11/03/10
This continues the writing of The Disciple and Bitterness-2 by Imanuel G. Christian, October, 2010. Used by permission by author.
Last month (scroll downward to read part 1) we noted that bitterness of heart is one of the worst emotions anybody can have, especially a believer. It has far reaching and drastic consequences, not only personally, but to everybody around that person, including the whole congregation that he is a part of. This month we will note some of these consequences of bitterness. We all, of course, already know these, and so it is good to be reminded of these from time to time.
The first and major consequence of bitterness of heart is to the person himself who harbors the bitterness: loss of joy, loss of peace, and loss of quiet rest that God wants us to experience. Resentment of heart and cheerfulness of heart cannot exist together. Bitterness is like fire that rages inside a person and burns his inner being. Or, it is like acid stored up in the bottle of the heart that cannot but corrode the heart. The most damaging impact is not to the one against whom we harbor the bitterness, but to our own heart in which it is stored up.
Secondly, by our bitterness of heart, not only are we hurting our own heart, but we are also hurting God's heart. Paul commands believers, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). Here bitterness is not only listed first, but all other things in the list are the results of bitterness and grieve the Spirit of God. Actually, in the whole New Testament this is the only place where a believer's act of grieving the Spirit of God is mentioned and that is in relation to bitterness and other things related to it. Paul advises instead, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).
The third major personal loss to a believer because of harboring bitterness in his heart is broken fellowship/relationship with God. The heart that is filled with bittnerness and resentment cannot enjoy uninterrupted fellowship with God. As John says, "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth" (1 John 1:6). See also 1 John 1:9-11; 3:10-12; 411-12). Imagine going to your devotional and prayer time after having a major disagreement and quarrel with your spouse!
One of the results of broken fellowship is that our prayers are hindered. That is why the Word of God advises us to deal with bitterness before going to God in prayer or for our personal devotional time. Jesus said, "But I tell you that anone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. . . therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 522-24). Peter gives one of the consequences of a broken relationship between a husband and wife as unanswered prayers (1Peter 3:7).
Personal or individual bitterness does not remain limited to one person, but it spreads like gangrene to the whole congregation and creates an atmosphere of dissension and divisiveness. This is what the author of Hebrews calls the root of bitterness that defiles many (Hebrews 12:15). One person's bitterness defiles the whole congregation, choking the spiritual growth of everyone. The Corinthians church is an example of such divisivenesss.
Although there may be other reasons for the divisiveness in the congregation, there is only one reason for individual bitternesss; spiritual immaturity as evidenced in the Corinthian church. Paul writes to them, "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. . .For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?" (I Corinthians 3:1-3).
A spiriutally immature person is impatient, unkind, envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, keeps a record of wrongs, whereas a spiritually mature person has as a positive outlook towards others (1 Corhingans 13:4-7). Similarly Peter lists things like malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander as signs of spiritual immaturity (1 Peter 2:1). James makes it even clearer that the main reason behind bitterness and all the things that go with it is spiritual immaturity. He says, "If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heaerts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil" (James 3:14-15). On the other hand, "the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 317).
Jesus provided the best example of the remedy for bitterness. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for rightiousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1Peter 2:22-24).
Can you say with all honesty, with God who knows our hearts as your witness, that you do not harbor any bitterness or resentment towards anybody? If yes, praise the Lord! By God's grace you have acquired the key of a cheerful heart, joyful life and testimony of the Lord's work in your life.
But if no, you know what you need to do. Throw away those coals, the acid that is burning up your heart and ruining your life. Ask for forgiveness from the Lord for the bitterness you have been harboring and for strength to have genuine love and compassion for the person against whom you have been harboring bitterness. As a result, ". . whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8).
We thank Imanuel Christian for allowing us to reprint his material.
19/22/10
The following study is by Imanuel G. Christian on The Disciple
and Bitterness-I Imanuel Chrsitian writes the "A Little Bible
Study" in our Gentle Doves' magazine. If any one would
like to receive the magazine, please contact Ruth Olson
by writing her including a yearly donation good for the entire
present year. Send to: Ruth Olson Ministries, 30090 Hay
Crk. Trl., Red Wing, MN. 55066. Now for Imanuel's teaching.
The Disciple and Bitterness-I
A couple of months ago, our subject was about one of the good emotions that God wants His people to cultivate, cheerfulness of heart. This month and the next we will look at one of the bad emotions, bitterness of heart. I think bitterness of heart is one of the worst emotions that anybody, especially a believer, can have because it has many far-reaching and drastic impacts, not only on the believer personally, but also on anybody around that person, including the whole asssemby that he may be a part of.
Sometimes the word "bitterness" in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, is used for intense heart wrenching pain that a person feels while going through an overwhelmingly painful experience. Naomi, for example, felt that bitter pain. She said, "Don't call me Naomi." (pleasant), she told them. "Call me Mara (bitter), because the Almighty has made my life very bitter" (Ruth 1:20). Job experienced that "bitterness of soul" (Job 3:20). The troubles of the psalmist were "many and bitter" (Psalm 70:20). The prophet Jeremiah felt that bitterness of soul while declaring the coming destruction of Jerusalem, "How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart! Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart!" (Jeremiah 4:18-19).
In this article we are not speaking about this kind of bitterness. This is bitterness of soul that is normal and we all experience when we go through some extremely painful experiences. It is normal and not wrong at all.
But bitterness that is especially talked about in the New Testament is the bitterness of the heart that is a negative feeling of bitterness. It is a result of an angry and bitter outlook on life that is filled with resentment and attacks on others. It is diametrically opposed to the cheerfulness of heart that we talked about a couple of months ago.
There are two main kinds of bitterness of heart. One is caused by difficult circumstances or tragic events, as we mentioned above. When we are going through a tragic or difficult circumstance, it is natural to experience bitterness of soul. But sometimes this bitterness of soul can linger on and take hold of us and develop into bitterness of heart. We may grow bitter and complaining towards God as the children of Israel did during their wilderness journey. We may grow bitter towards other people, blaming them for the tragic event, or circumstance.
The best remedy for this is turning our eyes from the circumstance and focusing on God, trusting in His sovereignty and goodness. His sovereignty means nothing happens in our life that is not His good and perfect will. And His goodness means God always has a good purpose in allowing that situation, even though many, or most times, we may not be able to see that.
One of the good purposes God has in mind in allowing us to go through difficult situations, as often mentioned in the New Testament, is building up our character. Hardships in life are a form of training that God in love has determined we need for our own good and spirtual maturity. As the author of Hebrews says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11; read vv. 4-113).
Similarly, James writes, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).
Knowing this ultimate good that God has in mind in allowing difficulties in a believer's life, Paul writes these familiar words, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). Difficult circumstances can either make a believer better of bitter. God's intention is to make us better. But when we are bitter, we do not allow the Spirit of God to accomplish His plan and purpose in our lives.
The other kind of bitterness is partly related to the first kind. Because of our difficult sitation we shift from having bitterness towards God to having bitterness towards another person or other people who we, rightly or wrongly, blame for that difficult sitauion. A drunk driver, for example, caused major injuries and drastically altered your life. Or, somoeone insulted you and said some hurtful things. Or, someone took away what your were entitled to have, like a promotion at your job. Or, you organized a major event taking care of most everything, and someone else took the credit.
There is no end of situations in life that can cause major hurt; physical, emotional and many times financial. We all face major relationship problems, most times with the very people we are closest to and care the most about. This is a major cause of bitterness in the lives of most people This kind of bitterness usually lingers for a long time and eats up our heart like acid poured in a raw wound.
The best remedy for this kind of bitterness, as we all know very well, is forgiveness from our hearts, trusting God's sovereign will and good purpose to come into effect. Only because Joseph completey forgave his brothers, he could tell them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done" (Genesis 50:20).
How can we forgive? We can forgive because of the grace of God; the grace of God shown towards us in our own life and God's command to show the same grace to those who hurt us. This is what the author of Hebrews means when he says, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Hebrews 12:15). And Paul commands, "Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32).
Why do we have to forgive? Because we have no other choice! There are major consequences of lingering resentment and bitterness of heart. We will see some of those as we continue this study.
-Thanks to Imanuel Christian for the first part of this study on The Disciple and Bitterness-1. You can reach Imanuel at his website: imubhai@juno.com
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7 /30/20
Subject: Malachi 3:3 Author unknown
Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.
That week, the woman called silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to but away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy--when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Health
Did Jesus Tell Us How to Avoid Alzheimer's?
Half way throrugh His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6), Jesus tells us not to worry. In some versions of the Bible, the word anxious is used instead. Whichever word you use, worry and anxiety are both forms of stress. And you may already know that stress causes a lot of health problems. But did you know that stress actually wrecks your brain? It does! In fact, it may even cause Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists recently discovered that an overload of stress hormones can cause significant damage to the brain. It turns out thse hormones speed up the changes in your brain that lead to Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, conducted a study with genetically modified mice. They injected the animals with dexamethasone, a cortisol-like substance similar to the body's stress hormones. They gave the injections for just seven days. After the seven days, the researchers found a 60% increase in levels of beta-amyloid in the mice's brains.
Beta-amyloid is a potentially toxic protein. When the body increases production of it, it clumps together and forms plaques. Amyloid plaques are one of the two hallmark brain lesions seen in brains with Alzheimer's diesease.
The scientists also found that the levels of another protein, tau, also increased. Tau accumulation eventually leads to the formation of nerve cell tangles, the other signature lesion of Alzheimer's.
It's shocking that these stress hormones can cause so much damage in such a short period of time. But even more shocking is that the more stress-induced toxins accumulated in the brain, the more the damage progressed. The increased accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau appears to work in what the researchers called "a feedback loop," which hastens the progression of Alzheimer's. They found that the climbing levels of beta-amylod and tau led to an increase in the levels of the stress homones. These would come back to the brain and speed up the formation of more plaques and tangles. And the cycles begins again.
Obviously, the best way to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's is to reduce your stress. The best way to do this is to spend as much time in prayer and meditation on God's Word as you can. A complete dependence on God is the best way to combat stress. In Christ, there is peace, not anxiety and stress.
While thinking Godly thoughts has a dramatic effect on your health, we have to admit that, as finite people, we still do experience stress. And God has provided for this as well. He has given us ways to combat the physical effects of stress. This is in the next issue of Wisdom's Edge (R)
-Steve Kroening
Our thanks to Steve Kroening for letting us used his material. And I will diligently search for this next issue so we can continue to study.. -Ruth Olson
5/28/10
Memorial Day -from "A Family Fourth" by the Family Research Council
The observance of Memorial Day goes back to the time immediately after the Civil War. The hearts of Americans naturally yearned for a commemoration of the dead--at no time in American life had so many fathers, brothers and sons been slain. The custom of decorating war graves with wreaths and flowers developed separately in several places. For this reason, what we now know as Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. Of the towns claiming to be the original site of the observance, one, Waterloo, New York, has legally established its claim.
There is uncertainly about how May 30 came to be chosen for the date of the observance. It is fitting that Memorial Day be commenorated in the spring since it is a day when flowers are giving as a demonstration of love and respect. It may be, too, that spring evoked thoughts of resurrection that lift the hearts of Christian mourners in a land of religious freedom. Finally, the end of May had historical significance: in May, 1865, the last Confederate army surrendered, ending the fighting that had been so costly in American lives.
One of the most noted Memorial Day observances took place in 1938 at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the seventy-fifth anniversary of the great three-day battle that was the most significant of the Civil War. On that day, Presdient Franklin Roosevelt came to Gettysburg, as did hundreds of Civil War veterans, then in the nineties.
If there is one place in the nation where a truly national commemoration takes place, it is in Arlington National Cemetery. There lie entombed the Unknown Soldiers: from WWi, wwII, Korea and Vietman. Each Memorial Day the Presdient, or his representative, places a wreath on the tomb.
Who is Memorial Day for? It honors the dead, but ultimately it is for the living, teaching us the virtue and gift of gratitude. It is an annual reminder of the cost of freedom.
3/4/10
This short study is by Tiffany Ann Lewis off her Blog of 3/3/10, used with permission. Her website is: www.TiffanyAnnLewis.com, Dancing with The Flame Ministries.
The Voice of Prayer
"Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and make the hills like chaff." (Isaiah 41:15).
In this passage God is speaking of His servant whom He loved, Jacob. Jacob's family was the weakest of all the tribes of Israel. It was weak like a worm having no strength except in its mouth!
It's interesting to note that some Bible commentators link "threshing" with intercession. Through this correlation we can see that even when we feel small and weak (like a worm) there is power in our mouth as we lift up our voice in prayer.
"Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and, and does not doubt in his heart, but believe that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." (Mark 11:22b-23)
It's not about having faith in ourselves or even our belief system, it's about having faith in God. The Lord wants us to take Him at His word. Jesus goes on to say that whatever things we ask when we pray that we are to believe that we receive them. We are taught in James 4:2 that we have not because we ask not. This teaches us a necessary connection. . .opening the mouth/asking.
There is a very powerful relationship to the family of Jacob and the voice of prayer. The Jewish Sages suggest that Jacob's ladder is a metaphor for prayer noting that the Hebrew words for "ladder" sulam and "voice" kol, share an identical numerological value, and represent the voice of prayer. Now, what was the significance of this ladder? Interpretations abound yet looking at it in Hebrew it is simply staggering.
The word used here for ladder is sulam (Strong's #5551). There are other words that could have been used for stairway and ladder but here, and only here, is the word sulam used. Sulam comes from a root meaning cast up, lift up, and exalt.
Beloved, prayer is a ladder that we can climb and lift up or cast our worries and anxieties upon Him. (See 1 Peter 5:7.) That spiritual ladder is there because He care for us.
The greek word used to describe our anxieties is merimna (Strong's #3308). It comes from meiro which means "to divide," and noos, "the mind." The word denotes distractions, anxieties, burdens, and worries that literally, divide our mind.
The devil tries to mess with our mind and confuse us regarding the truth of what Jesus said. He tries to cause us to doubt because the devil knows that when we doubt God and His goodness we ultimately will lost heart.
God is FOR us and not against us. The Father's love did not withhold His son Jesus from the cross, it will provide for both our daily needs as well as our special needs. The word the Lord gave me to speak this month was "Pray always and don't lose heart." (See Luke 18:1.) Becoming convinced of the Father's love will help us not lose heart.
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3/20/10
This is a prophecy given to Judy Miron of Hugo, MN. She sends it to those whom the Holy Spirit leads her to give it to. She sent it to me and it has greatly helped me. I pray it will help you too.
Prophecy for those under emotional persecution, given to Judy 11/14/90.
Isaiah 48:10 "Behold, I have refined you but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction."
"I have had my eye upon you as you enter each new day and wonder at all what will befall you. I have behold your heart breaking, as the waves of affliction that have beat against your raft of faith. I say, you are not alone. You have not chosen to walk in deep affliction, yet I say at this time, I am allowing it for the refining of your faith. For when there is no other for you to cling to, you shall find I am near. When no other heart can fully understand the pain you bear, I can. I am here. I am sustaining you. So be brave, and know as you lift your eyes unto me, as you open your heart, and cry out unto me, I rejoice.
For truly, I love you very deeply. I have in my heart a beautiful plan for your life. So become not discouraged as at this moment every dream you hold dear to your heart seems to be crumbling. I say let your heart find new courage in me. New hope in the love I give you. Know I am in control Praise me, even when the storm's fury is intense, and there seems to be no hope for escape. Paul praised me when the ship seemed indeed doomed at one with all its passengers. Yet my eye was upon him, and did I not carry all through to safety? I love you just as deeply. My child, rest your weary head upon my bosom, and know I am your comforter. The way is now difficult, yet remember it shall not always be. You are only passing through. Though all else may change, my love for you is forever the same. I need to fill your heart with new strength.
So put your footstool here at my feet, and come into my presence and know I shall minister unto you. I am mindful of your deep sorrow, your deep anguish, and your deep fears. Come, abide in me, trust me, and know we are in this together. I shall not abandon you now. Look up and know I am carrying you. Feel my nearness, and know as you trust me the way for deliverance opens and only then can my glory become manifested."