by Jeanie | Jun 27, 2008 | Uncategorised
Hello Friend,
I hope that you are prospering in all things as God’s desire for you especially in this season. I was in a prayer meeting recently when the Spirit of the Lord said “We have the victory” and I want to encourage you regardless of what you are facing, that you walk victoriously with your head held high, talk like one who’s more than a conqueror and watch God shift things on your behalf. Amen!
We started discussing the complaining Spirit in the last journal, let’s wrap it up nicely.
Numbers 11:4-6
4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?
5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;
6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”
The Complaining Spirit – Pt 2
I found another definition of complain to be a loud low dull continuous noise which sometimes results in one making remarks or noises under their breath.
It is important that you carefully choose who you hang with. Your friends or group can build or ruin you. Here’s what Paul had to say:
1 Corinthians 15:33 (KJV)
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
I love how the International Standard Version puts it “Stop being deceived: “Wicked friends lead to evil ends”.
I’d like to imagine that from Israel’s recent experience with God. They know that God hears and answers prayer but yet they did not do this rather they “Wept again” meaning they carried on crying, lamenting and complaining. I’m talking about folks who had just repented; they were sorry for what they did. They cried unto Moses and Moses prayed to the Lord and God in His mercy quenched the fire that burnt among them (Numbers 11:2).
They were probably still in shock and also happy that God had preserved their lives but the foreign rabble who were travelling with them began to crave the good things of Egypt and they too instead of trusting the God who before now had provided manna and water from nowhere, they joined the multitude and ended up asking the most unreasonable question ever: “Who will give us meat to eat”?
They had easily forgotten all the benefits God loaded them with; they had lost their joy and resorted to complaining yet again. 
If you read further down this scripture, you’ll see that God gave them their desire in abundance but while the meat was still in their mouths; God struck them with a terrible plague and they died; what for? Complaining (Numbers 11:33).
You might be going through a very difficult time now and yes you have prayed and praised about this but nothing has happened yet; I want to encourage you not to be weary in doing good because in due season (which is now) you will reap a harvest of blessing if you don’t give up. This is your set time of favour. Your hour is now!
John 16:21(NASB)
“Whenever a woman is in labour she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.
Friend, you are due and your time of delivery is close, much closer than you thought. Your expectation will not be cut short; you will not be denied. Your desire will soon be satisfied.
I hear God say, you will remember your pain no more. Shout unto God with a voice of triumph if you believe that the battle is won and you have overcome. Rejoice!
More in this series:
Conquer and plunder 1
Conquer and plunder 2
by Jeanie | Jun 15, 2008 | Uncategorised
Dear Friend,
I am very happy that I can send you this journal today. I know that I say this almost every time but I want you to know that it’s not a cliché. I don’t know how to express what I feel when I’m preparing these journals but I know it’s real. I have missed you so much, I have missed your encouraging emails but most of all I miss sharing God’s Word with you. I can feel your prayers and intercession on my behalf. May God’s blessings continue to overflow in your life. Amen!
We’ll continue from where we left off a few weeks ago. We were learning about the geographical locations which may have influenced Israel’s actions as they journeyed and we learnt that we are to stay on course by holding tight onto the Word we received from God at the mount because those words will give us strength and courage to get through the wilderness – a dry and lonely place where we often feel uncertain of God’s presence and help.
Today, we will look at one of the behaviours or spirits that God abhors so much that He destroyed the people that demonstrated these although they were very precious to Him.
Numbers 11:1-3 (NLT)
(1). Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp.
(2). Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped.
(3). After that, the area was known as Taberah (which means “the place of burning”), because fire from the Lord had burned among them there.
The Complaining Spirit
When someone complains, they are either by their expression or impression indicating dissatisfaction with something, discontent or unhappy about a situation. From this definition, we can see that the key cause of complaints is dissatisfaction which could be translated fault finding. Stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this.
Israel, the chosen people of God began to find fault in the One who delivered them from the Pharaoh, his armies and other enemies. They found fault with their Guide who led them day and night with a pillar of cloud and fire. They were now frustrated with Him who miraculously quenched their thirst and hunger by giving them water from the rock and fed them with manna from above. They were discontent with the God who preserved their health and clothing.
Friend, this is why you and I sometimes complain – when we begin to focus on what we don’t have rather than what we do have. And to show how much God detested Israel’s behaviour, He released His fire. I’m sure you’re aware that anything that fire contacts is utterly destroyed and reduced to ashes – light particles that can be easily blown away. Are we to be afraid? Well, no but we are to be in reverential awe of God because He is still a consuming fire and this fire.
Hebrews 12:29 (ESV)
For our God is a consuming fire.
Friend, I heard a Word from God for you; I already know your pain, there is no need for you to complain, just be plain – stay pure, keep your spirit right and leave the rest to Me.
Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)
6-7Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life.
I think the above scripture summarises what we ought to do. Instead of complaining, we should pray and praise. Worry can cause you to be disappointed which may move you to complain, but when you pray and humbly make your requests known to God, He
gives you peace – He stills your spirit, instead of complaining you become silent, you’ll have no uproar, middle or low roar– You’ll have peace.
We are also encouraged to link praise to our prayers. Praise is an outward expression of your love for God. Whatever you do and call praise, has to be outwardly shown. I have tried this and it works – whenever I sense a complaining spirit coming on me, I begin to praise the name of God and that deals with the situation I am facing – I have never found myself still complaining afterwards. It works. Try it today.
I’ve never seen a prayer warrior or a ‘praiser’ that wanders – prayer warriors are plunderers and conquerors and likewise Praisers. Remember that He already knows your pain and there’s no need for you to complain, just be plain – keep your spirit right!
More in this series:
Conquer and plunder 1
Conquer and plunder 3
by Jeanie | Jun 1, 2008 | Uncategorised
Dear Friend,
Greetings to you in Jesus name. How are you doing? I trust that your faith is unwavering knowing that God loves you so much that He will not allow you to perish, and that He has heard your cry and your Deliverer is nigh.
During the early stages of the Israelites’ sojourning, they obeyed God and Moses but that is not true for the rest of their journey. What happened and why is it so? Read on and find out
HEBREWS 3: 7-12
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,‘ They shall not enter My rest.
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
God had given Israel so much and was able and willing to give them much more but they often exhibited some attitudes that didn’t please God. We’ll go through these attitudes later but a study on the regions they passed by has some insight to their behaviour.
MOUNT SINAI
This is the mount where Moses had his “burning bush” experience with God. It is also where God gave Israel His laws. It is a place of God’s presence. Sinai is that place where you remember, memorise, meditate, speak, believe and obey the Word of God because you’ve just received it and it’s fresh. At Sinai, you are full of faith, you’re not easily swayed or distracted. Stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this.
The LORD came from Mount Sinai. From Edom, he gave light to his people, and his glory was shining from Mount Paran. Thousands of his warriors were with him, and fire was at his right hand. Deuteronomy 33:2
THE WILDERNESS
This is a dry and wild region where the Israelite’s’ spent most of their time. This is a place where you begin to slack and become weak in faith, double-minded, doubtful and eventually a complainer.
Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ Exodus 14:3
Holding onto the Word you received at the Mount will strengthen you during your wilderness journey because unlike the mount where you are sure about God’s presence with you, the wilderness is lonely and deserted and only that Word you heard will sustain and help you survive it’s dry and wild nature.
Whereas Sinai is a place of revelation and clarification, the Wilderness is a place of decision and action. Remember, God had already promised His people an inheritance but because they were faint-hearted, their journey was prolonged and many’ s were terminated. They wandered while they could have conquered nations and plundered loots.
In summary, I encourage you who are on the mount to hold fast to the Word you’ve received, do not let it depart from your mouth nor your heart, recollect what you saw, rehearse what has been described to you .If you’re in the wilderness believe, speak and obey the Word you heard; decide and act on what you need to do before it becomes a reality. These little steps will help you focus on your expected end rather than your present bend which will sooner or later be made manifest. You will conquer and plunder; you will not wander in Jesus Name! Amen.
More in this series:
Conquer and plunder 2
Conquer and plunder 3
