Through both, my observations and experiences of over 30 years as a Christian and over the last 20 in ministry, I have come to conclude that one of the greatest problems we have in our quest for spiritual success, health and freedom is a problem that is brought on by one, single solitary thing caused by one person and can be resolved by one person alone!

The person causing the problem is not the devil (although surely he certainly does all he can to add fuel to the fires) and the problem is not commonly thought of as sin!  Yet this thing is, without a doubt, the single greatest result of pride and produces the worst possible result in a Christian’s life - - that result being bitterness!

Bitterness is an awful malady!  It is barely noticeable at first … in fact it is usually noticed by other people before it is realized by the person who is becoming bitter!  Bitterness is a spiritual sickness that, much like a physical sickness, taints everything else that we do!

Have you ever noticed when you get one of those really nasty 24 – 48 hour viruses (you know the kind that causes you to lose fluid like substances from every possible exit route from your body), that absolutely nothing, NOTHING tastes good?  Even saltine crackers taste nasty from the vomit that keeps leaving your mouth!  To make matters worse, you get weaker and weaker because you cannot bear to take in any nourishment for not only does it taste bad; your sick body rejects it in the most violent and grotesque fashions!

In the end, bitterness is like that!  It causes everything that comes into your life to have a “nasty taste” to it and your soul rejects what is meant to nourish you!  The difference is that unlike the virus that made you sick, bitterness does not just run its course and then you get all better!  No, bitterness is far worse and it does not just get better.

The problem with bitterness is two-fold:  First, it does not come upon us all at once (like I said, it is usually barely noticeable to begin with) and second, (UNLIKE a virus that we don’t know we have been exposed to) bitterness is totally preventable, and it is totally our own fault that we become bitter!

Bitterness is really brought on by one thing:  Our refusal to follow and adhere to the Biblical practice of forgiveness!  Notice I said the BIBLICAL practice of forgiveness - - not pop-psychology’s practice or sociology’s practice or any other carnally minded formulated practice called forgiveness - - but the BIBLICAL practice of forgiveness.

In fact, I am convinced that most Christians are not willing to forgive because they have never been taught the BIBLICAL practice of forgiveness!  Now by this I mean that BOTH PARTIES necessary to the forgiveness process have not been taught the Biblical practice and principles of forgiveness.  So obviously, if one has not been taught how to do something, chances are they will never be able to do that thing correctly or completely!

Unfortunately, ignorance of how to forgive does not prevent bitterness from developing in a person’s life.  In fact, ignorance compounds the progress of bitterness because with ignorance comes the inability to stop and reverse its development! 

What is more sad is a Christian that HAS been taught the Biblical practice/process of forgiveness who either neglects or refuses to practice forgiveness in just one situation and bitterness begins to take hold and from that point on forgiveness is practiced less and less while bitterness accelerates!

If neglecting or refusing to practice forgiveness is not self-sabotage spiritually speaking then I cannot imagine what is!  In fact, other than intentional, outright rebellious sin, I can think of nothing else that a person can do to sabotage his/her own spiritual condition!  Of course, sometimes the matter of not forgiving is just that – rebellion.

Not being able to experience forgiveness for our own sins then compounds our bitterness against others because we cannot give what we do not ourselves have!  And yet, we don’t have forgiveness because we failed (for whatever reason) to forgive those who have trespassed against (wounded, hurt, offended, damaged, bruised, are indebted to, have stolen from or robbed and/or inflicted pain on) us! 

Just how is it that failure to forgive, causes bitterness?  In two main ways I think:  First, the offense never heals thus is always tender, a source of irritation/pain and never goes away.  Second and I really think this is the worst by far:  We lose our fellowship with God because we don’t experience forgiveness for our own sins and THAT will produce a sense of hopelessness like little else will!  If you take away a person’s hope, you are left with a person that becomes increasingly angry, harsh, hurtful and even violent in some way or other - - in other words, bitter!

Before moving on, let’s take a look at a couple things about forgiveness:

First:  Forgiveness is the solution to anger.  Or to say it this way, forgiveness is anger resolved.

Second:  Unforgiveness then, is anger left unresolved, or said this way, unforgiveness is unresolved anger!

CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE

In our just concluded study of The Book of Revelations we decided that perhaps, just perhaps, God meant BABYLON when He said Babylon time and again in the vision and prophecy given through John!'

Here is an article that gives weight to this probability!

Iraq Poised to Be Oil Giant and an Economic Power, Reports New York Times: Consistent with Bible Prophecy?

Courtesy of Prophezine Magazine

In April, I noted on my blog  the nation we know today as the Republic of Iraq—known variously in Scripture as Babel, Babylon, Babylonia, Mesopotamia and Shinar—will emerge as the global center of wealth, power and terrible evil in the End Times, according to Bible prophecy.

In Revelation 18, for example, we learn that Babylon will rise to become the most wealthy place on the face of the planet, and develop into an existential threat to Israel and the Jewish people, and then face divine judgment during the Tribulation. Many cynics and critics over the years have dismissed such Bible prophecies. But those who are wise should be watching for Iraq to: 1) begin rebuilding its offensive military capability; 2) begin rebuilding its economy; 3) continue rebuilding the actual ancient city of Babylon. As I explained in April, all three of these trends are actually currently underway.

Iraq—Global Economic Superpower?

Now a fascinating story in the New York Times provides fresh evidence that Iraq is poised for explosive economic growth. The article indicates that:

1.Iraqi oil production has surged from less than 2 million barrels a day in 2003-2004 to nearly 2.5 million barrels a day;

2.Next year, Iraqi officials believe they will be producing nearly 3 million barrels of oil per day;

3.In the next five years—by 2017—Iraqi officials project they will be producing upwards of 10 million barrels of oil a day, which if true would put Babylon on par with Saudi Arabia as one of the world’s oil giants.

In a world of high and rising oil prices, this means Iraq could actually become a global economic superpower by the end of the decade, which would be stunningly consistent with Bible prophecy. These are trends worth watching.

Excerpts from the Times story:

“Despite sectarian bombings and political gridlock, Iraq’s crude oil production is soaring, providing a singular bright spot for the nation’s future and relief for global oil markets as the West tightens sanctions on Iranian exports.

The increased flow and vital port improvements have produced a 20 percent jump in exports this year to nearly 2.5 million barrels of oil a day, making Iraq one of the premier producers in OPEC for the first time in decades.

Energy analysts say that the Iraqi boom—coupled with increased production in Saudi Arabia and the near total recovery of Libya’s oil industry—should cushion oil markets from price spikes and give the international community additional leverage over Iran when new sanctions take effect in July.

’Iraq helps enormously,’ said David L. Goldwyn, the former State Department coordinator for international energy affairs in the Obama administration. Even if Iraq increased its oil exports by only half of what it is projecting by next year, he said, ‘You would be replacing nearly half of the future Iranian supply potentially displaced by tighter sanctions.’

For Iraq, the resurgence of oil, which it is already pumping at rates seen only once—and briefly—since Saddam Hussein took power in 1979, is vital to its postwar success. Oil provides more than 95 percent of the government’s revenues, has enabled the building of roads and the expansion of social services, and has greatly strengthened the Shiite-led government’s hand in this ethnically divided country.

Oil has also brought its share of pitfalls for the fledgling democracy, fostering corruption and patronage, and aggravating tensions with the Kurdish minority in the north over the division of profits, a festering issue that could end up fracturing the country.

The Iraqi government says it can add an additional 400,000 barrels a day of production by next year, and it has announced a goal of producing 10 million barrels a day by 2017, which would put it in a league with Saudi Arabia….”



By Joel C. Rosenberg

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PARABLE OF THE BUCKET BRIGADE

-Author Unknown.