godly patience

Living In Faith

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Life of a Living Faith

Book of James Chapter 5

If the Book of James has seemed to be confusing to anyone, we can see that a good study of what James is teaching will clear this all up.

There are no contradictions in the Bible and those that say so are the same ones who do not trust the Word of God to be the truth!

The Book of James is about practical, faithful living!

We must base our faith on the Word of God. We must understand that most of this world we live in will never agree with our creation as described by the Word of God.

For them to believe in our Creation, they would have to acknowledge our Creator and they will not do this.

Our faith in the One True God says that we accept the Words He has given to us as the absolute truth!

The plan of our salvation did not begin when our Savior came to this earth!

The plan for our salvation began immediately upon our creation in fact before our creation and the creation of this world we live in!

2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and “belief of the truth”:

We are to have so much faith in the truth of God that it should the main topic of our salvation until the day God takes us home or we last until the time of the rapture of the Church, which could happen at any time now as God begins to work with Israel as He promised them.

It is not just some of the Word of God is true, it is that all the Word of God is true!

It is because we live in this world so full of doubt that we must strive for our faith in this truth.

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, “with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”;

Our faith then is based upon the Word of God, all the Word of God.

Striving means we must put forth the effort to defend the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Another word for strive is contend.

To contend is to struggle in opposition to the falseness of this world.

Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

James is teaching us that we must be patient in this striving until the coming of the Lord.

It is best stated as Living in Faith!

*Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

The one thing we must stay focused upon is the “Coming of the Lord”!

The Lord Jesus said He was coming again and we are to accept that as the truth and stay focused on Him.

The Holy Spirit has given us the example of the farmer.

The farmer has invested all he has to buy the seed.

The Lord has provided the seasons and will provide the early and later rains.

The ground is prepared and the seed is planted.

Then is the time for patience!

The Lord Jesus explain this as the act of spreading the Gospel.

Luk 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Luk 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Luk 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Luk 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Luk 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

The life of each Christian is under the same law of growth!

Gal_6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Time and again the Scriptures teach us the second coming of the Lord.

The same Scriptures teach us that before this Second Coming, He will stop in the clouds and take His Church out of this world.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The Scriptures agree that the Lord is returning to reward “every person” for the work that they have done while He has been back in Heaven.

Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Mat 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

This obviously goes against anything this world is teaching.

The world is trying to save a world that the Lord says is not worth saving because of sin!

Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

2Ti 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Jesus Christ is returning to execute “judgment on all those who reject His truth!

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

No matter what this world is doing, we who are practicing “Living Faith” are to continue living for Jesus Christ!

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

We must be patient and show this patience until the Lord takes us out of this world.

When the Lord repeats Himself, we certainly had better pay attention.

*Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Sometimes it is not until we have hemmed ourselves in and are not able to take another step that we try to do what the Lord ask us to do.

It is in those times that we just need to stand still and watch what the Lord does to solve our issues.

What did the Lord say to Job? Job_37:14 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

We cannot do these things unless we have faith and that faith will teach us patience.

Our strength will come from the thought that the Lord could return to take us home at any moment!

If those in the Old Testament had this faith, then we should ask ourselves why we do not have this faith when it is evident that we are in the “Last Days”.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

We do not see the coming of the Lord as afar off but as it could happen any time now!

We should have no doubt that our redemption is closer than it has ever been and we can “stablish” our hearts, which means we are to make this truth an absolute fact in our hearts.

We must never become dissatisfied with the Word of God!

*Jas 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

It is not time to complain about the things we see in this world.

It is certainly not time to bring these complaints inside the Church.

When we complain we are again assuming the office of a judge.

If we rest in the truth of the Lord’s soon coming, then we should act as if He is standing at the doors of Heaven just about to open the door to return to take us home.

Until the Lord completes the work He came to do for our salvation, He will not be standing at the door of His return!

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Until the Church Age is complete the Lord will remain in Heaven as our High Priest.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

If we even think we are suffering now, especially here in the United States, then we need to go back and read about the Apostle Paul and all the other Apostles and even the things that happened to our Lord and Savior and we will see that we are not suffering at all.

The Holy Spirit will hold back more of evil in this world, if we only do our part.

Almost all of the Old testament prophets were murdered by the various governments of Israel during the time of kings.

*Jas 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

We must patiently endure the persecution of this world just so we can get that opportunity to witness for Jesus.

Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

These men and women patiently endured all these things because they held on to their faith.

It would have been easy to turn their back on Jesus and stayed alive a little longer, but they refused because they knew they had the truth.

How can we grumble against God who has made such wonderful promises to us?

Look at Moses for a great example.

Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

The rewards of Heaven are just too good to give up following the Lord Jesus!

Job was also a great example.

*Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

We see here that James looked upon the Old Testament as actual history and we should to!

Job endured to gain the rewards of Heaven and the things that happened to Job happened in just a few days.

Every child of Job all died on the same day.

Few have ever suffered the trials and temptations of life that Job suffered through.

Along with the death of Job’s children, he suffered bankruptcy, the loss of his property, all his livestock and even his employees and even his wife turned on him because he refused to complain to God.

Job never gave in. Job never forsook his faith in God even though he did not understand what was happening to him.

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

Job stated that he just could not be a hypocrite: Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

It is hard to even imagine the absolute conviction of Job to hold onto his faith!

We must never take our eyes off the prize of the coming of the Lord to take us home.

It is sure and it is real!

The Apostle Peter also knew this to be the truth: 1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

No matter how much we are provoked by this world, we must never break into fits of swearing or the making of oaths.

When our answers are yes then say yes.
When our answers are no then say no and it will be enough.

We always seem to forget the Holy Spirit who is living within us.

He is our strength!
He is our comforter!

*Jas 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

No matter how much this world provokes us we must not swear by the name of the Lord.

What the Lord is saying here is to let your words stand firm. Always speak the truth and let your words be your bond of truthfulness.

He does not forbid the raising of our right hand and swearing to tell the truth in a court of law, but we had better be telling the truth when we do this.

The Jews in the day of Christ were notoriously guilty of common swearing.

They would swear on anything in God’s creation, but not so much by God Himself.

Most of the time when we hear men swearing, they are trying to hide the fact that they are being dishonest.

If what we are saying is the truth then we do not have to swear to it.

Even in a court of law, God is watching us so we should take care that every word we say is the truth.

It is the same for us every time we open our mouths to speak. God is always watching His children.

We must never be that person who thinks we have to swear to cause someone to believe us!

This should hold to be the truth, even when we are going through trials and temptations because we are already being watched by Heaven’s audience.

Most trials and temptations are tests to begin with.

Almost all of our answers can be “yes I will”, or “no I will not”.

If we are afflicted because of trials and temptations the best thing we can do is to pray.

Giving our burdens to the Lord is always the best thing we can do!

*Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

When we are going through troubles we need to pray!

When we are not going through troubles, then we need to pray and praise the Lord thanking Him for not going through troubles.

In fact, we need to praise the Lord in the midst of our troubles, thanking Him ahead of time for removing those trials and temptations from us.

Everyone upon this earth are facing trials and temptations at some point in their lives and usually quiet often.

As Christians we can depend upon the Lord to help us through these things when the lost have no such help.

Worldliness, lust and pride are the enemies of the Christian!

Also accidents, disappointments, unfaithfulness, bad times and bad feelings affect everyone from time to time.

We can all have good days and bad days.

For the Christian we can always rejoice no matter what we are going through because our names are written down in Heaven.

At some time or another we all seem to have sicknesses and most of those things are the same things we all suffer from, such as the “Common Cold”.

There are also sicknesses that only affect certain people such the things of the heart, and that terrible word cancer that no one wants to heal and some other terrible things.

Many other things come about because nations are seeking some new disease that can stop an army in its tracks and make them easier to defeat.

We must understand that there is no illness that Our Savior cannot heal.

There is no problem that Our Savior cannot solve.

There is no nation that our Savior cannot defeat.

And thank goodness there is no one upon the face of this earth that Our Savior cannot save.

There are always some who are sick among the Church.

There may occasionally be a congregation that have no one sick on a given day but this is unusual.

There are those that think that the preacher’s job is to preach and nothing else but this is not true and every body of believers should have what are called elders.

It is the job of these elders and anyone else to visit the sick, but as we gather in God’s house there is no better time to anoint that person or persons with oil and pray over them.

This is where our faith kicks in.

A prayer of faith, not just by these elders and the preacher but by all those present that day, especially including that one who has that sickness can indeed save the sick.

Notice the Holy Spirit adds that this prayer in faith can save the sick.

Notice what the Lord Jesus says: Mar_2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

It takes the same faith to be healed as it does to be saved and this we must remember.

Over and over the Lord Jesus said this was true.

Mar 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Luk 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

We must also understand that our prayer of faith must also be a fervent prayer.

*Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Confession is also a key to our forgiveness and our healing!

This does not mean we are to go around confessing all our sins to each other.

We are to confess our sin in closet prayer, between us and the Lord.

If the Church is aware of our sin, then yes, we can confess that sin to them.

If we have wronged some other Christian then we can confess our sin to that person and ask for forgiveness and that forgiveness should come.

If we have misled or lied to someone, we should confess that sin to them.

If we have caused someone to stumble and sin, we certainly need to confess our sin.

If we have publicly committed some crime, then we need to confess and forgiveness is required but this does not mean we hide them from the law.

If we have a pastor who we can trust we can sometimes confess our sin to them.

When we confess to one another then we must also pray for one another.

We simply cannot overlook the power of prayer.

Prayer is the greatest gift the Lord has given to us after our salvation.

Our prayers must be in the will of God for our lives and the lives of God’s people.

The Holy Spirit gives us an example with the prayer of Elijah.

*Jas 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
Jas 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Elijah a prophet of God in the time of the Kings showed us the power of fervent prayer.

Elijah was a man just like we are, a human being who had passions and feelings just like we do.

Elijah earnestly prayed for it to not rain for three years and six months and it did not rain.

Then Elijah prayed for the rain to come and he could not get to shelter fast enough to keep from getting wet because of a thunderstorm.

If we can live our lives knowing that we can contact Heaven then, we will know that the Lord God of all Creation has heard our prayer.

If that prayer goes along with His will for our lives, then it is highly possible that we will get a favorable answer.

If our trial or temptation came upon us because of our sin then it is possible that the Lord will remove that obstacle from our path if that chastisement is sufficient.

If our sickness came upon us for doing something God said to not do then we may not get an answer at all or we may get an answer we did not expect.

The main thing is for us to live in the will God has for our lives and give the Holy Spirit our reins and do what He leads us to do, always.

This is called following in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ and this is being a Christian.

Notice it is the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, not a self-righteous man.

It is the righteous man that gets the help of the Holy Spirit!

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

We need to stick to the truth of the Word of God and we can depend upon it to be the truth!

Amen

Praise God For His Patience

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Praise God For His Patience

Psalm 106

The word “patience” means suffering through some afflictions while some period of time passes by without murmuring or complaining.

Not many of us have enough patience but God expects us to be patient because our God is so patient with us.

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our God is very patient with this world He created because He is longsuffering in waiting on that last soul to be saved.

Our God is very patient because He is very sensitive to all those evil the things that are happening to those that have accepted Him for His truth but He withholds His vengeance until the appointed time.

Our God is patient because the lack of patience is our weakness but God’s patience shows us that we serve a God of all power, even power enough to not go against His own passive nature until it is time to do so.

Our God is patient because the plan of salvation is His plan, and He will see it through until His harvest has reached maturity.

God has placed the Church in this Age for one purpose and God is patiently waiting for the Church to complete it’s work.

Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

We must remember the patience God has for each sinner is the only hope they have for salvation!

I’m glad my God was patient in waiting on me and it is now my job to help others come to know Him before His patience runs out!

So let’s begin;

*****Psa 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 106:2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
Psa 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Psa 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
Psa 106:5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

This psalm is also not titled but this is probably also another psalm of David.

The word “hallelujah” is spelled almost the same in every language and it means only one thing.

“Praise ye Jehovah”

This psalm highlights the confession of the sins of Israel and in doing so, teaches us the great patience our Lord has for the sinner.

At the end of God’s patience lies only one thing:

Psa 104:35 “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more”. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

We must praise God for our own salvation.

We must praise God for His patience in dealing with all sinners.

We must praise God for the end result, when there will be no more sin.

It should be the goal of us all to glory in the inheritance of God.

But true Christianity means we must do our very best to keep the commandments of the Lord.

And true prayer means we must identify with our Savior!

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Happiness can only come by being obedient to the Lord!

Happiness can only come when we have been visited with the salvation of God!

There is no salvation apart from the Lord and He must visit us with it or we will never obtain it!

*****Psa 106:6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
Psa 106:7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

There is only one way to get our prayers answered and that begins when we can confess our sins.

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, “the Lord will not hear me”:

God can only visit with His salvation after we have confessed the need of His Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

The downfall of many sinners begins when they follow in the ways of their sinful parents.

There are the sins of “omission” we commit when we do not walk in the way God has directed.

There are also the sins of “commission” we commit when we know what God has said to not do but we go ahead and do them anyway.

The sin of rebelling against the Word of God must be confessed after we have first asked for mercy.

The Jews at the time of Moses had never understood the great miracles that they had witnessed and had therefore not been able to convince their own children of Jehovah God and His mercy and of His Glory.

But are we so different today?

If we would list all the miracles that are written for us in the Word of God, we would be astounded at what all God has shown to humans through out all our days.

The miracles of God cover every aspect of life.

If we acknowledge the miracles of the Bible, we can begin to see many of these same miracles that God has done in our own behalf, beginning with the miracle of childbirth.

God still performs great miracles everyday and we miss most of them, and those that we see, we do not thank Him enough for.

What is the truth of the salvation of God?

*****Psa 106:8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

When we do not acknowledge what God has already done for us, He certainly has no reason to continue to do things for us.

When God can find no reason for His mercy, there is always a reason for His glory to shine!

Israel did not deserve to be saved but Pharaoh’s pride certainly deserved to be crushed because he was making himself out to be some god.

Today we are no different, we certainly do not deserve to see the “mercy” of God but Satan still deserves to be punished for rejecting the Almighty God.

God will have His mercy but God will also show forth the Glory of His power when He so desires for His Own Names Sake!

*****Psa 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
Psa 106:10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
Psa 106:11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
Psa 106:12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

There are many theories about what happened at the Red Sea as Israel escaped an evil Pharaoh but the bottom line is that the Red Sea heard the voice of God and obeyed!

God will not allow any obstacle to hinder the salvation of His people. God is bound only by His Own Word to keep His covenants!

God promised Israel a future land, the covenant with Abraham.

God promised Israel the Kingdom rule of the Messiah, the covenant with David.

God promised Israel spiritual blessings, the New Covenant as written in the Book of Jeremiah.

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

God will always save Israel from those that hate them and God will always redeem Israel from the hand of their enemy until these covenants are fulfilled.

God is God and He must hold true to all His character!

When God pledged this truth beginning with Abraham, then He also pledged the fulfilling of His covenants to the Church.

If God breaks one covenant then He could break them all, if God keeps one covenant then He must keep them all!

What did Jesus say?

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Those who do not believe the truth of God are by God’s own words, the followers of Satan.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

What happened to the enemies of Israel at the Red Sea?

The waters covered them in death and not even one of them was left to tell about it.

It took the death of Pharaoh and his army before these children of Israel believed the Word of God.

They had already witnessed the plagues of Egypt.

They had already witnessed the first Passover.

They had walked across the Red Sea on dry ground, but it took the death of Pharaoh before they would believe.

That little bit of faith had saved them but doubt would soon rule in their lives!

Those that cannot believe the “truth” of God’s Word until they see some miracle are not believers at all!

This is not what “Faith” is is all about!

They sang His praise but only because they had escaped death themselves.

Their praise came up short when it ended in complaints!

*****Psa 106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
Psa 106:14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
Psa 106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
Psa 106:16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

We can see that the lust to fulfill their own desires did not allow much time to praise the Lord God Almighty who had performed such miracles before their eyes and brought them to safety.

God had commanded these miracles by His Word just as God had spoke all His creation into existence but these people could not take the time to listen to what Moses had to say, whose councilor was God.

In the wilderness, this new nation of Israel was so intent on getting material things such as food and water they became blind to what God wanted for them.

God had provided all their needs up to this point, why would they think God would stop doing so day by day.

How often do we see this same thing. A lost soul attempts to receive the free gift of salvation and then refuses to see what the Word of God says about walking a Christian life.

Most all the world we live in today are more concerned about personal satisfaction in the things of this world, than spiritual satisfaction that can last throughout eternity!

What is the worst prayer that will sometimes be answered?

It is when we complain enough to God that He gives us what we want, even though He knows it is not good for us to have!

When we do not get what we want, it is because God knows what is best for us!

Instead of happily receiving the “Manna” from Heaven, Israel received the meat of birds which they soon despised.

Num 11:19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
Num 11:20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

It was their own lust for the things of this world that brought on another plague that killed many of them!

Num 11:33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

These people were not satisfied with the bread that God gave them which indeed nourished them for 40 years and they could not be satisfied when they could eat all they wanted of the things they most desired.

This will always bring the wrath of God!

We can see this lesson spiritually if we remember what God says in His Word.

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

When our prayers focus on physical desires rather than spiritual desires, they will go unanswered and we will begin to doubt God and we will waste away physically and spiritually even being of no use to God.

What happened to these Jews will happen to us all.

Notice they even became envious of those God had chosen to lead them and they began to rebel against Moses and Aaron.

These things will always lead to death!

*****Psa 106:17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
Psa 106:18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
Psa 106:19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
Psa 106:20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
Psa 106:21 They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
Psa 106:22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

If there is a place where we can see the end of God’s patience in the Bible, then this is the place.

God had opened wide the Red Sea to deliver His people and God now opened wide the earth and those that rebelled the most went alive, straight to eternal death into the pit that is called Hell.

Not only that, the Levites that stood with Korah perished by fire because they had offered strange fire in the Tabernacle.

When the Tabernacle was first built, the fire in the altar was used to consume the burnt offerings and the incense. The fire was to be kept burning. They were not to ever put that fire out nor allow that fire to go out on it’s own.

To put the fire out was disobedience, to allow the fire to go out was laziness in serving God.

This showed that there was never a time that they would not need to be forgiven of their sin.

This fire was to be started by friction. If a fire was started by any other means such as bringing fire from the outside it was considered “strange fire” and therefore unholy.

Lev 10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
Lev 10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

The altar of the Tabernacle was the one and only place that sacrifices were to be offered and is in fact a “type of Jesus Christ and the Cross.

God had said that if anyone offers a sacrifice and not bring it to the altar of the Tabernacle then the blood of that person would be cut off from among his people.

You see the lesson we must see is that any substitute of the Cross, God’s Altar, other than Jesus Christ will surely bring eternal death!

There can be no other means of salvation!

Not only that, but in the very place where they had solemnly pledged themselves to obey the Lord they broke the first commandment of God.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

While insisting that they would worship the one and only true God they danced and played before some hand-made symbol of a god of Egypt.

They had forgotten their Savior!

And for those that doubt the truth of the flood, God makes sure that we know that Egypt was settled by Ham, the son of Noah.

Egypt is also the Mizraim of the Bible.

The patience of God was wearing thin again with all these things.

*****Psa 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

God had already brought leanness to their souls for their lust of physical things.

God had weeded out the those that rebelled against His chosen prophet Moses and His first High Priest Aaron.

God had removed those that had brought “strange fire” onto the Altar, a type of Calvary’s Cross.

God had decided unless someone would stand in the gap for them, He would destroy them.

Moses was born in a time when Pharaoh had ordered the death of all the Hebrew male babies.

Jesus was born in the time when Herod murdered all the male babies of Bethlehem up to the age of 2 years.

Moses at 40 years old, sacrificed his adopted royalty.

And Christ, being in the form of God left Heaven and became the humble servant of God.

For 40 years Moses dwelt as a lowly shepherd in the land of Midian.

For 33 years the Lord Jesus was a lowly shepherd teaching His flock how to begin the Church.

Moses delivered the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt.

The Lord Jesus delivers all faithful believers in this entire world.

Moses became a great mediator between God and Israel and turned away God’s wrath.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the Church.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

But there will always be those that just refuse to believe!

*****Psa 106:24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
Psa 106:25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.

These murmuring and complaining Israelites decided that the Promised Land just was not worth the trouble to get there!

It is a bad sign for any Christian to lose his focus on Heaven!

When the things of this world begin to look better than God’s promises then we are perverting the Word of God.

Perverting means we are turning from right to wrong.

These verses give us a great example of what happens when we begin to despise the Word of God.

If we ever settle in our hearts, that Heaven is not what God days it is, then we are also despising the Word of God.

When we reject what God has to say, God will remove His hand of blessing.

*****Psa 106:26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
Psa 106:27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

God did not allow those that of that generation, from 20 years old and upward to enter into Canaan Land, the Promised Land of God to the Jews. Their carcasses fell in the wilderness.

Only Caleb and Joshua and those under 20 years old were allowed into the Promised Land but as God has promised even the seed of all those that rejected the Word of God have been scattered throughout history throughout all the lands of this Earth.

Only since May 14, 1948 have the Jews been allowed to regather in the land promised to them of God.

This maybe the greatest noticeable sign in our own history that we are in the end-times or the latter days as written in the Bible.

Those that rejected the truth of the Promised Land died in the wilderness. The seed of those that died because they never changed their ways were allowed to cross Jordan but they never got the opportunity to make the Promised Land their permanent home.

There are still more Jews scattered throughout this world than there are those who have returned to their homeland!

Why?

*****Psa 106:28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
Psa 106:29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

As we witness for the Lord, many of those who are lost and just cannot fathom salvation, may be convinced of their own sin. They may go through one trial just to begin another.

We may threaten them with Hell and even though we point them to Jesus, they continue to travel the same path to destruction.

Baalpeor was an idol of the Moabites.

The name Baal signifies lord or master and was a common name for idols of many nations.

Peor was a high place of worship of the Moabites.

God says: Hos 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

You see if we choose a false way of worship, we have chosen a false god!

It does not matter if we say we Love the Lord, if we cannot worship Him the way He has said, we are worshipping a false god.

This is still the problem with the Jew as they reject the Holy Trinity.

This still the problem with the Muslim as they reject the Holy Trinity.

This is still the problem with all false religion because they reject the worship of the Holy Trinity.

The Moab women gave themselves as sex objects to their false god and the men of Israel were enticed into this false worship.

Num 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

Sacrifices were made to lifeless statues of gold covered wood or stone or the precious metals themselves and Israel would then eat of that sacrifice.

Num 25:2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

Those who will not commit themselves to the true Living God will always look to this world to provide them a false god more suitable to their taste.

Those that reject the Word of God, will always seek some perverted version that meets their own requirements!

Num 25:3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

If you call yourself a child of God and then not worship Him as He decides, God will become angry.

When mankind invents new sins, God will also invent new punishments!

*****Psa 106:30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
Psa 106:31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

All during our study of the Old Testament we see that God had His champions who always stood up in the worst of times ready to battle for the truth of God.

Today in the Church Age God has given us all something to do. We are all to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just like Phinehas, we are in a war with evil and God says we must take our stand on His Word of Truth!

Phinehas took a stand when those of false worship tried to bring false worship into the house of God.

Num 25:6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 25:7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
Num 25:8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

In that day it took drastic actions to not allow false worship inside the Church but we have become very lax in this today.

But God does not change and He still commands us to take a stand on the truth.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

What was Phinehas’s reward? It was counted unto him for righteousness throughout eternity!

But Israel continued in their sinful ways.

*****Psa 106:32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
Psa 106:33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

The scene changes, God continues to provide, but sin also continues.

God still held on to His patience but Moses had run out of patience.

Moses was only a man and not God!

It was the sin of Israel that had angered Moses but Moses still had to bear the consequences of His own actions.

Num 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

It does not matter how much this world provokes us, there is never an excuse to go against the Word of God!

God will still hold us accountable if we lose our temper and do things we know we should not do!

Patience is a quality that we as men truly have a hard time with.

Moses was the great law-giver and he was held to a higher standard than others if he broke God’s law.

As Christians we are also held to a higher standard than those that are lost!

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Even though the true believer cannot lose their salvation, we will all be held accountable for any action that goes against the Word of God especially those actions that are before the lost.

We cannot speak unadvisedly with our lips!

We are all to obey the Word of God without question, even when we do not understand why!

*****Psa 106:34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:
Psa 106:35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

We absolutely cannot make peace with evil. This holds true in Christianity and it should also hold true in this world we live in now!

The sin of those that dwelt in Canaan Land had become a menace to all mankind and it was God that decided their time on this earth should cease.

There is no dialog of peace that Satan has any interest in.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But, God has not directed the Church to seek to destroy any people.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God did direct the children of Israel to do so!

Why?

When evil is allowed to live side by side with good, the good will be overwhelmed by the evil!

The morals of God’s people were compromised when they became mingled among those that were heathen.

1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

We are to love our enemies and tell them about Jesus, but we are never to do the things that they do!

What did this cause?

*****Psa 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Psa 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Psa 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

The world of today still serves it’s idols just as those that rejected God in the days of Israel conquest of Canaan Land.

Every commandment God gives us has a specific purpose behind it!

When Israel failed it caused her children to fail!

When we become fascinated by the charms of idolatry our families will always suffer!

When we compromise with the world we are putting the things of this world ahead of the Word of God and that is idolatry and we will serve those things!

These Jews did actually sacrifice there own children to those false gods.

Today as believers compromise with the teachings of the world, our children get caught up in evolutionary teaching and we will have done the same as these Jews and sacrificed our sons and our daughters to devils.

We cannot be servants of sin without trapping ourselves and our families in sin!

We will be just as guilty as these Jews in murdering our own children and no different than those who abort their own children!

The Church is the “Bride of Christ” but when we serve Satan, we are no more than a whore who will cheat on her husband!

When we serve Satan we will always invent some new god or some new thing to worship.

Satan is dead set on destroying the family and when we serve him, we are are helping him destroy our own families!

Certainly God does not like such things.

*****Psa 106:40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Psa 106:41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Psa 106:42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

God allowed trouble to come to His people but this was done in order for Him to return to help them and reopen their eyes to the truth.

Our troubles are helpful when they humble us back to our knees and sometimes in takes a lot of trouble to humble us.

Our troubles show us who is in charge of this world and drive us back to God. Sometimes God will even have to put us on our backs so the only place to look is up toward Him!

Our troubles will revitalize our prayer life if we allow it.

Our troubles will increase our faith.

Our troubles will make us more dependant on the true God.

Our troubles will point out that the same thing is happening to others and prepare us to help them through their troubles.

But we are still a hardheaded and rebellious people just as these Jews.

*****Psa 106:43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

The Apostle Paul said the Old Testament was our school master to lead us to Jesus.

If we do not learn anything else we can learn of the patience of God in dealing with those that say they believe.

We cannot allow our own self will to be our counselor!

What did Paul find out as He preached the “Gospel” to the early church?

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

What do we see today in our world? We see a people that are brought low because of their own iniquity!

How patient is our God?

*****Psa 106:44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:
Psa 106:45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

If God’s faithfulness to us was limited to our faithfulness to Him we would all perish in that “Burning Lake of Fire!

But God faithfulness is only linked to the faithfulness of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ and therefore God will always answer when we call.

Our Father in Heaven has a father’s heart and will always respond to His children and will always look upon us with compassion and mercy!

God’s wrath for our mistakes cannot extend past His love for us because of His Son Christ Jesus!

*****Psa 106:46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

Even as the Jews were carried off to be dispersed throughout this entire world, in most every case, God would see that their enemy had compassion upon them.

Though we are yet sinners God will have compassion upon all His children!

God will appoint someone to help us out of troubles!

*****Psa 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
Psa 106:48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

God will answer this prayer of David because He has made a promised covenant to do so!

Eze 39:26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
Eze 39:27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
Eze 39:28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
Eze 39:29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

This prophesy began it’s fulfillment on May 14, 1948 but will not be fulfilled until The Lord Jesus Christ sits on the throne of David at the end of the 7 year tribulation period.

Our God is very patient with the plans that He has made for Israel.

Our God is very patient with the plans He has made for the Church.

Blessed be the Almighty God, Jehovah!

And let all people say, Amen!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!