28^th February ​

******EDITING REQUIRED - DO NOT PUBLISH*************

​When we are born again and give our lives to Christ, ​it is easy to fall into thinking that everything we dislike about ourselves will be automtically taken from us by Christ. If only it were that easy. 

​One of the most dangerous sin we can still harbour even after we are born again is bitterness. You can be holding onto bitterness and not know that you have it.

The Bible verse that I gave you to read everyday Ephesians 4: 31-32 says specifically

³¹ "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Its very important to understand the meaning of Bitterness. Bitterness is when you have a problem with someone or you had a problem and are holding on to it, an argument perhaps,  even with Brothers and Sisters, maybe they said something that you dont like, something that offended you.

You can have bittenrness and you don’t know you have it and that’s the definition of sin. It needs to be released we need to be rid of it.

The definition of bitterness is holding on to intense feelings, hatred, resentment or anger or to be vindictive towards someone.

Its not good. Bitterness is when we don’t forgive. We hold a grudge. And sometimes its difficult to say, "I forgive you". When people tell lies against you or don’t treat you well, anger can rise as fast as lightening inside of you.

Satan attacks even more with those in close relationships. Here, we can hold onto and feel really strong feelings of displeasure. Sadly, when we hold onto or display bittenress, there is always an injury to you either yourself or the subject of the bitterness. ​When people play with your emotions or your mind, the result is bitterness. The manifestation of bittenress is ​anger, hatred and quick temper. All of the things the Lord commands us to be free of.

That’s why the Lord warns us to get rid of bitterness. It is a danger to us. When we allow ourselves to become bitter against someone we create walls around us. They can become very difficult to overcome and can make us withdrawn and isolate us from others.

So is it bad for us as Christians to get angry? No! Anger is one of over 3000 human emotions given to us by God as a signal something is wrong. Therefore, righteous anger is acceptable as long as we don’t sin, rather, you can use authority in your anger and be firm, set strong personal boundaries and communicate the transgression clearly, but do not sin.

In Proverbs 18:19 says ​​"^​A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle." So many people get offended so easily. You can read this scripture from both perspectives. We can do something that offends others or someone does something that offends us.

Whilst it is true that an offence is an event and to feel offended is a personal choice, in common language we say that another offended us. 

If someone offends us and leaves, perhaps goes to another Church,  without dealing with the issue, that person will always carry that offence and will inevitably begin to harbour bitterness.

​Life will become very difficult because the feeling inside hardens the heart will become like a "fortified city". That’s why the Bible says it is especially true for the Married people  “Husbands love your wives and do not be bitter against them. Colossians 3:19. ​​Hebrews 12:15 "^​Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

​You Sow What You Reap

If you sow wrongly you will reap wrongly. In the old testament, Deuteronomy 29:18 Make sure that there is no root among you that produces bitter poison.

[Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;]

This scripture is very important. Make sure there is no root among you!!! And if we encounter somebody displaying signs of bitterness, we need to speak to them in love so that he or she may repent.

James 3:14 “​^​But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

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I know that when someone is jealous, they will harbour bitterness, envy or selfishness and it will stay in their heart and flourish with bad flowers. Jealousy bring division, bitterness and jealousy make people do crazy things. That’s why Bible says get rid of jealousy. It is not good. We can be jealous for our spouse at a healthy level but not a deep jealousy “where is he”? What is he doing? Where have you been? Where did you go?

We cannot carry bitterness but should replace it will love kindness and forgiveness. PROV 17:9 (Page 460). “He who covers over an offence promotes love but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends”.

We can cover offences but if we repeat offences, eventually it will bring separation. Love can overcome bitterness but be careful about opening up old hurts caused by others. It is better to forgive AND forget.

Holding onto to resentments can cause you to become sick.

What Jesus said in Mathew 6:14-15 (page 656) For if you forgive man when they sin against you your heavenly father will also forgive you but if you do not forgive, He will not forgive you. You don’t have to speak to the person you are forgiving, but you can forgive and move forward. It’s important you feel peace because if you don’t have peace it is not coming from God.

Mathew 18: 23-35 One of the offences…

Ephesians 4:31-32 (Featured Below) This covers everything. We should read it. If someone has mistreated you, God’s love is always enough to forgive.

If you allow bitterness a place in your heart it will eventually come out from your mouth in murmuring and complaining. We need to eliminate and get rid of any offence. We must talk. Find unity. One goes north the other south but it must be in peace.

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