Points to note about offense
1. For as long as you live in the world offenses must come
2. If you have any level of spirituality you will be offended with the aim of ruining your spirituality.
The devil generates offenses around spiritual people to break their defenses so the presence of God can leave them & make them vulnerable to destruction.
3. If you have any meaningful destiny you will be offended.
Roots of Bitterness
1. Unforgiveness stemming from human wrongdoing
2. Resentment from envy and jealousy
3. Frustration from confrontation, temptation, or delayed expectations. Can lead to being angry at those one thinks should have helped but didn't and in some cases; angry against God.
Why is Bitterness dangerous
1. It troubles the system. Destructive hormones get released into the human body.
Feelings of Bitterness, anger and depression release devastating hormones into the system.
It will cause psychosomatic illnesses. Mind-body connection illnesses e.g. ulcer, arthritis, hypertension, migraine, cancer.
If the devil wants to trap your life he organizes bitterness.
2. Bitterness attracts fruitlessness
3. Bitterness leads to wickedness and ends in curses. If you don't want to be wicked tomorrow don't be bitter today. Bitterness is the foundation for witchcraft.
4. Bitterness expedites death Job 21:25
5. Bitterness forbids pleasure (i.e. fulfilment & satisfaction in life) In 21:25
6. Bitterness brings bondage Acts 8:21-23 there are some unless and chains in people's lives that can only be removed when Bitterness is released.
7. Bitterness aborts destiny. It holds your life down in the past. Until you let go of yesterday you don't lay hold of tomorrow.
8. Bitterness antagonizes answers to prayers
9. Bitterness establishes your guilt before God. If the other person's soon is to big for you to forgive, your own sin becomes bigger in God's eyes.
10. Bitterness disconnects people from the presence of God.
Three realms where people can be bitter
1. With others
a.) It hurts your life far more than the person who offended you
b.) You are forgiven only when you have forgiven.
c.) The offender is God's responsibility to handle in judgement Like 17:1-2
d.) Human action can not frustrate divine purpose. In fact it may facilitate it.
There's nothing a man can do against you that will stop what God wants to do in your life. Some bitterness and hate can push you to become more spiritual and prayerful.
e.) God's grace is sufficient for all situations including the grace to forgive. Tell God you're struggling to forgive and ask for his help.
You don't have to be best friends with someone who wanted to kill you previously. Release and give space between you and them where necessary.
2. With self. Forgive yourself
a.) You may have experienced failure but you're not a failure. Failure is an event not a person. Some failures are actually lessons Micah 7:8
b.) You may have done terrible things in the past but you are not a terrible person because God made you in his image and redeemed you with the blood of his son which rebrands and renews you.
c.) You can't walk backwards into the future.
To focus on the past is to pass away with it. Let it remain in the past and focus on the future.
You can learn from the past to lead in the future.
Keep on moving. Don't lament what you can't amend.
Don't over celebrate success and don't over lament the failure.
d.) Don't waste the present regretting over the past and worrying over the future. Live one day at a time. Face today squarely.
e.) The best way to compensate for a regrettable past is to over deliver. Function far above average in the present and in the future. In character, in attitude, in action, over-deliver.
3. With God
a.) God did not create you to waste you but because you are needed on earth.
b.) God has great plans for your life on earth here Jeremiah 29:11
c.) God is not responsible for any adversity in your life John 10:10, James 1:13. Don't let any man say God is responsible for my problem
d.) God is faithful, reliable & dependable Psalms 89:33-35
Identify the faithfulness of God in your life so far. Things that could have been worse if not for God and appreciate him for it.
Whatever you appreciate God for multiplies in your life.
e.) You can't be angry with your helper and see his help. It is important to note that the anger of man can never initiate the action of God. You can't quarrel God into motion. James 1:20
Repent of the heart disposition of seeing God as behind your problem.
f.) Upgrade your faith in the faithfulness of God to see him at work in your life. Hebrews 11:6
Hear the testimony of others and let it convince you that God is real.
g.) Identify action steps that you need to put forth to see more of his faithfulness in your life. Mark 5:28
Finally apologize if you're the one that hurt people so you don't end up in hell
1 comment:
This is a great teaching. Very important to today's life as a Christian. Thanks and God bless you.
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