Hebrews 12:14-15
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;
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Bitterness against another person or thing can come into our hearts as we watch television (especially TV news), as we become "puffed up" over the story and what other people have done.
We must be aware of when this is happening and turn to God immediately
in prayer asking God to help us and to cleanse our heart ... for that
story that we object to, can be like an evil seed going down into our
hearts and later we will hear ourselves speaking the bitterness to other people, possibly defiling them.
Example: A
few days ago, I was speaking to a woman and she began speaking about
President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. This woman began to tell
negative things, especially about Hunter Biden.
I said to her, "Concerning
President Biden I just always fear for him when I see him try to walk
to the microphone. He reminds me of the old people at the Bridge Center
who go to the food counter, fill their plates, and head back to their
table. They are so old and wobbly, I was always afraid they would fall."
As she began telling about Hunter Biden, I shuttered, knowing it was evil and I didn't want to hear it.
I
have no illusions in me concerning politicians. I know they have to
compromise and say things they really don't believe in order to please
people to get that vote.
(And often the children of humans are not godly people so I'm not surprised when they do ungodly things.)
The apostle Paul said:
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I
yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10)
I
know how much God has worked with me to have me say things concerning
HIM to edify the church when I speak with other people, for it is not my
job as a minister of God and servant of Christ to make humans feel good
about themselves but rather I speak truth of God that they may repent
or be confirmed when they do either evil or good. But you cannot speak things to please men but must speak truth by the Holy Spirit.
I believe every politician says things to get the vote of a human. This causes personal integrity to be compromised and to melt away.
(I am not Republican nor Democratic. I do not vote. I consider myself to be a "stranger and pilgrim" on this earth as the saints did in Heb. 11:9-10 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling
in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.
As a
Christian, I try to keep myself from evils of this world and I turn to
God for HIM to keep me and show me what I am to do.
I do sometimes pray for rulers as Paul told us to do:
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and
for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; )
I Tim. 2:1-3
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So
I cautioned the woman who spoke these things to me and God confirmed to
her that she must leave politics alone for it was corrupting her own
heart. She had hatred in her heart over those things she had heard about these people. It was coming from TV news, I felt. For I was sure she did not personally know these people which she grew to hate and despise.
Each
of us have allowed hatred into our hearts from time to time, and we
must guard against doing that, to continue as Christians.
We do not support the evil. We do not claim the evil to be "good". We just learn to avoid such things that cause hatred and bitterness in us, and continue with God in pureness, with an uncorrupted heart and mind.
I have to avoid many things of this present life and I abstain from many news stories on TV which I feel dangerous to me.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
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When I fear something evil has gone into my heart, I often pray this:
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
For I know God can cleanse my heart!
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For several weeks, at one point in my life, God had me to focus on doing this scripture:
Ephesians 4:29 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.
When I am talking to another person, often I start to speak something and then evaluate what I want to say by this:
If I speak this, will it edify, build that person up in things and ways of God? Will these words cause "grace" in the hearts of others?
Usually
I am stopped from speaking when I do this, and I pray again asking God
to cleanse my heart of evil things for God knows the evil when it hides
in my heart and God know how to remove that evil that would dwell in me
and hurt other people.
The devil will destroy us and others any way we allow him to do so.
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I Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
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Make no mistake. If we participate in that which is evil, the evil will come into our own hearts.
Matthew 12 (Jesus says)
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth 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 thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
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