RHEMA 2/15/14  REMOVING ROOTS OF BITTERNESS AND STRONGHOLDS

[I have been crying out to the Lord in tears over the bitter words coming from people.  I am grieved for their souls.]

Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Breach {Heb}:  Fracture, bruising, vexation.

HEARD:  A filthy mouth.

VISION:  I saw this yucky looking root that was a root of bitterness.

OVERCOMING ROOTS OF BITTERNESS AND STRONGHOLDS

We are in the days of the harvest where every seed that has been planted in our lives is coming to fruition.  The compounding issue of this truth, is that everything planted into the dna of our bloodline is also coming to fruit.  And we are the generation to face this truth, overcome this and deal with it.  HOW?

• A root of bitterness lives in the heart

• A stronghold lives in the mind

• Often people have both a root of bitterness and a stronghold

• Each are different types of captivity, but both start with un-forgiveness

• It is time to be delivered from both and God needs our cooperation

A root of bitterness is like the root ball of a plant that lives in the heart.  The seeds of a bitter root comes in at a point of trauma or wound, usually in childhood.  Throughout life’s circles, circumstances surround and compound the trauma to cause the seed to grow into a plant because un-forgiveness was fed by negative thoughts, emotions and words. 

2/15/14 HEARD:  What are you doing?  Just pour out the river of life into their bones.  Holy Spirit come.  Offer these up to the Lord, every point of trauma.  Every remembrance, melt. 

Getting rid of a bitter root is forgiving who caused a wound… was it God’s non-intervention?  Was it another’s choice that impacted your life?  Was it your reaping something you sowed?  Forgive God, forgive others, forgive yourself.  Simple let it go, don’t hang onto it any more. 

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

FORGIVE {Greek}:  to send away, forsake, lay aside, leave, let go, put away, yield up. 

TRESPASSES {Greek}:  An intentional or unintentional side-slip, lapse, deviation, error, fall, fault, offence, sin. 

Most people have a bitter root and unless they are completely defiled by its poison, they don’t realize they have one and it continues to grow unnoticed until the day it dawns upon them that something they “feel” or “say” is not in Jesus’s image - not loving, not good, and is actually sin against scripture through the way they think or speak.

HEARD 3/05/13:  Alignment.  Be fruitful.  Your tongue matters. 

Pro 18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

QUOTE BOB JONES:

www.bobjones.org

“The reason you aren’t being released in the great power of the spoken word is that you would kill one another.  You are being equipped and trained to not use your mouth for the wrong thing.  If you cant speak good of somebody, then I wouldn’t speak at all.  It’s time that we quit our slander and gossip and all these things.  If you cant talk good of somebody, then be quiet.”

Pro 31:26

She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].

{End Bob Quote}

LISTEN TO WHAT YOU SAY, ARE YOU GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Do you want intimacy with the Lord?  Do you long to draw close to His Spirit and be Spirit led?  Do you want to hear Him more?  Your words can drive intimacy away causing distress, sadness, heaviness, grief and sorrow in His heart and yours.

Ephesians 4:29-32 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.

Bitterness {Greek}: Piercing, sharp, pungent, acrid poison.

Wrath {Gk}: Passion, fierce indignation.

Anger {Gk}: Violent desire.

Evil speaking {Gk}: Abusive speech against man’s reputation, blaspheme, railing

Malice {Gk}: Badness, trouble, depraved, evil

Grieve {Gk}: distress, sadness, heaviness, grief and sorrow.

Kind {Gk}: Employed in goodness

Compassioned {Gk}: Tenderhearted, sympathetic

Forgiving {Gk}:  To grant a pardon, rescue, deliver, graciousness.

Scripture tells us to listen to what we say because what we say reveals the good or evil condition of our hearts.  I often wonder how rapidly mankind would change their speech if they understood how others perceive their blindness to being riddled with bitter un-forgiving words and anger.  Their speech reveals their hearts.  Listen to the words of a man and you know who he is.

Matthew 12:33-37 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.

Mark 7:15 There is nothing from outside a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

BITTERNESS DEFILES OTHERS

When a person speaks out of the bitter root of their heart, it defiles everyone who hears this.  Words have power and bitter words empower demons.  Demons pour out vomit and defiling filth upon those who speak and listen to bitter words coming out of people’s mouths.  Like filthy bombs, this hurls oppression, depression, negative emotions and thoughts upon all who sup at the table to bitterness.

Hebrews 12:14-15 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Defiled {Gk}  Sullied, tainted, contaminated

James 3:10-11 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

OUR WORDS SET THE COURSE OF OUR LIFE

We have a choice and can choose a good destiny. Out of the abundance of our heart, we speak many words.  What we say has the power to defile our temple or bless it.  Our words set the natural course of our body towards fiery death or abundant life.  Our words can set our health towards the destructive fire of the demonic.  Our words will justify us or condemn use.  Our words can bring sweetness to our soul and health to our my bones.  What do we want to say today?

WORD O’ GRAM:  WHAT I SPEAK

When life presses in,

How do I respond?

Am I creating life or death in

The power of my tongue?

I point my words where I want to go.

Steer a horse by its bit.

Point a ship by its rudder.

Even so the course of my body

As spoken through my mouth,

Knows the fruit of what is sown.

James 3: 3-7 NKJV

Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

THE LORD IS DEALING WITH THE SIN OF THE MOUTH

We are being called to greater levels of maturity and must heed the warnings in scripture and prophetic warnings regarding the words that come out of our mouths.  It is not enough to be warned, listen and agree. 

We have GOT to cry out to God in desperation until the bitter roots that are causing negative speech to come OUT.  It is time to repent and change.

QUOTE NEVILLE JOHNSON: 

http://www.lwa.org.au/

“Tell the people that My church is plagued with leprosy.  The Lord said He is not going to tolerate it any more in the church.  Now when God says that, He means it.  God gives times of grace and we get away with things. But there comes a time and He says no more. 

Do not speak evil of anyone.  Do not pass it on, do not gossip about.  It does not matter if it is right or it is wrong.  That is not the issue.  Don’t do it.   The words of your mouth are very powerful.  Life and death are in the power of the tongue.  If you cant say something that will bless, don’t say anything at all.  …Don’t uncover your brother’s sins.  Or God will uncover yours publically.  You either have a redemptive mouth or you will have a destructive mouth.  Very important.  God is about to deal with it in His house.”

Luke 4:22

So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.

{End Neville Quote}

EXAMPLE PRAYER FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS A BITTER ROOT:

Lord You have heard the confession of this person who has spoken bitterness, death and defilement.  You have heard their request for Your forgiveness.  And you have heard their confession of forgiving the causes of their compounded wound.

I speak to this bitter root and command it to dry up and shrivel and be pulled up and out of their heart NOW in Jesus name.  I loose this person from the bitterroot and command it to no longer live in their heart.  Thank You Lord for sending Your angels on assignment to uproot this bitterness in their soul and release them with Your delivering power.  Now pour the milk of Your Word into them and teach them how to obey scripture in how they speak.  In Jesus Name, I pray.  Amen.

Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption.

STRONGHOLDS ARE NOT ROOTS OF BITTERNESS

It is important to understand that a stronghold is not a root of bitterness.  Just like a root of bitterness, a stronghold is like the root ball of a plant, however instead of being in the heart, the root of a stronghold is embedded into the brain.  Strongholds take root in people when they judge or condemn others.  Judging is making a decision or conclusion that something or someone (including God) is wrong. 

Luke 6:36-37 Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven:

Ways of thinking, thought processes, opinions become hardened and then set.  This is called a mindset which are ways of thinking that don’t change.  Even when presented truth the mind one will argue against God and fight to hold its opinion, believing it is right and has a right to believe that way.  The way a stronghold will finally manifest is through argument and debate in a person’s speech.  They will fight to defend their way of thinking and wont listen to anything but their own opinion.

These strongholds are broken, demolished and pulverized by spiritual weapons and not anything that man can say or do to change them.  

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) 5 Casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The other night I was praying over a person whom the Lord told me had a stronghold and was believing a lie.  I received an email the next morning saying that person had a demonic dream where a spirit was trying to deceive.  The person cried out to Jesus during this and experienced a violent clash in the Spirit where the person was delivered. This was a supernatural experience and portrayal of what it is like to be delivered from a stronghold.  It didn’t come through argument and debate, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you realize you have a stronghold, forgive the offenses that have caused you to judge others, and disapprove of their choices.  It doesn’t matter if you have anything valid to prove your view point is true.  What matters is that you FORGIVE.

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

FORGIVE {Greek}:  to send away, forsake, lay aside, leave, let go, put away, yield up. 

TRESPASSES {Greek}:  An intentional or unintentional side-slip, lapse, deviation, error, fall, fault, offence, sin. 

EXAMPLE PRAYER FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS A STRONGHOLD:

Lord You have heard the strivings, arguments, and debate  this person has against hearing and heeding Truth.  I forgive this person for their blindness, having been taken captive due to unforgiveness for an offense.  I forgive their judging ways, condemnations and disapproval and choose to set them free, for they are so deeply imprisoned they know not what they do. 

In the name of Jesus, I rebuke and pull down every thought in rebellion to Christ Jesus.  I break the fortified opinions and cast them down in Jesus Name.  In the Name of Jesus, every argument is to be led into submission to Jesus Christ.  Amen.

2Co 10:3-5  AMP  For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)…