hebrews 10:25
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Exhorting one another means to build one another up in the faith - to encourage one another in times of trials
- to support one another in prayer ! Together - united in the faith - we can ward off the attacks of the evening
wolves - but alone at home - alone in our faith - without the support of other Believers we and our children will
find ourselves at the mercy of the evening wolves!
Paul warned the Elders of the Church at Ephesus that after his departure wolves would come, not sparing the flock.
Acts 20:29
"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock."
Wolves continue to attack the church today but cannot penetrate and destroy when unity is maintained. When believers
break ranks, however, they provide easy prey. Let us remain united in our faith and in service to our Lord and
HIS Church!
I plead with you, don't allow the wolves to scatter you - there is no such thing as a perfect Church - The Church
is not a building - it is a body of Believers!
Only if we stand together:
In united Prayer
In united worship
In our love and care for one another
With our tithes and offerings
Can we ward off the attacks of the evening wolves whose sole purpose is to destroy lives and this Church!
Pastor, the evening wolf is attacking me! Friend, you need to remember there is no need to fear because the Bible
says:
1 John 4:4
"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that
is in the world."
I said - no need to fear - but only if Messiah dwells in you - Friend have you invited Messiah in your heart and
life ?
Yeshua promised the power of the Holy Spirit to those who trust and serve Him - His power is sufficient to ward
off the attacks of the evening wolves.
But Pastor - the evening wolf of worries! Remember the Bible says:
Malachi 3:6
"For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."
Hebrews 13:8
"Yeshua Messiah the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Luke 18:27
"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
No matter how dark the night - the Lord promises:
Psalm 23:4
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
(One Translation: Dark places! Another translation: Pitch Black darkness) (Afrikaans Bible)
Listen what James says:
James 4:7-8
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he
will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
Resist the evening wolf - draw close to God and he will flee from you! How close are you to God? What are you doing
to draw close to HIM? Are you reading and studying His Word?
Are you talking to Him in Prayer? Are you worshipping Him in the company of others?
But Church in closing -I hear you ask: But Pastor what about - the evening wolf of a guilty conscience!
Listen what Peter said on the day of Pentecost:
Acts 2:38-39
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yeshua Messiah for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you, and to your children,
and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Baptism is a symbol of the burying of your old life - your old sins and a raising up of a new life in Messiah!
Have you received the forgiveness of Messiah? The only way to defeat the evening wolf of a guilty conscience is
to turn to Messiah.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any man be in Messiah, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new."
Yeshua is the only answer if you want to defeat the evening wolves in your life. Turn to HIM today! AMEN
