HEED THIS CRY: “HOW LONG”?

Today’s cry is “HOW LONG?”
JESUS ASKS CHRISTIANS (HIS DISCIPLES): “HOW LONG?” Matthew 17:17
Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”
PROPHET ASKS GOD: “HOW LONG?” Habakkuk 1:2 [ The Prophet’s Question ] O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save.
GOD ASKS GOD’S PEOPLE: “HOW LONG?” Hosea 8:5 Your calf is rejected, O Samaria! My anger is aroused against them— How long until they attain to innocence?
WISE KING ASKS HIS SONS: “HOW LONG?” Proverbs 1:22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. Proverbs 6:9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
GODLY KING ASKS HIS SUBJECTS: Psalm 4:2 How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah
GOD ASKS THE PASTOR (MOSES)WHO REPRESENTED THE CONGREGATION: Exodus 16:28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? Numbers 14:11 [ Moses Intercedes for the People ] Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? Numbers 14:27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.
THE CHURCH WEARIED LEADER ASKS THE LETHARGIC CONGREGATION: Joshua 18:3 Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? (i.e. How long are you going to stay in the old man of sin and not put on the new man of righteousness?)
THE ANSWER FOR A TRULY CBORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN IS “NO LONGER”: Romans 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

FINALLY, THE PIERCING CRY OF THE MARTYRS:
Revelation 6:9-11New King James Version (NKJV)
Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

hear and obey His voice today! do not go after other 'gods'

1. ¹³ You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. ¹⁴ You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you ¹⁵ (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.
   Deuteronomy 6:13-15 Deuteronomy 6 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
2. ²⁷ the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; ²⁸ and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.
   Deuteronomy 11:27-29 (in Context) Deuteronomy 11 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
3. “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. ⁵ But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst. Deuteronomy 13 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
4. ¹³ And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. ¹⁴ So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
   Curses on Disobedience¹⁵ “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
   Deuteronomy 28:13-15 (in Context) Deuteronomy 28 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
5. ⁹ So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, ¹⁰ and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. ¹¹ Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
   1 Kings 11:9-11 (in Context) 1 Kings 11 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
6. ⁵ They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. ⁶ Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’ ⁷ Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
   Jeremiah 25:5-7 (in Context) Jeremiah 25 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
7. ¹⁴ “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father’s commandment. But although I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me. ¹⁵ I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me.  
   ¹⁶ Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me.”’
   Jeremiah 35:14-16 (in Context) Jeremiah 35 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations