Articles

“How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me, O LORD? for Ever?” [podcast]

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

“It would seem strange that God, who professes to love the children of Israel, would lead them into a desert without food and water. But love led them there that they might learn the desperate unbelief of their own hearts and the unfailing faithfulness of God’s Heart. Only in a desert could God reveal what He can be to those who trust Him. (Exodus 17) Do you trust Him in your desert?” Jeff Thomas

A Lesson from Jeremiah the prophet. Is all complaining a sin? The answer may surprise many…. first David, then Jeremiah…. read these words closely friend… These are the cries of 2 of the most prominent patriarchs of God found in His Word.

“How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” Psalms 13:1-2

And now the cry of Jeremiah to the LORD:

“Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?” Jeremiah 15:18

Have you ever had some kind of suffering, or an enemy in your life that seemed like it was never going to end? Do you have a prayer before the LORD that has not been answered and it seems like forever? Can you feel this same pain and anguish in the words of the beloved David and Jeremiah the prophet? David and Jeremiah and every child of God certainly understands this place. And Jeremiah, in his anguish had lost hope and said “wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?”

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” Proverbs 13:12

And don’t we know that God is using this time as a tool in His holy hands to conform us to the image of His Son? (Romans 8:29)

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” Jeremiah 18:6

Crying out to the LORD in our hour of trial…..God told us He hates the sin of murmuring and yet, a complaint is not murmuring. They are different. David and Jeremiah weren’t whining/murmuring. No, yet they let the LORD know about their pain, the anguish that seemed to go on forever.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. … 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:2-4, 12

Here in the passage above and below, we have an exhortation to the righteous who find themselves in a seemingly never ending season of long suffering:

“Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10

In this verse above, it’s not speaking of someone living in sin. No (Romans 6:1,2). This is speaking of a true child of God who in the words of David is crying out to the LORD “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” (Psalms 13:1)

Murmuring vs Complaining

Offering an honest concern to the LORD for the trial you may find yourself in, is a mere gesture of taking your concern, your complaint to the only One who can bring you through it and at His time, solve it.

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:4-8

Literally verbalizing our thanksgiving to our LORD is key to having our hearts nourished up in and full of His presence! Giving Him the glory due His holy name helps keep our hearts full of His grace! (Hebrews 13:9; 2 Peter 3:18)

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalms 22:3

Think with me: If you order a dish at a restaurant, and it’s not as advertised, is it a sin to ask them to replace it? No. Yet, if you whine, murmur, and act wickedly toward the waiter, that is a sin.

So, when Jeremiah cried out to God, the LORD answered, calling the prophet to “return” to Him (repentance), and gave him conditions, perhaps reasons for which he was allowed to suffer….

“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.” Jeremiah 15:19-21

v10-11 are key to the context: Jeremiah says “every one of them doth curse me. 11 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant.”

Jeremiah was complaining to the LORD and had waned in his faith due to the persecution of the counterfeits that surrounded him. Jeremiah complains here about how the majority of the people cursed him and made his life miserable. Yet God answers concerning His “remnant.” Many times we ourselves listen to the voice of the masses instead of separating in our minds the reality that most, “many” are going to eternal destruction via their own rebellion and only a “few” truly serve the LORD (Matthew 7:13-14). We see here that this must be factored in by us. Oh and the LORD tells His servant not to go to them, the rebels. Let them come to you.

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8

God here requires that Jeremiah “thou take forth the precious from the vile.” (v19) To “thou take forth the precious from the vile” would be to rightly divide between God, His will, His thoughts, vs that of mere sinful man (“the rudiments of the world”) – and to not blame the LORD for what sinful man has done. And to do HIS work no matter what man does or does not do. What sinful man makes of mess of, makes “vile”, doesn’t negate or annihilate the “precious” things of God. Perhaps, in part, the LORD was instructing Jeremiah to see the blessing in what He was doing, even if he didn’t understand it all. There’s a blessing in the process, in the purging, in the journey. – “be ye separate.” (2 Corinthians 6:17)

“If thou – These are God’s words to the prophet, rebuking his distrust in God, and promising him, that if he did return from his distrust in God’s providence, he would restore him to the former favour he had with him, and he should be his prophet to reveal his mind to the people; and that if he would separate the precious truths of God from the vile conceits of men, then God would continue him as his prophet, to speak in his name to the people. But – He charges the prophet to keep his ground, and not to go over to wicked men.” John Wesley

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” 2 Corinthians 6:17

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:6-9

Take note that “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). The LORD commanded His servant Jeremiah obey Him on His terms. God never bends or modifies, bends the rules of His non-negotiable truth (2 Timothy 2:5). We must not deceive ourselves and must “strive lawfully” which means according to HIS terms, not our own or any other.

“And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” 2 Timothy 2:5

“If thou – These are God’s words to the prophet, rebuking his distrust in God, and promising him, that if he did return from his distrust in God’s providence, he (the LORD) would restore him to the former favour he had with him, and he should be his prophet to reveal his mind to the people; and that if he would separate the precious truths of God from the vile conceits of men, then God would continue him as his prophet, to speak in his name to the people. But – He charges the prophet to keep his ground, and not to go over to wicked men.” John Wesley

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Job 13:15

“Be Not Weary in Well Doing”

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

SATAN tempting you to give up? Who wins if you do? Where shall you turn? Turning away from God means we are without Him in our life and trials, right? The LORD, who is your Potter, has a plan. He will absolutely bring you through the floods of water and fire! (Isaiah 43:1-2; Jeremiah 18:1-6)

The fires you may be walking through right now have a divine purpose. This season is the time to rid you of the things that bind you just like the 3 Hebrew children who were thrown into the fire and the only thing God allowed to be burn was that which bound them! Read Daniel 3. Perspective is everything. God’s perspective. Biblical perspective.

After saving us, God has to bring us to an end of ourselves and that happens through “much tribulation.” (Acts 14:22; 2 Corinthians 4; 12:7-12, etc.). Read 2 Corinthians 4.

When Jesus had fed the flesh of the multitudes, they turned and walked away from the Savior. But …

“Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” John 6:67-68

MESSAGE RECEIVED:

“This is the one thing that I have been dealing with most of my life, a complaining spirit. God freed me from what I consider the worst bondage, another sin. But this spirit of complaining seems to be quite as difficult to overcome. I truly need help in this area that I am weakest in. I am aware that Satan knows our very weaknesses and tends to attack us in those areas most. Any scriptures that may help me or suggestions would be very appreciated.”

REPLY:

Yes dear brother…. I certainly understand. Murmuring is an evil sin the LORD Jesus has helped me and many other saints to overcome by His grace. Memorizing the above verse, and others was the truth that He used to make this disciple free…. rejoicing and externalizing gratefulness aloud unearthed the entrenched root…. also memorizing and meditating on verses like Job 13:15 and Eph 5:20 and Heb 13:15 …. God is able. Praying now for you brother!

Declaring the words recorded in Job 13:15 is key to kicking murmuring in the teeth….

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Job 13:15

Furthermore, gratefulness has become a strong point. Explosive, exuberant, overflowing praise, gratefulness overflows…… cup runneth over

Prayer is key to the divine fuel of our LORD flooding you and bringing His victory to pass in your personal life (Matthew 25:1-13; 26:41).

Recently, a dear sister in Christ related to this topic. She says:

“I’m also trying to get rid of a complaining spirit. Never realized before how much I complained about, it was part of my every day talk. If it was not for Holy Spirit that opened my ears to my own words I uttered, I would still be in the dark about this.”

Numbers 13-14 are extraordinary, showing how certain of God’s people were kept out of the promised land for their murmuring. Memorizing Numbers 14:28 is key. Paul speaks specifically of the 5 sins he names which kept the children of God out of the land, the blessed place God ordained them to be (1 Cor 10:1-13). LIFTM …. check this out…. amazing revelation to us….

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15

The last promise and prayer of the Bible display the cry of every disciple’s heart and the promise of God to put away all pain, suffering, and anguish forever!

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

Jesus says to us: “Surely I come quickly.”

We say to Him in response: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Perhaps no other words ever spoken more fully sum up this whole message from our LORD than the words recorded in the glorious 8th chapter of Romans.

“18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. … 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:18-39

The Blessing of Giving God Thanks

Join Us

We saved a place for you to receive our weekly newsletter.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

The 5 Sins That Keep God’s People Out of Their Promised Land [podcast]

Learning from History! (below) THE 5 SINS THAT KEPT ISRAEL (God’s own covenant people) OUT OF THEIR PROMISED LAND OF BLESSINGS and will keep us out if not relinquished. Friend, please read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 with all your might. Make this text your meat. The world seeks to romance sin but if God says it’s sin, that’s what it is. Toning down the terms changes nothing. Judgment Day is on the way. We are fighting the good fight of faith, “striving against sin” and “more than conquerors” over sin through Jesus who loves us and bought us with His own blood! […]

The More I Suffer, the Freer I Become

Forged in the Fire! Liberty and Blessing through Suffering “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7 You have saving faith – and it’s on trial!!!! That alone is cause for celebration!! “Adversity is the companion to every Christian on his way to paradise. The more difficult the path, the more joy for him who follows the LORD.” AW Tozer Have you found more freedom through seasons of testing […]

The Joy of the Bible [podcast]

“I have always known of HIS graciousness – all my 50+ years of life, even when I thought I knew better than He did for my life. – He’s always met me right where I was when I called out to Him, – and even more so in these days that I have dug deeper into His Word.” Dyanne Gonzales NOTHING is true because I say it or any other mere man. What GOD has said is truth, final divine authority – now and forever. Fall down humbly under His power or perish. Memorize Psalms 138:2 “I will worship […]

Articles

The Only Way Up is Down [podcast]

Chapter 8 from the book Raised Up (narration)

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

The Down and Up Principle of God’s Kingdom

“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNWARD, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31

The Scriptures follow a pattern of death and resurrection, a downward death and upward life. See if you can observe such a truth in the following verses:

“The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth UP all those that be bowed DOWN.” Psalms 145:14

Do you possess the blessed desire to be raised up by the Almighty? According to His divine wisdom given us in His precious Precepts, in order to be “raised up” we must first be “bowed down.” The LORD will not raise up any person who is still alive in his own power – He only raises up “those that be bowed down” in sincere humility before His majesty (Ps. 145:14; Jn. 12:23-25; Rom. 8:11).

“Those that be bowed down” will “take root downward” and be raised up in blessed fruitfulness (Isa. 37:31).

In order to “bear fruit upward,” one must first be planted in the house (kingdom) of the LORD and “take root downward” in the rich soil of His truth. The resurrection life of Jesus and ample fruitfulness will be the result.

Going deeper in God necessitates going down deeper into death and burial with Christ! Read Romans 6. There are no shortcuts (Galatians 5:24). Christ’s kingdom is a cross economy – one of utter humility and death to self that He might reign (John 12:23-25; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).

“And whosoever shall exalt himself (upward) shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

“He must INCREASE, but I must DECREASE.” John 3:30

“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat FALL INTO THE GROUND (downward) and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (upward). He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life (downward) in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (upward).” John 12:23-25

“Humble yourselves (downward heart posture) in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

The life of Christ will raise a man upward and this is after that man bows down his life or humbles himself under the mighty hand of God – first at initial salvation then in the consecrated life that brings God glory. Blessed resurrection life is the upward result of the life planted downward and this is the place from which ministry springs. Look at what the apostle Paul wrote in this regard:

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

Jesus declared to us that He came to make captives free from sin and Satan – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:31-32, 36).There is chain-shattering, freeing power (liberty) in the redeeming blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Ghost (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:36; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 12:11). The divine promise is that when one bows down before the LORD, every yoke shall be broken by Him who is above all (Isa. 58). No stronghold or bond of Satan has power when Christ’s blood is applied in sincere repentance and by the power of the Holy Ghost! The saint who is raised up after being bowed down, will glorify God in rich fruitfulness being “changed into the same image (Christ’s) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

It is the divine Person of the Holy Ghost who raised up the LORD who was bowed down before His Father in death in order to purchase His Church with His own sinless blood (Acts 20:28). In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit with His resurrection power who raises up those who be bowed down before His throne of grace.

“And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God… And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” Luke 13:10-13, 16-17

There can be no resurrection until there is first a death. A seed is dead or dormant then is planted and then germinates and brings forth bud, then a stalk and ultimately fruit – but first it must be buried downward in order to bear life-giving fruit upward. The life buried with Christ will be lifted up by divine power and bear much fruit to God’s glory (Jn. 15:8).

“But if the Spirit of him that raised UP Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised UP Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive upward) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11

Our LORD had to first die and be buried “downward” in order to be raised “upward” by the Father in resurrection life to raise up and justify all those who would call upon Him in repentance (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 10:13). In order for fruit to be borne “upward,” the disciple must first be planted “downward” in “the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Isa. 37:31; Phil. 3:10).

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Romans 6:3-5

“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12

He created man with a choice (Josh. 24:15). In the end there will be “the resurrection of life” and also “the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28-29). Each of us will be in one of these resurrections – either everlasting life or eternal death (conscience separation from God in hell). The entrance into Heaven or termination into hell will hinge upon whom we served – God or self (Rom. 6:16).

Real promotion comes only from the Giver and Sustainer of all life – from the north (Heaven).

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 75:6-7

That person who freely chooses to believe God, taking Christ at His Word, bowing under His infinite Majestic glory, will be raised up both now and forever and eternally glorified with the Alpha and Omega (Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Psalms 92:12-14

PRAYER: Please draw me deeper into You LORD Jesus. Father in Heaven, You sent Your only begotten Son to die for me in order that I might be raised up in new life in this brief life and eternally. I love You Jesus and ask You to lead me to that crucified life that you lived when here on earth and as You gave Your life blood on the cross to save Your people. Please quicken me by Your Holy Spirit and fill me afresh O LORD, that this life You gave might be fully one with You and fruitful and pleasing to Thee. Lord, I am watching and praying in light of Your soon return. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here okay: Born Again: What is It?

Sign up for free email devotional HERE… The Moments with My Master email devotional is sent out for the edification of the body of Christ.

PEACE with GOD

Feedback:

“Awesome message. Thank you for sharing it. I would like to encourage everyone to read this and to look at the scriptures in their own Bibles! Wonderful message.” Linda C.