DON’T GRUMBLE

There are two differing sources of information from which a human mind can acquire knowledge by which, a person forms a lifestyle. These two are opposite to each other and so, the mind cannot tune to both at the same time. God created us with the freedom to choose between the two, the one whose information we will apply as our knowledge on how to live our lives.  To begin with, a human mind has no knowledge of its own. So, it is from the source of one’s choice, that our minds gain knowledge and store it for use in, thinking, reacting, planning, doing and,talking, for, from the one whom a person submits to, to obey, one becomes a slave of the same, whether to obedience which leads to life, or to disobedience which leads to death-Rom.6:15-16. The today’s world (civilization) is built on one of these sources and, all of us have, or are still living according to its information-Eph.2:3.

It is a kind of knowledge that leaves those who apply it,envying, and having all their work as an effort to compete with fellowman-Ecl.4:4. Yes, every effort put in one’s doing, is aimed at, showing oneself-ability to fellow man, or, disapproving another person’s position. Even though in it, men acknowledge God as their creator and giver of life, they don’t recognize and therefore, involve him when it comes to planning and doing things. It is because, this type of knowledge is limited to the physical only, and therefore, it cannot comprehend the things of the spirit, God included because He is spirit-1 Cor.2:14; John.4:24.

Why then, would these people want to show that they acknowledge God while, they refuse to listen to his word, and instead, they each follow their evil hearts-Jerem.13:10? It is because mankind was from the word go, dissociated from his creator before he was developed to a point where he can understand God and work in a spiritual way. It begun when man accepted the lie that, he is like God, and therefore, he doesn’t need anyone to teach him; because he knows himself and the life he should live-Gen.3:4-5. For this reason, man remained ignorant as concerns God, himself, and the life he should live to excel-psalm.53:3; Rom.3:10-11.

God is spirit-John.4:24, and so is Satan-Eph.2:2. It is therefore an acceptable truth that, the physical man can neither see nor know God, or Satan, unless he receives another spirit to empower his mind, and to open it to the spiritual realm. Therefore, outside this spiritual ability, man has all through applied his freedom of choice, to determine which thought, feeling or action he should attach to God, or Satan, fulfilling the scripture; each one does according to the dictates of his own heart-Jerem.18:12. Brethren and friends, this is the basis on which the present world is built, and by which, all men (except for extremely few) live their lives.

ITS CHARACTERISTICS

Before we continue,its important for every reader to know and understand that this lifestyle is Satan’s life, for God tells us that, he( Satan) has deceived the whole world-Rev.12:9. We should also bear this one thing in mind: That, a person who deceives never does so with good intentions, but rather, is malicious, and poised to dislodge and destroy. Christ our teacher confirms this when He says, Satan is a thief and, he has come to steal and destroy-John.10:10; and that he is a liar and a murderer-John.8:44. It therefore is evident that, this type of knowledge is meant to kill those who adhere to it, a good reason why God warned Adam against choosing it, saying, if you choose it, you will surely die-Gen.2:17. The truth is; in this physical life, man is not complete.

So, he cant live by depending on himself without God, for, in the same way a branch cannot survive outside of the stem, so can’t man, outside of God-John.15:4-5. This is because, God is still in the process of creating him, and as for now, his life is strictly in God’s hands, and his breath which perpetrates his life must come from God-Job.12:10. It means, every man’s effort to live outside God is in vain-Psalm.127:1. God adds to this saying, my spirit has created man, and it is my breath that keeps him alive-Job.33:4; 34:14-15.Against this plain truth, The today’s generation is deceived to assume, how it can plan its own life which is as good as God’s life, without depending on Him-Gen.3:4-5.And because in this physical stage, man must depend on some help from without, and he has rejected the only source of help which is His creator, then he has turned to his own little God-given strength, wealth, and fellowmen.

With everybody assuming to be like God, and at the same time, having to depend on each other and materialism, this kind of arrangement has brought a life of strife and competition among them. The results are the chaotic communities in the today’s world, for every one is demanding recognition and support, while his/her likes are different from those of the person they demand the loyalties from. So, every one is trying to impose his/her will on the other person, to a point of using force if need be, because one thinks of self as more superior( our message, “Classes of men”, has details). Friends, this is how Satan’s will is being fulfilled, with everyone oppressing his neighbor, kids despising their parents, and the base person against the noble- Isa.3:5. Surely, is this not the today’s world condition, where fighting and killing has spread everywhere, leaving a destruction that sees the survivors in a dire condition?

Is it not true that, Satan has succeeded in a great way, to kill millions, by giving them this deceitful mind which makes them behave destructively? And all these because, man has removed himself from the creation process ( our message, “ man’s creation process”, will explain in details), and from the only pathway in which life and protection belongs. God warned about the present time saying, people will be lovers of self,lovers of money, self praising, proud, insulting, disobedient, unthankful, haters, unreconciliatory, slanderers, without self-control, stubborn, betrayers……..2 Tim.3:1-4. Looking at these behaviours, its plain clear that, these people are very selfish, and careless of their fellow men. They live in this manner of life because, they neither know themselves and the life they should lead, nor do they know the God who created them- John.15:21. In the midst of all these evils, and oppression, God is instructing us to do everything without complaining, without competing, and grumbling, so that by so doing, we may be confirmed to be a people whom God is creating and teaching, who are an example of what God wants all human beings to live like- Philip.2:14. What!! Live without grumbling when everybody is mistreating us? Leave without protecting ourselves and demanding our rights? Is it really possible?

KNOW YOURSELF DIFFERENTLY

For this change of knowledge to be possible, we must first accept that we inherited a lie, and be ready to forsake it-Jerem.16:19, and like newly-born babies, we accept to learn afresh from our creator-Mat.18:2; 1 Pet.2:2, or else, it will be totally impossible to not complain and fight back, demanding what we falselly call our rights, while it is a lie. This message is for those who have, or are considering to take this change.

Now that we are those who have resolved to take the step, and have come to our creator, to learn afresh from Him for the true and right living (Heb.12:22)-Isa.2:3, let us then begin by removing every thought and knowledge from our hearts and minds, which does not come from God through His written word-Eph.4:22. So now, we ask: What is it that we need to protect, defend and, strive for with all our hearts and strength? It cant be anything else other than life, and the right knowledge that sustains it, for Christ tells us that, where one’s treasure is, there his/her heart is, and where the heart is, every effort and plan to protect it is bent there-Mat.6:21.

So, it is life, and the true knowledge on how to conserve it which should make us grumble, blame, complain and fight if necessary. So what is this life? It is what God says you and me are ( A detailed message, “Who are you?”, is available). Against what we are used to knowing about, and conducting ourselves, our creator says that, we are dust, and short-lived like grass and flowers; we are like a shadow, meaning, we are not fixed but rather in a passing kind of a process- Gen.3:19; James.4:14; Isa.40:6-7;Job.14:2-3.

It is God who created us in this temporary perishable nature. But why would God create us in this unpleasant and frightening nature? I know that, most of us will not understand, but God says that this condition, is for our good and benefit-Rom.8:28. Even though it’s a very disturbing and scaring condition, God intends it for our joy, hope-giving, and it can only be that way for those who freely accept to take what God says about us, and conduct themselves according to his instructions. So now, what does God say, is good in this weakness and, how can one be happy and rejoicing in it?

IN THE CREATOR’S HANDS

God is eternal and fulfilled in perfection. So, He lives in a glorious goodness which our finite minds cannot grasp. When he was creating us, He wanted, and up to now, wants a man who is like Him in every way-Gen.1:26. In the same way a builder begins to build by first designing, and then follows the design to construct the building, so also, God begun creating us by first designing, for He says, my eyes beheld you before I formed you; in my book were written all your parts even before they came to being-Psalm.139:16. It therefore should be understood by everyone of us that, what God is teaching us in his word, is the way He designed us, yes- is what we are.

He tells us that, this physical body and its life is the first stage in our creation process, and is a time for everyone to acquire knowledge, make a choice and train in what one chooses by which, one’s character is developed. Our only example of the stages we will undergo before we be completed, is Christ. Therefore, whoever is desirous of being created to completion, will keenly and in every way, imitate Christ, without adding or subtracting from the way He lived-1 John.2:6. We are told that, in the days of his physical life, Christ endured the cross( afflictions), and despised shame for him to be completed-Heb. 12:2. But why should he endure, and not take shame as anything to mind about?

It is because, He very well understood that, whatever makes someone to feel ashamed and see the need to defend him/herself is the flesh, which bases on a lie that, it is honorable and authoritative. He understood very well that, in this physical life, he is a creature in the creation table, being changed from one condition to another-Col.3:10. He also understood very well that, in this physical life, unless we are further created, we can do nothing to advance ourselves-John.5:30. He also understood that He has a choice to make, whether to listen to His creator, or to Satan who opposes everything the creator says- Rom.7:23. For those of us who have resolved to imitate Christ, we must be in this stage of choosing between the two voices, and practicing the one we choose as a way of developing character-  Deut. 11:26. So, where are we now? If we have truly believed God, as a people who are being taught by, or, learning from Christ, then, the knowledge we have now, which is what we are speaking, is not ours, but God’s-John.7:16.

This is because, we are in that stage of acquiring knowledge( God is writing his laws in our minds) which we apply as our hearts desires, by which practicing, the very character of God becomes our behavior-Heb.8:10-11. For this reason, our fears, worries, feeling ashamed, or concern, is not on people or the words they speak about us, but to God and His word-Isa.8:12-13; Jerem.10:1-3; Mat.10:28.  Where then is the feeling ashamed because of people’s words or ill-treatment? Yes, how do we end-up grumbling about our fellow men’s mistreatment or insults? What are we looking for in them?

 LESSONS AND TESTS

To complain to, or grumble about what people do or say about us, or even, about any trialsome circumstance, is to correct God, a thing He wonders about when He asks, who is this that turns things upside down? Can the potter be termed as the clay? Can what is being created tell the creator, ‘ you have no understanding’ -Isa.29:16? Yes, we blame and grumble about people and circumstances, while on the other side, we very well know that, no one or anything, can hinder God from doing His will-Isa.46:9-11.Why then would the most high, who has power and control over all things, allow evil happenings to overtake us ( our message, “ man’s creation process “, has details)? If we have truly accepted that we are incomplete, and that, this physical life is for training, for acquisition of knowledge and character development, then we must also have accepted that we don’t know anything about what happens to us except what god tells us about it.

Christ, our only example, and the pioneer of our faith-Heb.12:2, testifies to this when he says, a son does nothing except what he sees from his father- John.5:19. If this is the case, when we complain about circumstances or, blame somebody for our short-comings, and fear and have sorrow, who is it that teaches us to do so? Is it God? No where in the entire bible, do we hear God teaching us to fear or be afraid. So, whom are we learning from, to arrive at grumbling, fear and blames on others? We know very well that, for one to think, react and, respond to something, he/she must have heard it from some source. Christ has clearly told us how, unless he hears or sees from God, he doesn’t talk or do anything. So, do we fear, grumble and sorrow because God has taught us? Not at all.

For it is impossible for God to tell us that, all things happen for good to those whom He has chosen-Rom.8:28, and that we should count it all joy when these trials overtake us-James.1:2, as we praise and thank him for them-1 Thes.5:18, and at the same time, he tells us to fear and grumble and complain-Mal.3:6. So, it is very true that, these mistreatments, and evils we face in this life, are part of God’s ways of training and creating us to completion, for even Christ our forerunner, learned obedience( developed character) through the things He suffered- Heb.5:7-8;  assuring us of the same  course-mat.20:23.

God is confirming this truth when He tells us, remember all the way, the Lord your God led you in the wilderness….to test and know what is in your heart, whether you will obey him or not-Deut.8:2. Brethren and friends, if we have truly accepted that we are still in the hands of our creator, that He is not yet through with us, then, we should also accept that, we don’t know how He is going- about His work, and so, we can only accept what He says about everything that happens to us. Fearing, or complaining, or even blaming others is like telling God; “ you have made a mistake, or, you didn’t notice what so and so did”.

IT IS SATAN

Many of those who have turned to God and are following the footsteps of Christ, do wonder and ask; “ Why has God allowed Satan to continue being in the world, when He very well knows that, Satan’s aim is to kill if possible, all human beings? The answer to this question is the very knowledge which will enable anyone who acquires it to live without grumbling , blaming or fearing, and instead, rejoice in the Lord always-Philip.4:4; and giving thanks to Him for everything-Eph.5:20; What will we liken this physical life with? Its likened with a child who has joined school for the first time inorder to start learning. This kid doesn’t know anything, but he/she is very ready to receive what the teacher tells them.

After some lessons, the teacher gives some assessment test, to see if the kid understood what he taught. With the question, the teacher gives several answers, with only one being correct, and tells the kid to choose the correct one. Every time God teaches us his word, He allows Satan to test us with differing ideas and waits to see if we understood- Rom.7:23; Deut.30:15; 11:26.Being a people who have accepted to be in the hands of our creator, and who accepts that we are being created to be made spirits, and that God’s word is the explanation of that spiritual nature-Psalm.119:73;col.1:16; John.6:63, then, we know ourselves, or our lives in no other way except what that word tells us. So, when Satan comes with other suggestions( and he always suggests against the word), all we remember, like Christ is that, we are the word of God-Rev.19:13 ( our message, “ who are you?”, is of help).

An example: God tells us that His life( which is this word of His), is non-conditional love-Rom.13:10; 2John.1:6; 1 Cor.13:4-8. It does good regardless of what happens-Rom.7:12. It knows no negativism, whether of reaction, talk, response or doing- 1 Cor.4:12-13. With this in mind, Satan sends his agents, a people who confront us with insults, slandering, swindling us of our belongings, and despising us in every way. It is here, and being in that spirit of love, that God waits silently to see if we will respond according to what He instructs us, or not- 2 Cor.11:14-15; Judges.2:21-22.As a people who are informed, who are taught by God, what answer do we give Satan, i.e, his agents? Satan himself comes forcefully telling us to respond back with fury and outburst, to prove that “ we are  not a people to joke with”. Immediately, the voice of Christ rings in our hearts saying, love your enemy, do good to those that despitefuly use you-Mat.5:44; Rom.12:14,17,20; 1 Cor.4:12-13. What do we do? Whose voice do we obey? The answer here is personal.

Brethren, any thought, feeling, desire, talk or did, which is not the word of God is of Satan and it defends and upholds the lie about what we are, against the truth about what we really are.

IT’S THE OVERCOMER

Satan knows very well that, God is creating us for the purpose of giving us, this earth for an inheritance, once we qualify to live like Him and become spirit beings. Right now, Satan is the earth’s ruler and its god. He understands that, if we don’t learn and develop God’s way of life, we will never become spirit beings, but rather, we will surely die-Gen.2:17. Seeing and knowing this Satanic design, God sent Christ who is now warning everybody who wills, saying, be watchful, for your enemy, Satan, is like a roaring lion, seeking for somebody to devour. Therefore, remembering my words, resist him firmly in your faith-1 pet.5:8.

And concerning these neigbhours of ours whom Satan is sending to us, whom he has made his agents- 2 Cor.11:14-15, who are mistreating us as we have seen, Christ says, behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. So, be as wise as serpents and as humble as doves-Mat.10:16. Don’t fight or contend with them but rather, avoid them- 2Tim.3:5. How can it be, and is it really possible, for us to bear with one who is mistreating us, swindling and slandering us, to just let them go free, without having our feelings hurt? What did Christ our example do, which is exactly what we should do in such a case? He endured great hostility against sinners-Heb.12:3; And this, without sinning or any guile being found in his mouth. When insulted, he never insulted back-1 Pet.2:21-22.  But why should we let go and not do anything about it?

 TWO DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES

The life of this present world is built on the foundation of pride- 1 John.2:16, which is in everybody who believes in the lie that, he/she is like God-Gen.3:5. In this lie, everybody stands for one’self, demanding that, others see one as more superior and greater. Even though they talk about God, and show to acknowledge Him as their creator and giver of life, they neither recognize nor involve Him in their lives, and whatever they plan or do. And because they do this as a result of believing a lie, then, whatever they do or plan is majorly destructive( Satan’s aim).

God on the other hand has allowed them to follow their deceitful minds-Rom.1:28-31. Now, because they are an unfinished building, and they are here trying to build themselves, something which is impossible- psalm.127:1; John.15:5, what they have succeeded in doing is to defile the earth, and destroy themselves as well-Isa.24:5-6. Christ came to open the minds of men, that they may understand themselves and forsake this lie-Isa.42:6-7. In His revelation, He has taught that, we in these physical bodies, are an unfinished buildings, whose only constructor is God, and unless He furthers the construction, our efforts to do so will only demolish what He has already build, and we will perish-John.5:30;Gen.2:17.

He further revealed that, in the same way a building doesn’t advise the builder on how he should build it, so also, we cant advise God on how He should further our spiritual creation, neither can we tell him what He should use to do so-Isa.29:16; 55:7-9. As we have seen, the devil and those he has captivated, are being used by God, to examine us, to test us, for God to see if we surely know what he has taught us in Christ, and whether it is exactly what we want-Deut.8:2-3; James.1:2. Now, since we who have believed Christ don’t call ourselves anything, apart from what He tells us in His word, then, whenever our enemies confront us with their evil deeds,they only remind us of how destructive that life is and it becomes our joy to reject it by not behaving like them.

Their deeds are an awakening call on our part, and brings us closer to God as we reject their appeals and live the way of God’s word- Mat.4:4,7,9,11. This is why we rejoice in suffering, because by them, we develop patience( in obedience), and by the patience in well doing, we develop the necessary godly character- Rom.5:3-5; 2:7. And because we know that, whatever they call themselves is a lie, and their so-called knowledge is ignorance- Jerem.8:9; Rom.1:22, then, we don’t listen to their praises or despisal, nor do we take their mistreatment against them, for we know that, they don’t know what they say or do-Acts.7:60; Luke.23:34.

We also remember that, it is God who has permitted them, in order to confirm our choice, when we reject their appeals, as well as our fleshly desires to exalt self like them-Gal.5:17. Dear friends, is there any room here for grumbling, or blaming somebody? These are a people with whom we are not walking on the same pathway, neither are we associated in any way. Where do we begin, to find ourselves grumbling, or blaming them for their deeds or talks? God explicitly says very well that, to them, we are dead, and to us, they are dead too; yes- we don’t share life-Gal.6:14. Brethren, in godliness, there is no fear, sorrow, blaming, complaining, or grumbling.

Instead, there is, happiness, thankfulness in everything, and every circumstance, because it is God’s way of inscribing his knowledge in our minds and thus, developing his righteous character in us, towards the perfect beings He wants- 1 Thes.5:18; Eph.5:20. Are we now clear as to why Satan is very valuable in our right-now training, and that God is so good to us in allowing him around? Unless we are not given to understand. It is also with this in mind that any reason to grumble disappears completely, and in its place comes rejoicing and loving and forgiving.

This will not be possible to anybody who doesn’t remove the lie of Eden, and from now hence, know oneself strictly by what God says. As Christ is the word, so we also are, if we will live by the truth-1 Pet.2:4-5. AS many as do believe the true gospel, lets put ourselves in God’s hands, that He may make us the men He has in mind, after which, He will give us eternal life in His kingdom-Rom.2:7; 1 John.2:25. Its Christ in His great love, calling upon His sheep from the four corners of the world back to His fold that He may feed them with pure, and unpolluted food.