I Quit: When God’s Mightiest Servants Reached Their Breaking Point, Lost Their Courage And Discovered That Their Calling Was Stronger Than Their Discouragement

“I Quit” are two words that nearly every servant of God will be tempted to say at some point in the ministry. The Bible does not airbrush its heroes or pretend that men of faith never collapse beneath the burden. Jeremiah decided to stop preaching, Peter returned to his fishing boat, Elijah asked God to let him die, John the Baptist questioned Christ from prison, Moses could no longer carry the people, David became convinced that Saul would eventually kill him, and Paul despaired even of life. These were not weak men playing at ministry; they were mighty servants who discovered that calling does not make the flesh indestructible. The difference was not that they never reached the breaking point—it was that God met them there and refused to allow their darkest moment to become the final chapter. Christian, do you feel like quitting today? This message is for you.

“O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.” Jeremiah 20:7 (KJB)

The Bible Believers Sunday Service: I Quit

I Quit

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (KJB)

God’s calling does not make His servants immune to exhaustion, fear, disappointment, loneliness, or doubt. God sometimes allows His servants to reach the end of their own strength so they will learn to trust “in God which raiseth the dead.”

MAIN POINT: The breaking point does not have to become the quitting point.

Dispensational Note: Jeremiah and Elijah ministered to Israel under the law and the prophetic program. John the Baptist and Peter ministered in connection with Israel, Messiah, and the kingdom. Paul is our apostle and doctrinal pattern for the present Church Age. These men did not occupy the same dispensational position, but the spiritual principle remains: God’s servants are weak, but God remains faithful.

I. Jeremiah: When Faithful Preaching Brings Reproach

“O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Jeremiah 20:7-9 (KJB)

A. Jeremiah was faithful, but faithfulness did not protect him from discouragement

Jeremiah preached exactly what God told him to preach. Instead of producing repentance, his preaching produced mockery, opposition, persecution, and reproach. His discouragement was not caused by disobedience. It came while he was faithfully carrying out his calling.

B. Jeremiah allowed his circumstances to distort his perception

When Jeremiah accused the LORD of deceiving him, he was speaking out of anguish, not giving a doctrinal statement about God’s character. God had already warned Jeremiah that the people would fight against him. Jeremiah had not been deceived; he had become overwhelmed by the cost of obeying God.

C. Jeremiah attempted to resign

Jeremiah said:

• “I will not make mention of him.”
• I will not “speak any more in his name.”
• I am finished preaching.
• I will remain silent.

D. The Word would not release the prophet

Jeremiah could close his mouth, but he could not extinguish the Word burning inside him. The pain of holding back the message became greater than the pain of delivering it. Jeremiah tried to silence the message, but the message would not release the messenger.

II. Peter: When Personal Failure Makes You Go Backward

“Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” John 21:3 (KJB)

A. Peter had once appeared fearless

Peter had promised to follow Jesus even unto death. But when confronted during the Lord’s trial, Peter denied Christ three times. His confidence in himself was shattered. That’s a great starting point for the Christian, to have your self-confidence broken. You must decrease, He must increase.

B. Peter returned to something familiar

Peter did not formally say, “I quit.” Nevertheless, his actions indicate retreat. Not knowing what place remained for him, Peter returned to the occupation he had known before Jesus called him.

He could return to the boat, but he could not return to his old life as though Christ had never called him.

C. Peter’s retreat influenced other people

When Peter said, “I go a fishing,” the others answered, “We also go with thee.”

A discouraged leader rarely retreats alone. Other people are watching, and they may follow him into his withdrawal.

D. The Lord allowed Peter’s nets to remain empty

Peter had years of fishing experience, but “that night they caught nothing.” The empty nets demonstrated that Peter could accomplish nothing independently of Christ. Jesus already had fish and bread waiting on the shore. Christ did not need Peter’s catch; Peter needed Christ’s provision.

E. Christ restored Peter through love and recommissioning

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” John 21:15 (KJB)

“He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” John 21:16,17 (KJB)

Jesus did not ask Peter whether he still felt brave. Peter’s self-confidence was gone. The question was, “Lovest thou me?”

Peter’s restoration was followed by a renewed commission:

• “Feed my lambs.”
• “Feed my sheep.”
• “Follow me.”

Teaching Truth: Failure said, “Go back.” Jesus Christ said, “Follow me.”

III. Elijah: When Exhaustion Follows a Great Victory

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19:4 (KJB)

A. Elijah’s collapse came immediately after his Mount Carmel victory

Elijah had confronted 450 prophets of Baal. God had answered by fire. The people had confessed that the LORD was God.

Then one threat from Jezebel sent Elijah running.

• Yesterday, Elijah faced 450 prophets.
• Today, he was afraid of one woman.
• Yesterday, he prayed for fire to fall.
• Today, he prayed for his life to end.
• Yesterday, he stood before a nation.
• Today, he sat alone beneath a tree.

B. Great victories can be followed by dangerous emotional lows

Spiritual victory does not make the flesh indestructible. Elijah had expended tremendous physical, emotional, and spiritual energy. When the excitement ended, exhaustion, disappointment, fear, and isolation descended upon him.

C. God addressed Elijah’s physical exhaustion

“And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” 1 Kings 19:5-8 (KJB)

God did not begin by rebuking Elijah. He allowed him to sleep, provided food and water, and allowed him to sleep again. Sometimes a servant does not immediately need another sermon. He needs rest, nourishment, and time in the presence of God.

D. Discouragement distorted Elijah’s perception

“And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 1 Kings 19:10 (KJB)

Elijah felt alone, so he concluded that he was alone. But feelings are not facts.

“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18 (KJB)

Elijah saw no one. God saw seven thousand.

E. God restored Elijah in five ways

God gave Elijah:

1. Rest for his body.
2. Food for his strength.
3. Truth for his distorted perspective.
4. Work for his prophetic calling.
5. Elisha for companionship.

MAIN POINT: Elijah’s juniper tree was a terrible moment, but it was not the conclusion of his ministry.

IV. John the Baptist: When Circumstances Contradict Expectations

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Matthew 11:1-6 (KJB)

A. John had been a mighty and fearless preacher

John had publicly identified Jesus Christ:

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29 (KJB)

John had seen the Spirit descend upon Christ. He had identified Jesus as the Son of God. Yet confinement, uncertainty, and approaching death brought him to a moment of doubt.

B. John struggled to reconcile his circumstances with his preaching

John had announced:

• The coming King.
• The approaching kingdom.
• The axe laid to the root.
• The fan in Christ’s hand.
• The coming judgment by fire.

Yet Herod remained on the throne, and John remained in prison. The King had come, but John was still bound. Other people were receiving deliverance, but John’s prison door remained shut.

C. John did not understand the interval between the Advents

John belonged to Israel’s prophetic and kingdom program. He saw the prophecies concerning Messiah’s coming, His kingdom, and His judgment, but he did not yet understand the gap between the First and Second Advents or the still-unrevealed mystery of the Church Age.

The prophetic timetable was unfolding differently than John expected.

D. John took his question to the right Person

John did not send his disciples to Herod, the Pharisees, or public opinion. He sent them directly to Jesus Christ.

Faith is not the absence of painful questions. Faith takes those questions to the right Person.

E. Jesus answered John with scriptural evidence

“Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Matthew 11:4-6 (KJB)

Jesus did not explain every detail or promise that John would be released. He directed John back to the evidence of fulfilled Scripture.

The answer was essentially: Do not judge who I am by the bars surrounding you. Judge who I am by the Word of God.

F. Jesus did not define John by his weakest moment

“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11 (KJB)

John was questioning Jesus, but Jesus was not questioning John’s faithfulness. Christ knew the difference between hardened unbelief and a faithful servant suffering through a dark hour.

MAIN POINT: John’s question did not erase his calling, his courage, or his entire ministry.

V. Moses: When the Burden Becomes Too Heavy

“I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.” Numbers 11:14,15 (KJB)

A. Moses became overwhelmed by responsibility

Moses was attempting to carry the burden of the entire nation. The work truly was too heavy for one man.

B. Moses saw death as his only escape

Overwhelming pressure can narrow a person’s thinking until he can no longer see any solution except escape.

C. God provided shared responsibility

God instructed Moses to gather seventy elders. The LORD did not remove Moses from his calling; He provided other men to help carry the burden.

MAIN POINT: Sometimes the answer is not quitting the work but sharing the weight.

VI. David: When Fear Becomes Greater Than the Promise

“And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.” 1 Samuel 27:1 (KJB)

A. God had promised David the throne

Saul could not kill David without overthrowing the promise and purpose of God.

B. David listened to his heart instead of God’s promise

The verse begins, “David said in his heart.” David looked at Saul’s repeated attacks and concluded, “I shall now perish.” His circumstances appeared more powerful than God’s Word.

C. Discouragement drove David into enemy territory

When a servant stops resting in God’s promises, the world begins to look like a place of safety. David fled into the land of the Philistines because fear told him there was “nothing better.”

MAIN POINT: Discouragement causes us to calculate the future without including the faithfulness of God.

VII. Paul: When a Church-Age Servant Reaches the End of His Strength

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:” 2 Corinthians But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” 2 Corinthians 1:8,9 (KJB)

A. Paul was pressed beyond his natural ability

Paul did not say that God would never allow something beyond human strength. He said that he was “pressed out of measure, above strength.” The pressure exceeded Paul’s natural ability to endure it.

B. Paul “despaired even of life”

This was not an immature believer. This was the apostle to the Gentiles. Yet he reached a place where death appeared certain.

C. God was destroying Paul’s self-reliance

The purpose is stated plainly:

“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” 2 Corinthians 1:9 (KJB)

God brought Paul to the end of himself so that Paul would place his complete confidence in the God of resurrection.

D. Paul also experienced abandonment

“At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” 2 Timothy 4:16,17 (KJB)

Every human companion may leave, but the Lord remains.

MAIN POINT: When no man stood with Paul, the Lord stood with him. As it turned out, that was all he needed.

Spiritual Application

1. Recognize the Different Causes of Discouragement

These servants became discouraged for different reasons:

• Jeremiah: mockery and rejection.
• Peter: personal failure and shame.
• Elijah: exhaustion, fear, and isolation.
• John: confinement and unmet expectations.
• Moses: overwhelming responsibility.
• David: prolonged persecution and fear.
• Paul: suffering, pressure, and abandonment.

The cause may differ, but the temptation is the same: stop, retreat, isolate yourself, or abandon the calling.

2. Do Not Make Permanent Decisions During Temporary Collapse

Jeremiah decided never to preach again.

Peter decided to return to fishing.

Elijah asked to die.

David fled into enemy territory.

None of them was seeing clearly at that moment. Exhaustion, fear, humiliation, and loneliness are terrible counselors. Do not make a permanent decision while standing inside a temporary storm.

3. Distinguish Between Rest and Retreat

Elijah needed sleep and food. Moses needed help carrying the burden. Peter needed restoration. John needed reassurance from Scripture. Rest is not quitting. Receiving help is not weakness. Stepping back long enough to regain strength is not the same as abandoning God’s calling.

4. Do Not Turn Feelings Into Facts

Elijah felt alone, but seven thousand remained.

David felt certain that Saul would kill him, but God had promised him the throne.

John felt confused by the prison, but Jesus was still the Messiah.

Peter felt finished, but Christ still intended to use him.

Feelings are real, but they are not always reliable.

5. Return to the Word of God

Jeremiah had the Word burning inside him.

Jesus directed John to the scriptural evidence.

David needed to remember God’s promise.

Paul learned to trust the God who raises the dead.

Discouragement grows when circumstances interpret the Bible. Faith returns when the Bible interprets the circumstances.

6. Take Your Questions Directly to God

Jeremiah poured out his complaint before the LORD.

Elijah spoke honestly to God.

Moses cried unto the LORD.

John sent his question directly to Jesus.

God already knows the condition of the heart. Honest anguish brought into His presence is better than silent bitterness carried away from Him.

7. Accept God’s Provision

God may provide:

• Rest, as He did for Elijah.
• Help, as He did for Moses.
• Correction, as He did for David.
• Scriptural reassurance, as He did for John.
• Restoration, as He did for Peter.
• Strength in loneliness, as He did for Paul.
• Renewed fire for the message, as He did for Jeremiah.

Do not reject the form in which God sends His help. He knows best, let HIM do it.

8. Remember That Your Retreat Can Affect Others

When Peter said, “I go a fishing,” others followed. Leaders must remember that their responses to discouragement can influence families, churches, ministries, and younger believers. This does not mean pretending to be invincible. It means taking weakness to God before that weakness becomes a path others begin following.

9. Do Not Define a Servant by His Weakest Moment

Jeremiah was more than his complaint.

Peter was more than his denial.

Elijah was more than his juniper tree.

John was more than his prison question.

Moses was more than his frustration.

David was more than his fearful retreat.

Paul was more than the moment when he despaired even of life.

God recorded their weakness, but He did not allow their weakness to write the final chapter.

10. Understand What God Is Accomplishing

“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” 2 Corinthians 1:9 (KJB)

The ultimate purpose is the destruction of self-confidence. God does not need invincible men. There are none. He uses weak men who have learned that His grace, His Word, and His strength are sufficient.

Closing Challenge

Jeremiah tried to silence the message, but the Word burned within him.

Peter tried to return to fishing, but Jesus stood on the shore.

Elijah asked to die, but God fed him and sent him back.

John questioned Christ, but Christ answered him with the Word.

Moses wanted to escape the burden, but God sent men to help him.

David feared he would perish, but God’s promise remained unchanged.

Paul despaired even of life, but the Lord stood with him.

The common thread is not the strength of these men. The common thread is the faithfulness of their God.

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

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJB)

Final Questions

• Are you interpreting God through your circumstances, or your circumstances through the Word of God?
• Are you calling yourself alone when God still has seven thousand?
• Are you returning to old nets because of one terrible failure?
• Are you making permanent decisions while physically and emotionally exhausted?
• Are you looking at prison bars instead of the works of Christ?
• Are you trying to carry a burden God never intended you to carry alone?
• Are you trusting in yourself, or “in God which raiseth the dead”?

Final Challenge: Do not quit in the dark what God called you to do in the light. Rest if you must. Receive help when it is offered. Pour out your heart before the Lord. Return to the Word. Then arise, go back to the work, and continue in the strength which God supplies.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38,39 (KJB)

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The Secret Of The LORD Shows Us His Ways, And The Faith Of Him Secures Our Standing — One Reveals God’s Eternal Purpose While The Other Guarantees That It Cannot Fail

The secret of the LORD is not some mystical code reserved for religious elites; it is the intimate counsel of God entrusted to those who fear Him, receive His words and walk in obedience to His testimonies. The proud man may possess information about God, but the surrendered servant is taught the ways of God. Psalm 25 shows the order clearly: fear produces teachability, obedience places us in the paths of mercy and truth, and fellowship with the LORD brings understanding of His covenant and purpose. God reveals His secret to servants because revealed truth carries responsibility—we are expected to believe it, obey it and proclaim it. Welcome to the Sunday Service of the Bible Believers Church at the Bookstore!

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14 (KJB)

When God brings us into the revelation of His eternal purpose in Christ, we discover that our access, righteousness and security do not rest upon our own wavering faithfulness, but upon “the faith of him.” We believe in Jesus Christ, but we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ; our believing receives the gift, while His perfect obedience and finished work provide its unshakable foundation. Our confidence may tremble, our emotions may change and our performance may fail, but Jesus Christ cannot falter or deny Himself. The secret of the LORD reveals His purpose, and the faith of Him guarantees that purpose will be accomplished: the servant may falter, but the Saviour can never fail.

The Bible Believers Sunday Service: The Secret Of The Lord

The Secret Of The Lord

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14 (KJB)

“According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Ephesians 3:11–12 (KJB)

The LORD reveals His secret counsel to those who fear Him, receive His words and walk in obedience. But our standing, access and security before God do not rest upon the strength of our faith. They rest upon the perfect and unfailing faith of Jesus Christ. The secret reveals God’s purpose; the faith of Christ guarantees its accomplishment.

I. The Secret of the LORD Is Given to Those Who Fear Him

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” Psalm 25:9-15 (KJB)

The fear of the LORD places a man in a teachable position. God does not entrust His counsel to the proud, rebellious or self-sufficient. He teaches the person who approaches Him with reverence, humility and submission. The secret of the LORD is not occult knowledge or a hidden code. It is the privilege of understanding God’s ways, His counsel, His covenant and His purpose. Being teachable and willing to follow Him appears to be one of the LORD’s special secrets.

In the opening of Psalm 25, there are 4 requests being made in the first 7 verses.

• “Shew me” verse 4
• “Lead me” verse 5
• “teach me” verse 5
• “remember me” verse 7

Application

Before asking God to show us deeper truth, we should ask whether we are obeying the truth He has already shown us. A person who refuses God’s plain commandments should not expect illumination concerning deeper spiritual matters.

II. Obedience Places Us in the Path of Mercy and Truth

“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” Psalm 25:10 (KJB)

The secret is not merely something we hear; it is something we walk in. God’s paths become clearer as we obey His testimonies. Obedience does not earn divine revelation. Rather, obedience demonstrates that we are prepared to receive, value and act upon what God reveals.

Application

The serious Bible student must come to the Scriptures with more than curiosity. He must come with a surrendered heart:

• What does God say?
• What does God require?
• What must I believe?
• What must I change?
• What must I do?

III. God Reveals His Secret to His Servants

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7 (KJB)

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,” 2 Timothy 2:24 (KJB)

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,” Romans 1:1 (KJB)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ – James 1:1
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ – 2 Peter 1:1
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ – Jude 1:1

Before God acted in judgment, He revealed His counsel to His prophets. They were called “servants” because divine revelation always carries divine responsibility. The prophets were not given God’s secret so they could admire their own knowledge. They were commanded to proclaim what God had revealed.

Application

Whenever God gives a preacher, teacher or Bible believer understanding, that person becomes responsible for what he knows.

Truth creates accountability:

• Truth must be believed.
• Truth must be obeyed.
• Truth must be proclaimed.
• Truth must never be corrupted for personal advantage.

IV. The Secret Leads Us to God’s Eternal Purpose in Christ

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” Ephesians 3:9 (KJB)

“According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” Ephesians 3:11 (KJB)

Psalm 25 speaks in covenant language, while Ephesians 3 reveals the mystery concerning the Church, the Body of Christ. These programs must not be confused, but the spiritual principle remains: God reveals His purpose according to His own timing and to His chosen servants.

The mystery revealed through Paul was not a revised version of Israel’s prophetic program. It had been “hid in God.” It reveals the unsearchable riches of Christ and God’s eternal purpose for the Church.

Application

We must rightly divide the word of truth. Everything in the Bible is written for our learning, but not everything is written doctrinally to us.

The believer must distinguish:

• Prophecy from mystery.
• Israel from the Church.
• Covenant promises from the Body of Christ.
• The earthly kingdom from our heavenly position.

V. Our Access to God Is by the Faith of Him

“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Ephesians 3:12 (KJB)

Our access does not rest upon our feelings, performance or ability to maintain perfect confidence. We have access because we are in Jesus Christ, and that access is “by the faith of him.” Our faith may be weak, but His faith cannot weaken. Our confidence may fluctuate, but His faithfulness cannot change. Our performance may fail, but His finished work remains eternally sufficient.

Application

We do not approach God by presenting our worthiness. We approach God in the worthiness of Jesus Christ. Our boldness is not self-confidence. It is Christ-confidence.

VI. The Bible Distinguishes Our Believing From the Faith of Christ

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16 (KJB)

This verse contains both sides of the doctrine:

• “The faith of Jesus Christ” describes the divine basis of our justification.
• “We have believed in Jesus Christ” describes our personal reception of it.

Our believing is necessary, but our believing is not the meritorious work that purchases salvation. We believe on the One whose faith, obedience, blood and finished work are completely sufficient.

Application

The sinner is not told to have faith in his own faith. He is commanded to believe on Jesus Christ. Salvation does not depend upon how intensely a sinner can believe. It depends upon whether the object of his faith is the Lord Jesus Christ.

VII. The Faith of Christ Provides the Righteousness We Could Never Produce

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” Romans 3:22 (KJB)

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” Philippians 3:9 (KJB)

Salvation requires perfect righteousness. We cannot produce it, maintain it or deserve it. God therefore gives the believer His righteousness through the faith of Jesus Christ.

It is:

• Not our righteousness.
• Not the righteousness of the law.
• Not religious performance.
• Not human faithfulness.
• The righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.

Application

Stop examining yourself to determine whether you are righteous enough to remain saved. You’re not and never will be. Instead, look to Jesus Christ, in whom we have been made accepted. Our assurance rests in His righteousness, not ours.

VIII. The Faith of Christ Sustains the Believer’s Daily Life

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (KJB)

The faith of Christ is not only connected with our justification; it is also the foundation of our Christian life. Paul did not say that he lived by confidence in himself. He lived by the faith of the Son of God. Christ loved us, gave Himself for us and now lives in us.

Application

Christian living is not attempting to ‘imitate Jesus’ through human determination. Imitating Jesus is what Antichrist will do! Rather, it is the life of Christ operating through a surrendered believer.

We supply the surrendered vessel; Christ supplies the life.

IX. The Two Doctrines Come Together

The Secret of the LORD	The Faith of Him
Reveals God’s counsel	Accomplishes God’s purpose
Is with those who fear Him	Is found perfectly in Jesus Christ
Calls the servant to obedience	Gives the believer boldness and access
Shows us God’s covenant and ways	Gives us God’s righteousness
Creates responsibility	Produces security
Tells us what God is doing	Guarantees that God’s purpose cannot fail

Combined Truth

The secret of the LORD shows us that God desires surrendered servants who fear Him, obey Him and receive His counsel. The faith of Him shows us that the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose does not finally rest upon the servant’s strength—it rests upon Jesus Christ. We are called to be faithful, but we are secured by the One who cannot be unfaithful.

“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13 (KJB)

Application

Ask yourself:

1. Do I truly fear the LORD, or do I merely possess religious knowledge?
2. Am I obeying the truth God has already shown me?
3. Am I a servant whom God can trust with greater understanding?
4. Am I rightly dividing prophecy from mystery?
5. Am I trusting my feelings and performance, or the finished work of Christ?
6. Is my confidence resting in my faith, or in the faith of Him?
7. Am I using revealed truth to serve others and glorify God?

Closing Challenge

The secret of the LORD is not given so that we may become proud of what we know. It is given so that we may understand His ways, submit to His Word and faithfully serve His purpose. At the same time, we must never confuse our service with the foundation of our salvation. We fear Him, obey Him and serve Him—but our boldness, access, righteousness and security rest completely in Jesus Christ. The servant may falter, but the Saviour cannot fail. The secret is revealed to those who fear Him, and its eternal purpose is secured by the faith of Him.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

• HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Lending Unto The LORD Means Every Gift Given To The Poor, The Widow, The Fatherless And The Prisoner Is Entered Into An Eternal Account In Heaven

When the King James Bible says that showing pity to the poor is “lending unto the LORD,” it reveals an astonishing truth about Heaven’s accounting: the helpless may receive the gift, but God personally accepts responsibility for the debt. The orphan cannot repay the medicine that saved his life, the widow cannot return the food that sustained her, and the prisoner may never meet the person who placed a Bible within his reach, but none of that matters. The Lord sees every sack of rice, every gallon of clean water, every King James Bible, every prayer and every sacrificial dollar. What disappears from our hands on earth is entered into an account in Heaven, and the signature guaranteeing its repayment belongs to Almighty God.

“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” Proverbs 19:17 (KJB)

One day, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we ma finally discover what those gifts accomplished. We may meet children from Glory Fellowship Orphanage who lived because medicine arrived, families spared from disease because clean water began flowing, prisoners whose chains were broken by the word of God, and forgotten widows who knew that somebody cared. We gave what was temporary; God produced something eternal. We supplied water, food, medicine and Bibles—but the Lord transformed those things into preserved lives, answered prayers and rescued souls. That is the breathtaking promise of Proverbs 19:17 – when we help someone who has no possible way to repay us, the Lord steps forward and says, “Put it on My account—and I will pay it again.”

The Bible Believers Sunday Service: Lending Unto The Lord

Lending Unto The Lord: Heaven’s Accounting for the Widows, the Orphans, the Poor and the Prisoner

Main Text

“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” Proverbs 19:17 (KJB)

Central Truth

When we give to people who cannot repay us, the Lord places Himself on the other side of the transaction. The poor may receive the gift, but God assumes the debt—and God never forgets what He owes.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:10-12 (KJB)

I. God Personally Identifies With the Forgotten

The world measures people by their usefulness, influence and ability to return a favor. God looks especially upon those who have no influence and nothing with which to repay us.

“A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.” Psalm 68:5 (KJB)

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” Isaiah 61:1 (KJB)

Widows, orphans, the poor and prisoners are not invisible to God. He identifies Himself as their Defender. Therefore, the way we treat the helpless reveals something about the condition of our hearts toward the Lord.

Truth: God notices the people whom society overlooks.

Application: When we look into the faces of the children at Glory Fellowship Orphanage, we are looking at children whose Father and Defender is God Himself.

II. Compassion Must Become Action

Proverbs 19:17 does not merely describe someone who feels sorry for the poor. It speaks of “that which he hath given.” Biblical pity moves from the heart to the hands.

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 (KJB)

“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 3:17 (KJB)

Compassion purchased medicine. Compassion delivered fresh water. Compassion installed a 10,000-liter tank. Compassion must now help dig a permanent well.

Truth: Sympathy sees the need; empathy and compassion does something about it. Sympathy is feeling care and concern for someone else’s misfortune, Empathy is stepping into someone else’s shoes and “feeling what they feel”. Compassion is empathy combined with a proactive desire to help.

Application: We should ask, “What has God placed within my power to do?”

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (KJB)

In his Bible next to Isaiah 6:8, evangelist DL Moody wrote “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do”

III. Giving to the Helpless Is Lending Unto the LORD

Lending unto the LORD is one of the most astonishing statements in Scripture. The Lord does not say that giving to the poor is merely like lending to Him. He receives it as a personal loan made directly to Him.

The recipient is unable to repay:

• The widow has no husband to provide for her.
• The orphan has no father to defend him.
• The poor possesses nothing to return.
• The prisoner has no freedom, influence or opportunity to reward us.

That is precisely why God steps forward and says, in effect, “Put it on My account.”

“If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;” Philemon 1:17,18 (KJB)

Truth: The inability of the recipient to repay is what makes the Lord’s promise so powerful.

Application: We should not ask what these children can ever do for us. We should ask what we can do for the Lord by doing something for them.

IV. Pure Religion Remembers the Fatherless and Widows

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 (KJB)

Pure religion is more than preaching a sermon, singing a hymn or attending a service. It enters the place of affliction and brings the love of God with it. The word “visit” means far more than making a social call. It carries the idea of looking after someone, caring for that person and becoming involved in the need.

Truth: True faith reaches people where they are hurting.

Application: Our ministry to the Glory Fellowship children is not separate from preaching the gospel. It is one of the ways we demonstrate the reality of the gospel we preach.

V. Remembering Prisoners Is Part of Christian Ministry

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” Hebrews 13:3 (KJB)

A prisoner can easily become nothing more than a number. God commands us to remember that there is still a soul inside that cell.

This is why sending King James Bibles into prisons matters. A prisoner may never meet the person who paid for his Bible, but God knows who gave, who prayed, who packed the box and who made the delivery possible.

“I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” Matthew 25:36 (KJB)

Matthew 25 has its doctrinal setting connected with the nations and Christ’s return, but its words reveal the Lord’s heart toward those who are suffering and forgotten.

Truth: Walls, bars and criminal records do not place a soul beyond the reach of God.

Application: A Bible placed in a prisoner’s hands may continue producing fruit long after the giver has gone home to be with the Lord.

VI. God Keeps a Perfect Record of Every Good Work

Human beings forget. Organizations lose records. Recipients may never know our names. But Heaven’s books never lose an entry.

“Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” Ephesians 6:8 (KJB)

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 6:10 (KJB)

Notice the strength of that statement: for God to forget faithful service would be unrighteous—and God cannot be unrighteous.

Truth: Nothing done for the Lord is ever wasted, overlooked or forgotten.

Application: Even when nobody applauds, publishes a photograph or says thank you, God records the deed.

VII. The Lord’s Repayment Is Not Merely Financial

“Pay him again” should not be reduced to a promise that giving ten dollars will automatically produce twenty dollars. God is not operating a heavenly investment scheme. Charismatics like Kenneth Copeland, Jesse DuPlantis, Andrew Wommack, Alan Dideo and others  teach something called “The 100 Fold Return” and it is a blasphemous perversion of how God pays people back.

His repayment may include:

• Present provision in a time of personal need.
• Spiritual fruit credited to our heavenly account.
• Souls reached through what we supplied.
• Treasure preserved in Heaven.
• Reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
• An eternal inheritance received from the Lord.

“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” Philippians 4:17 (KJB)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5 (KJB)

Paul described giving in the language of heavenly bookkeeping. The gift left the giver’s hand on earth, but fruit was deposited into his account in Heaven.

Truth: We give something temporary, but God can return something eternal.

Application: A dollar given for medicine is quickly spent, but the love, testimony and gospel fruit produced through it may remain forever.

VIII. The Full Repayment Comes at the Judgment Seat of Christ

The Christian does not work to earn salvation. Salvation is the free gift of God, received by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. But after salvation, our service will be examined and rewarded.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJB)

“Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” 1 Corinthians 3:8 (KJB)

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23–24 (KJB)

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Lord may reveal consequences we never saw on earth:

• The child who survived because medicine was provided.
• The family spared from disease because clean water became available.
• The prisoner who was saved after receiving a King James Bible.
• The widow who continued because someone helped her through a desperate season.
• The missionary who remained on the field because someone quietly supported him.
• The generations affected because one well was drilled.

That may be part of the wonder of repayment: discovering that a seemingly small act of obedience produced an eternal harvest.

IX. The Greatest Giving Expects Nothing From the Recipient

“But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:13–14 (KJB)

“For they cannot recompense thee” is the heart of the matter. If we give only to those who can return the favor, we have conducted business. When we give to those who cannot repay us, we have acted by faith.

Truth: What the recipient cannot repay, the Lord promises to remember.

Application: The safest investment on earth may be a gift placed into the hands of someone who has absolutely no way to pay us back.

X. We Are Laying Hold on Eternal Life

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:17–19 (KJB)

Money is uncertain, but the living God is certain. Everything we retain on earth will eventually be left behind. What we give in obedience to God is transferred into an account that death cannot touch.

Truth: We cannot take earthly possessions with us, but we can send treasure ahead.

Application: The medicine, water tank and proposed well are not simply ministry expenses. They are eternal investments placed into the hands of the Lord.

What Might the LORD’s Repayment Be Like?

Imagine standing before Jesus Christ and seeing the full story for the first time!!

You see children who lived because medicine reached them in time. You see others who escaped typhoid because clean water began flowing. You meet souls who heard the gospel because their physical suffering was relieved by Christians who cared. You discover that one act of giving continued producing fruit for years after you had forgotten making it.

Then the Lord—the One who saw every sacrifice, heard every prayer and recorded every gift—rewards you for what His grace enabled you to do.

We gave money; He returns eternal treasure.
We gave water; He reveals lives preserved.
We gave Bibles; He shows us souls reached.
We helped the forgotten; He proves that He never forgot us.

Closing Challenge

The question is not merely, “How much can I afford to give?” The deeper question is, “How much do I believe the Lord’s promise?” If God truly says that helping the poor is lending directly unto Him, then no gift given in faith is lost. No act of compassion is wasted. No sacrifice is forgotten. The widow, orphan, prisoner and poor person may never repay us—but the Lord has signed His name to the debt.

And one day, perhaps much sooner than we think, the books will be opened, the hidden fruit will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus Christ will pay it all back in a currency that will last forever. Now, where will the LORD repay us for what he lent unto Him? At the Judgment Seat of Christ that will take place in Heaven following the Rapture.

“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” 1 Corinthians 3:8-14 (KJB)

It is here that God will “pay you back” for whatever you went through, whatever you spent, whatever you sacrificed and for whatever you had to give up to finish the course He gave you to do. And Christian, believe me when I tell you, that, in that day, when God is giving you your heavenly reward, your inheritance, you will find He is paying you back at a 100-1 ratio. Beyond your wildest imagination. And you will wish you had done more for His Name.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:16-18 (KJB)

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17,18 (KJB)

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

• HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB