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Text Sermons : ~Other Speakers S-Z : Victory Over Sin : More reasons why so many fail to walk in true holiness. 2

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36. We often grumble, murmur and complain.

This is a very serious issue. This is not just some human weakness or character flaw it is SIN. God deals harshly with those who grumble, murmur or complain.

Num. 11:1 "And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp."

Num. 14:2,11-12, 26-35 "And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me. Doubtless you shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which you searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you shall know my breach of promise. I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die."

Jude 1:16 "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."

1 Cor. 10:10-11 "Do not murmur, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

Psalms 22:3 "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel."

You only magnify and make the problem worse when you grumble, murmur and complain. God dwells in your praises and thanksgivings but the devil dwells in your grumbling, murmuring and complaining.

Do not be deceived, a Christian will face many trials, temptations and tough times. God wants to use these times to make you more like Him. When you trusted God with your life, He took control of you. God WILL work anything that happens to you for His good. You must have faith and believe that God will work any circumstance or situation that you face for good. You sin, when you just grumble and complain when faced with tough times. This shows a lack of faith in God. What good is your Christianity if you respond to a tough circumstance the same way any sinner would? God uses the circumstances in your life to bring about CHANGE in you. If you grumble, you refuse the change God had in mind and become worse! You need to see, by faith, that anything that happens in your daily life God can use to make you more like Him. Look at these trials as opportunities to become more Christlike. Embrace everything with joy and thanksgiving.

Rom. 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

Rom. 14:23b "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

1 Pet. 1:6 "Be extremely happy about these things, even when you have to suffer different kinds of trouble for a little while. The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God."

James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience."

1 Pet. 4:12-13 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy."

Examine these scriptures concerning praise and thanksgiving.

Num. 14:27 "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me."

Phip. 2:14-15 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."

1 Thess. 5:18 "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Psalms 118:29 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever."

Psalms 106:1 "Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever."

Psalms 92:1 "IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE Lord, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH."

Psalms 30:4 "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."

Psalms 68:3-4 "Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rides upon the heavens by His name JAH, and rejoice before Him."

Phip. 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing (do not be anxious or worried about anything); but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God".

Psalms 116:17 "I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord."

Psalms 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

Lev. 22:29 "And when you will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will."

1 Thess. 5:16 "Rejoice evermore."

Psalms 33:1 "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright."

Psalms 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Romans 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."

Psalms 50:23 "Whoso offers praise glorifies Me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. "

Psalms 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Col. 3:17 "And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

Eph. 5:2-4 "Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."

Eph. 5:17-20 "Do not be unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Heb. 13:15 "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."

Phip. 3:1 "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe."

37. Unwilling to stay in a hard place or difficult circumstances.

Even if do you not grumble, murmur and complain you may try to escape or get away from difficult times. God is using the circumstance to bring about change in you. If you run away from hard things then God will not be able to change you. God has given you everything you need to go through and face any circumstance. You must USE the power that He has made available to you to have the victory in the tough times. God is more interested in making and conforming you into His image then removing difficult and hard circumstances.

1 Pet. 4:12-13 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy."

Paul tells the Ephesians to be strong in the Lord and stand against the trickery of the Devil. In fact, he uses the word many times in Ephesians chapter six.

Eph. 6:10-11, 13-14 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness."

Gal. 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and do not get entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

God has done for you all He can do. He gave you His Son. He gave you His Spirit. He gave you His Word. He emptied heaven and gave it to you. There is nothing more God can do. It is at this time in your Christian walk that God asks you to stand.

Many times when facing tough times you must stand. You may not want to hear this because you think God should just remove all your problems. There are some situations that can be changed directly by prayer. There are some situations that can be changed by healing or deliverance but there are other situations in which God requires you to stand.

Have you ever heard the saying, "God fixes a fix to fix you. If you fix the fix before you are fixed, He has to fix another fix to fix you?"

When you get into a situation in which God is requiring you to stand, you had better know how to stand. Panic, in the middle of a crisis, will cause you to do all kinds of stupid things. If you run away or somehow get away from the problem, then the Lord has to bring you all the way back around and sometimes, months or years later, create a similar situation until He has taught you how to stand.

38. Many are unwilling to face the truth about them self.

Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."

Jer. 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

Romans "2:3 "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith."

2 Cor. 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

Col. 1:27 "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

John 15:4-5 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing."

1 Tim. 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."

It seems that people want think that there is some good within them. Many do not want to face the fact, that not only there is nothing good within them, but they are totally rotten to the core. You must face these facts or you will never receive what God has for you. If you are a Christian then the ONLY thing Good in you is Jesus Christ. If you do not have HIM living inside you, then there is NOTHING good about you at all!! Many people try to make themselves better or to reform the flesh. This is IMPOSSIBLE!! The fact remains and WILL not change! There is NOTHING good at all in the flesh! Only when you realize that you have no strength in yourself can you be strong in Him. You must abide in Christ because without HIM you have and can do NOTHING. He is the ONLY source of life, and goodness possible. The Christian is just a fleshly container of the LIVING God and Christ. The container is nothing without the contents!!

39. Lack of prayer.

1 Tim. 2:1-4 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

1 Thes. 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."

1 Tim. 2:8 "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

Phil. 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; (Never worry about anything) but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Matt. 11:28-29 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me".

1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."

Jer. 33:3 "Call to Me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known."

Many look at prayer as some duty they must perform. Many see it like some bad tasting medicine that they must take, but they have no joy in praying. Many make it a law or required ritual that must be exercised. Prayer is a privilege and honor. We can talk with the creator of the universe who really loves us and wants to have fellowship with us. Is it hard or some duty to talk to someone you really love and enjoy? Prayer allows God to take an active part in your daily living.

God, in His desire to communicate with mankind, the objects of His love, instituted prayer. Through prayer, His primary plan is to communicate His heart with ours. His desire is that we see, understand and share His heart. This is the privilege of prayer - to comprehend and agree with the heart, the desire and will of our Father!!

How sad it is and how robbed we are when we use prayer for our own limited purposes. Prayer was not intended to be simply a litany of complaints or a shopping list of desires, even though God graciously listens to these. Prayer extends to us the opportunity to know our Father. What a privilege!

1 Cor. 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rev 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Prayer is communication with God. Prayer includes listening, discussion, and giving thanks -- not just asking for things. Relationship is dependent on communication. Your relationship with the Lord, or anyone, will never grow and develop without communication. God desires your fellowship. He wants to have you spend time with Him.

Prayer is a privilege. We enjoy the presence of those who love us, especially when we also love them. God loves you more than anyone else does. When we pray we become Like Him. As we spend time focused on God, in His presence, we change into His likeness.

2 Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image."

The more time you spend around someone, the more you get to know them. You begin to know what they like and dislike, and how they think. When you spend time with the Lord in prayer, you get to know Him. Spending time with someone is the only way to build a relationship.

We need to keep God central in our life. Otherwise, we will miss His plan. Because the world system has distorted our thinking, we must renew our minds. Renewing your mind is a process that takes time. Spending time with God speeds up the process. God wants us to come to Him with all of these conversations. He is our loving Father. He wants to discuss life with us. He wants to help lead us. This is the type of prayer relationship we should have with God.

When we pray, we are acknowledging that God is in control of everything. We are addressing the sovereign creator of the universe. We believe it is His power and His power alone that controls and sustains everything. We want His complete will in our lives and in every situation and circumstance that comes our way. When we pray, we are tapping into His plan for us as it relates to His overall plan. When we pray, we are saying that we want God to flow through us in such a way that our lives and testimony will point to God Almighty! When people ask, "What makes you different?", we can answer unashamedly, "GOD!" That's why we pray. We want God to have first place in our lives, and we realize that anything we accomplish in this life can only come through His grace to us. Pretty powerful thought, don't you think?

Matt. 7:7-11 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Praying expresses our dependence on God. Prayer helps us remember that we can do nothing of significance without Him. Talking with God forces us to honestly face our situation -- for we know we cannot fool God. Prayer is a way of humbling yourself. God resists the proud but blesses the humble (James 4:6).

Prayer keeps us "connected" with God. It stops us from busy activity so we can focus on God. Time spent in prayer helps us to stay tuned-in spiritually -- remaining sensitive to God.

John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). We should not do anything without checking with God. Receiving direction from God is the greatest help you can get. If we fail to seek God's help, we are headed for trouble, because the devil sets traps to destroy us.

Prayer is the opposite of doing things by yourself. Prayer is hard on pride. Proud people do not pray much. God can do more in one minute than you can do in a lifetime. Prayer is a spiritual exercise, and strengthens you spiritually. Your prayers can change things. We have authority in our domain and can choose to invite God's involvement -- or not.

Isa. 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Luke 21:36 "Be on watch and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy and that you will have the strength to go safely through all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

Luke 22:46 "pray, lest you enter into temptation."

Ezek. 22:30 "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one."

John16:23-24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

John 14:13-14 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

Christ has delegated a certain amount of His authority in the earth to His Body, the church. Our decisions as believers -- which we can express in prayer -- make a difference in our lives and others' lives.

Mark 11:24 "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. "

2 Chron. "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Psalms 50:15 "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

40. We often want to feel sorry about ourselves or have self pity.

Some people go around and want others to feel sorry for them. Not only is this sin, but it is also sin to have any self pity. If you are a Christian, then you have Jesus Christ Himself actually living inside of you. God has already provided everything you need to truly live a holy and godly life.

2 Peter 1:3-4 "God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness and live a truly holy life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. He has given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

No matter what happens to you, it is SIN to feel sorry for yourself.

It is impossible to feel sorry for your self and give thanks at the same time.

1 Thess. 5:18 "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Hebrews 13:5b (Amplified Bible) "For God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!]"

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with you: do not be dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness."

Isa. 43:1-3 "But now thus saith the LORD that created you, and He that formed you, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior."

41. We need to learn to deal with rejection and persecution.

Christ was rejected by many people.

Luke 17:25 "But He first must suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation."

Luke 9:22 "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."

If you are a Christian then you will also face rejection and persecution

2 Cor. 12:10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

2 Tim. 3:12 "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

If you are rejected, suffer, or are persecuted for the name of Christ then be glad for this, is a sign of a godly life. You should examine yourself closely if you do not experience any of this. Christ was rejected by many people and when some people see Christ within you they will reject Him and you. If you are not being rejected or persecuted then they do not see Him.








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