Adam's Words of Death (Cont.)



Complaining can block your fruit bearing and keep you from the "Promise Land."

To complain about anything is very dangerous, with one exception. That exception is when we need to pour out our hearts to God and let Him know about all of our sin. Make sure however that you frame your conversation with God about your complaints as a confession of sin, something that you are confessing that you do not like. To actually issue a complaint to God is what I am calling dangerous. It is also dangerous to complain to others. I know it may be a difficult habit to stop and I understand that not everybody is at the point of accepting everything in their lives as something that God wants them to work through. My advice is to work to stop complaining by learning to trust God at a deeper level.


Jesus.

If Jesus would have complained about bearing your sin, or being misjudged by the authorities that judged Him guilty and sentenced Him to be crucified, I submit that you and I would not be saved today. Why? Because complaining stops fruit bearing. Rather, look at Jesus' attitude.

Hebrews 12:2 b Amplified Bible says,

"He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God."


Abraham.

It is amazing that after all that Abraham (Abram) had been through that he did not complain when God told him to sacrifice Isaac.

Genesis 22:1-3 says,

“1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”


Old Testament Joseph

Old Testament Joseph never complained even through the pit, through Potiphar's house, through the prison and through all the betrayals, the testimony was always, "The Lord was with him." The result was that Joseph's overcoming bore much fruit for the Kingdom of God. He fed the nations and saved Israel.


Israel in the Wilderness.

Numbers 14:27 says,

“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.”

God had promised these Israelites who He had supernaturally led out of Egypt the Promise Land, the land of bearing fruit. However they did not enter into the promise due to their complaining.


Moses in the Wilderness.

Even Moses did not enter into the Promise Land, the land of fruit bearing, because of his complaining. He did not "hallow" God. In other words Moses did not properly represent God to the people. God wanted to give them mercy, but Moses, as a representative of God, called them "rebels," and made them think wrongfully of God.


Numbers 20:10-12 says,

“10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”

11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

12 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.””


Philippians 2:14-14 says,

“14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,

15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

Be sensitive and ask God to show you anything in your life that might block your bearing fruit for His glory, especially complaining. Just this week before modifying this chapter, God convicted me of such a sin, and in repenting and receiving forgiveness I can move on as a fruit bearer to His glory, shining His light to a lost world.