SCRIPTURE
John 6:43 "Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves."
KEY STATEMENT
There are quite a few complainers in the Bible. Adam complains about his wife giving him the fruit (Genesis 3:12), and his son Cain complained in his heart about God liking his brother's sacrifice better than his (Genesis 4:6).
Among many of the reasons why the people of Israel got stuck in the wilderness turning in circle for 40 years, one of them is called MURMURINGS. This is what Paul states in 1 Corinthians 10:10
"Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer."
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT COMPLAINING?
1st thing : Not murmuring is a command from the Lord Himself.
John 6:43 "Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves."
2nd thing : The believer must do everything God wants him to do without any trace of murmuring both in his heart and in his mouth. Otherwise, he won't be blessed at all.
2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings"
1 Peter 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
3rd thing : God hears people's murmurings and judges complainers severely sometimes kill them.
Exodus 16:7 "And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what [are] we, that ye murmur against us?"
Exodus 16:12 "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God."
WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL
CONSEQUENCES OF MURMURING?
1st consequence : When Miriam (Moses' sister) complained about Moses, God's servant, she was plagued with leprosy until Moses, the one she complained about, prayed for her to be restored.
Numbers 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. [...] Numbers 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam [became] leprous, [white] as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, [she was] leprous.
2nd consequence - - When the children of Israel murmured against the Lord and against Moses, fiery serpents came out in the desert and bit the people who died there until the man they complained about prayed for the rest to be kept alive.
Numbers 21:5-6 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
3rd consequence - - Murmuring is a sin and therefore attracts curse in the life of the individual.
Numbers 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
4th consequence - - Murmuring destroys my harvest and as a matter of fact my life and my future.
Joel 1:12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, [even] all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.
5th consequence - - There is no reward and no blessing attached to whatsoever I do with murmur. Why ?
Because I do just to show openly that I do with the purpose of pleasing but my
heart is not involved.
Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Matthew 11:6 And blessed is [he], whosoever shall not be offended in me.
HOW DO I STOP MURMURING?
1ST THING : Consider that murmuring is sinning against God. Therefore repent for everytime you have murmured for the rain, for the mud, for the dust, for things around you.
Numbers 21:7 "... We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee;..."
2nd THING : Avail yourself to be a self-will obedient to the Lord and He will bless you.
John 10:18 "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
3rd THING : Decide to always rejoice and make thanksgivings your lifestyle.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice.
4th THING : When someone does something that displeases you, pray about it, ask God for wisdom, book an appointment with the person, talk to him about it. If he understands and apologizes, glory to God. If not, leave him alone and move on.
Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
5th THING : Consider that God gains nothing from you but you gain everything from God. Therefore, whatever he commands you to do is for your own advantage not for God's advantage.
Job 22:3 "[Is it] any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or [is it] gain [to him], that thou makest thy ways perfect?"
PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS AND PRAYERS
# HEAVENLY FATHER, FORGIVE AND DELIVER ME FROM MURMURING AGAINST YOU. BY YOUR MERCY AND FAVOUR, BLOW ON ME THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING AND DELIGHTFUL OBEDIENCE SO THAT I WILL BE WELL-PLEASING TO YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
# HEAVENLY FATHER, FILL ME WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM SO THAT I WILL KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH OFFENCES IN A GODLY WAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
# HEAVENLY FATHER, FILL ME WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM SO THAT I WILL KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH OFFENCES IN A GODLY WAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
# HEAVENLY FATHER, FILL ME WITH HEAVENLY AND UNSPEAKABLE JOY SO THAT I WILL NOT FALL IN THE TRAP OF MURMURING AND COMPLAINING AGAINST YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
# HEAVENLY FATHER, OPEN MY SPIRITUAL EYES SO THAT I WILL CONSIDER THAT OBEDIENCE TO YOU IS FOR MY ADVANTAGE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
# HEAVENLY FATHER, BY YOUR SPIRIT, CAUSE ME TO DO EVERYTHING YOU ASK ME TO DO (PRAYER, MEDITATION OF THE WORD, ATTENDING FELLOWSHIP, GIVING, HOSPITALITY ...) WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF GRUDGE OR COMPLAINT BUT WITH JOY UNSPEAKABLE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
SO SHALL IT BE!
JESUS IS LORD!
NAIROBI/KENYA
No comments:
Post a Comment