Matthew 6:15, "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Beyond this, bitterness is also a very common means for a born again believer to become spiritually defiled, that is, polluted or unclean spiritually:

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."

Notice the word 'many' in the above verse... this is a very common means for people to become defiled and open themselves up for spiritual harassment from the enemy.

Give to God the things that belong to Him

Unforgiveness is actually taking something that belongs to God, and taking matters into our own hands. God's Word tells us clearly that we should allow God to bring His wrath upon that person, and let Him have the room to repay those who wrong us:

Romans 12:19, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

Those who have wronged us will reap what they sow. If you chose to forgive somebody, they may be off your hook, but that doesn't mean they are off God's. God's Word tells us clearly that what we sow, we shall reap:

Galatians 6:7, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

 

What unforgiveness actually is

Unforgiveness is actually a form of hate against another person. If a person hates somebody, it is a sign that the person is lacking love in their heart. Why? They are not firmly rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, and Christ's love is not flowing through them. As simple as that sounds, that's how it works.

What somebody may have done against us is one thing, but if you take Satan's bait of unforgiveness to heart, it will do much more harm than they did. Do you want to continue to allow their mess to trouble you even more? Have they not done enough damage? Allowing yourself to hang onto hard feelings and become bitter is only causing your wound to become even more infected spiritually. Honestly tell yourself, what good is it doing you to hold onto the hurt and bitterness that the enemy has tried to plant within you? It is doing nothing but harm, and is holding you in bondage spiritually. The only reason you are holding onto those feelings is because it feels good inside. Don't let this fool you, bitterness is known in the Bible as spiritual poison:

Acts 8:23, "For I perceive that thou art in the gall (poison) of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."

The reason Satan wants you to hold onto that bitterness is because it is poison to your soul. Jesus said that the devil came to steal, kill and destroy. Satan wants to do just that to you. Know wonder Satan makes unforgiveness 'feel good'... he wants your soul to be poisoned!

Don't let him do this to you... stop him dead in his tracks! Release yourself from those hurt feelings, and let them go... stop holding onto those feelings, and let that poison out of your soul!

 

In too many of our churches (I am talking mainly to Black folks) we have the ancient slave mentality that says, “I don’t need to go to school to be a preacher, I got the anointing!” Well during the days of slavery and Jim Crow we didn’t have an opportunity to go to Seminary or Bible Colleges. My grandfather was a deacon and his brother was a pastor back in the days when folks only got a grade school education and had to quit because they had to help pick tobacco. My forefathers made due the best they could under harsh circumstances. Now there is NO excuse for a preacher not getting formal training! You may not be able to afford Harvard or Princeton Theological Seminary, but every denomination should have a local Bible school. Most churches today have their own Bible Institutes or Schools. When you accepted the call to preach you also accepted the call to discipleship (training). Jesus spent 3 years training His disciples for ministry. He taught them how to pray, how to cast out devils, how to lay hands on the sick, how to carry themselves, and how to make more disciples. I am disgusted at how easy it is to be ordained in our churches. Just because a brother or sister can testify loud or run their mouth doesn’t mean they are called to preach! If they are called they will be willing to be trained BEFORE being given a piece of paper ordaining them. Remember this, if the preacher is ignorant and unlearned, then the people will be too! The gospel preacher must devote his (or her) life to purity of doctrine. Paul warned Timothy to avoid fables and old wives tales. It’s very easy for preachers to get involved in the “flavor of the month” teachings.

Chaplain Mark H. Stevens. M.Min

...You May be Gettin Pimped!

1. Manipulating people into financial giving by quoting un-Biblical
formulas i.e. if you give a certain amount of money, you will receive
a 100 fold (highest possible) blessing.
2. Money lines i.e. people are placed into lines in front of the
church based on the amount of money they gave ($25, $50, $100) and
certain blessings are pronounced on these individuals with of course
the highest monetary givers receiving the largest "blessing".

3. The sale of items to accomplish a particular need in your life
i.e. various colored cloths to place under pillows bringing about
such things as mates for marriage, healing, financial gain, etc. The
sale of "holy water" that has either been specially prayed over or it
comes from some type of Holy Land water source (River Jordan) and if
you bathe it in or drink it, it will bring healing for any type of
disease. The sale of prayer cloths such as was used in the Book of
Acts in which anything or anyone you lay this cloth on will perform
what you ordain it to perform.

4. Forced words of a so-called prophetic nature whereby people are
provoked to "prophesy" because a church leader will strongly imply
God has something to say to his people. If no one speaks up, the
people are made to feel guilty and unspiritual so someone will speak
a word, obviously not from God because when God speaks, life-changing
events occur. In these cases, the words are spoken but people are
inattentive with looks of bewilderment and confusion. The same
provocation is used to induce "speaking in tongues". In this case
people in the church are either praying or speaking in tongues
supernaturally to God, or for something to occur in the spiritual
realm, however again, there are no changes that have taken place.
Again, when God is present, nothing can remain the same.
5. Manipulating the Scriptures by holding God responsible for every
Word spoken in the Bible to come true (promises) in every Christians
life regardless of the circumstances; also included is the
famous "Name it and Claim it" practice where people are strongly
urged to go out beyond their reaches and claim such things as
spouses, jobs, cars, houses, etc. The justification used is from the
Bible stating that, "You can have what you say"; "if we ask anything
in the name of Jesus it will be given to us", etc. Clearly the Name
of Jesus is being strongly manipulated and used as some type of
magical chant that as long as we are claiming things by merely
stating His name, it most assuredly will become ours and we most
assuredly Must receive whatever we ask. Truly we know that God is
Lord and Lord over His Word, that which He speaks and has spoken, is
not Lord over Him.

My observation of these occurrences did not just take place on a few
occasions, but was considered a regular part of church services that
occurred frequently. I know peoples lives that have been ruined as a
result of believing and participating in these practices. I could
state additional examples but I wanted to share enough in hopes of
your ability to share in my concern and grief over this plight. Many
Christians believe these incidences are a normal part of church
services, and cannot and do not discern the elements of witchcraft
that are involved. Many times in church services of this nature, the
preacher appears more of a magician practicing and inducing magical
occurrences than preaching the Word of God.

I am not opposed to claiming the promises of God because all of His
promises are true. However, many times and I have seen it so many
times in my years of ministry, where people are provoked to claim
things just for the asking that may not be within God's Will for
their lives or in His timing or not at all ever meant to occur in
their lives. All of us were not meant to be rich but in some
teachings that is not what is taught. It is taught that we were all
meant to be rich and this is not meaning from a spiritual standpoint
but material. People who have less were led to believe they were
living beneath the promises of God if they did not have a certain
standard of living. People were urged to go beyond their natural
means to seek things much beyond what they could ever afford without
being given any spiritual instruction or counsel. People were urged
to write checks of faith believing money was going to supernaturally
appear in their checking accounts and so many people would write
these checks and guess what?...no money came from heaven to be poured
in these accounts but instead, these people had placed themselves in
a position of "Insufficient Funds" which is a punishable crime
whereby even on my department where I am a police lieutenant, many
are arrested for this type charge. Seldom would the people be urged
to pray about these matters in seeking God's Will for these things.
Emphasis on these "things" with a monetary value were placed much
more than emphasis on spiritual matters that would bring us closer to
God such as seeking first the Kingdom of God and it's Righteousness.

I have seen people take the Scriptures, "We can have what we
say"..."Whatsoever we ask in Jesus Name He will do it"...etc. and
claim personally motivated things for their lives that fill the lust
of the flesh, lust of the eye, and pride of life. Rarely quoted in
these type settings is the Scripture, "You have not because you ask
not because when you ask it is with a selfish motive". So the other
Scriptures are taken and by verbalizing the Name of Jesus (i.e. I
claim this house in Jesus Name) we use His name like He has to obey
this type of request only because we asked for the thing in His name.
Leaders urge people to seek after these things stirring up passions
and lusts for things without even taking the spiritual temperatures
of the people. In other words, how can we think we can ask these
things of Jesus when we are not even walking after the Spirit or not
seeking first the Kingdom of God - or not presenting ourselves as
Holy Sacrifices or not living as the Temple of God - or just not
walking with God as we should. We have gotten so brain washed to
desire things that most of the desires of the heart in so many
Christians are the things of this world such as material things or
power (which are not wrong of themselves - I like nice things - I
have a police department job of power and a army reserve job of power
so whether or not I like it - I have much power with these jobs)
rather than spiritual things such as working towards an intimate
relationship with God.

An example, I have been in several very large popular television
churches where the preacher makes specific note of his Gold
Presidential Rolex Watch (approx. $20-30 thousand dollars) where it
was said that they told God to give it to them because they were the
King's kids and should have the best. What does that do for those
sitting on the pews who are wearing Timex watches or less? Another
example, a dear friend of mine claimed for herself an expensive house
and got in the house. She had put her life long savings as a down
payment on the house and had made large monthly payments on the
house. In less than a year she was laid off of her well-paying job -
lost the house because it was re-possessed. She went to a church
where the teaching was highly "pumped up", "Our Father owns cattle
and lands and is rich so that makes us rich...Go and claim your
riches".

Also people get in bondage with themselves when they sit under this
teaching having lower paying jobs - live in not so rich houses - use
public transportation etc. I have counseled people who are depressed
because they cannot figure out why God is not blessing them in this
way; what is wrong with them?; why is God keeping them at this
place?; why are they being punished?...it is a hard thing to counsel
these issues in people when they have developed a mind-set that they
should have these things and since they do not, something has to be
wrong with them. As I said, I believe and apply the promises of God
to my life every second of every day because if I could not rely on
what He said, my life may as well be over and done with. Yet I
embrace the Scripture that "He is a Rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him"...not things but Him and His rewards are whatever, however,
and whenever He chooses to bestow on us. As long as "things" are
always dangling before us, it will always be difficult to see God in
the midst of it all to want and desire Him in the way that we should.
In these last and final days, we cannot afford to place anything or
desire anything more than we do God and He will not honor it if we do
nor will He be a part of it. He is the one that said we will not have
any other gods before Him and we have made these things gods. I hope
that some understanding of what my intent is on this thoughts page
have gone forth...since I put this page up just a short time ago,
many have written who have been in that type of bondage or who have
been "turned off" from that type of teaching which they realize is a
perversion of The Word, and not the way God intended it to be taken.

With all the efforts underway to expose and educate occult practices
such as witchcraft to the Body of Christ, I would be remiss if I did
not share the type of "church" witchcraft with you that I have been a
victim of as well as counseling and helping many others who too have
been devastated as a result. As much as an advocate that I am for
exposing occult practices and witchcraft by educating Christians,
clearly I see that we need to first begin the education right in the
Houses of God for what good does it do us to be well versed in occult
practices outside of the church, and then enter into a church where
the practices, although disguised by perversion of Scriptures, are
very much alive and well.