Bitter Root Judgments – 3D

Last time, we started our conversation about bitter root judgments (sometimes called a root of bitterness) and bitter root expectancies.  We talked about how a root of bitterness is NOT limited to unforgiveness.  In reality, it is any closely held belief that is defiling your heart and is polluting the hearts of others.  We also discussed the concept of bitter root expectancy which could also be termed bitter root faith as you are unknowingly using faith to activate those negative things you are believing in your life.  If you haven’t yet read the previous installment, I strongly recommend that you do so now as that will help you understand what we’re talking about.  Today, we’re going to look at these things a little deeper and then we’ll talk about how to get free of these things.  Let’s start out by taking a look at our foundation scripture once again.

Heb 12:14-16  Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord;  looking diligently lest any fail of the grace of God, or lest any root of bitterness springing up disturb you, and by it many are defiled, lest there be any fornicator, or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

If you saw the title, you’re probably wondering about the 3D.  Well here you go, the 3 D’s of bitter root judgments:

• Bitter roots Deceive.
• Bitter roots Defile.
• Bitter roots Destroy.

Bitter Root Deception

All judgments, but especially bitter root judgments involve deception.  It is inherent in the definition of
what a judgment is.  By definition, the one passing judgment has made themselves FINAL AUTHORITY.
There is no need for any other evidence.  The one passing judgment knows everything they need to
know.  You can talk until you’re blue in the face and it won’t make any difference.  The case is closed and
the verdict is already in.  The one who has made themselves judge, jury and executioner has decided on
a guilty verdict.  The truth doesn’t really matter in many cases.  Let’s go back and take another look at
Job.

Job 1:4-5  And his sons went and feasted in the house of each one on his day. And they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.  And when they had gone around the day of feasting, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. So Job did always.

Notice again the last half of verse 5.

For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

Look carefully …Job said, It may be… Did he know?  Did he have proof?  Was he certain?  The answer to all three of these questions is no, No and NO!  All he had was his own judgment against his kids. Let’s  look again at what Job said a little later.

Job 3:25 KJV For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

If you remember from one of the lessons on fear, just as faith is the evidence of things HOPED for, fear is the evidence of things DREADED.  Remember, in Job 1:5 “For Job said…” and then he acted upon those fears by doing religious duty.  His judgment was that they would sin.  His expectation was they would be destroyed.  No evidence to back it up, just his own judgments.  Oddly, the very thing that he thought would save his kids from destruction (his religious duty) was in reality, corresponding action for his negative faith (bitter root expectancy) and is what enabled the enemy to bring the destruction to his family.

Bitter Root Defilement

Heb 12:14-16  Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord;  looking diligently lest any fail of the grace of God, or lest any root of bitterness springing up disturb you, and by it many are defiled, lest there be any fornicator, or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

Look at that v15 …lest any root of bitterness springing up disturb you, and by it (the root of bitterness) many are defiled.  Notice it doesn’t say that it defiles the one with the root of bitterness.  It defiles MANY.  In other words, it spreads.  Esau didn’t value his birthright and sold it for some momentary pleasure.  What he’s warning about is someone who perhaps is angry with God or feels they are being overlooked.  Then the root of bitterness begins to set in: “I should have that position”, “I can teach better than so and so…” Then comes the momentary pleasure that comes from talking with those with sympathetic ears and before you know it, there is a division or a split in the local body.  Others become poisoned with the words of others and pretty soon you have a mess with deep hurts and wounds and a church that is in ruins.  This is an all-too-common and yet simple example.

I’m not done discussing how bitter root judgments defile because there is another aspect that we need
to discuss because all of these are tied together.  So bear with me as we untangle this web.

Bitter Root Destruction

A couple of sessions ago, I ended by saying that Bitter Root Judgments and Bitter Root Expectancies were the biggest plague ever unleashed upon the human race.  I should probably clarify that statement a little.  Obviously, sin is the biggest plague unleashed upon the human race.  It is this sin that is perverting certain spiritual laws that govern our planet and wreaking havoc.  More on this in a moment. This subject can be very complex because like the root system of a mature tree, bitter roots can have multiple branches that are interrelated.  Please keep this in mind as we move on.  By now, you’ve probably seen the destructive nature of bitter root judgments.  At its basic level though, it is important to know that if you’re the person with the bitter root judgment, it is you that is being destroyed first. You are the one with the deception.  You are the one with the judgment.  And you are the one whose heart is growing bitter.

A moment ago, I mentioned spiritual laws and by that, I am not referring to the law of Moses or any written law or code.  I am referring to the laws of the spirit that govern the Kingdom of God.  These are laws in the same way that gravity is a physical law or Newton’s laws of motion are physical laws.  I am of the opinion that our physical laws are really a physical representation of the spiritual laws. Newton’s third law states that for every action, there is a equal and opposite reaction.  This is similar to the law of giving which is give and it shall be given unto you.  Only, the spiritual is more robust, because not only is it given unto you, but the same measure you use is measured back only it isn’t measured equally.  It’s pressed down, shaken together and running over.  It’s sowing and reaping.  These laws aren’t some afterthought.  This is how the kingdom operates and how the earth was supposed to operate.  We were to be givers,  not takers and we would be blessed in our giving.  We were to be fruitful and multiply with everything.  But then sin entered the world.  Those laws still operate. Unfortunately, they operate in the perverse world of sin just as they operate in the Kingdom of God. The enemy knows this all too well.  This is why he sows destruction into people’s lives so he can reap a harvest of destructive patterns in us and others.  Keep this in mind as we take a look at the following scripture:

Matthew 7:1  Judge not, that you may not be judged.

There it is, Give and it shall be given.  Give judgment and you’ll receive judgment.  Sow judgment and reap judgment.

Matthew 7:2  For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you again.

What seeds of judgment did you plant? That’s what will be harvested.  How was it measured out?  That’s how it’s coming back, only I will add pressed down and shaken together because that’s how this law works.  God’s not mad at you.  He isn’t picking and choosing who gets impacted and who doesn’t.  These laws of the Kingdom were never intended to work in the negative.  It was intended to provide blessing not cursing.  However, because of the fall we are operating in a sinful world.  If we stop our judgments, then we won’t be impacted. If you take a nice glass and drop it on the concrete floor, it will break.  God’s not mad at you, it’s just how the law of gravity works. If we don’t drop the glass, there is no damage. It’s the same here.

Matthew 7:3  And why do you look on the splinter that is in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye?

Whatever is going on with your brother is NOTHING compared with your judgments which are blinding you.

Matthew 7:4  Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the splinter out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?

It’s a beam because you’re setting off a chain reaction of judgment in your life and the lives of others that could go on for years.   A very simplistic illustration of this might be that if you don’t have time for your kids now, later your kids may not have time for you.

Perhaps now what I said last time may make more sense.  These bitter root judgments and their evil sidekick, bitter root expectancies are both working overtime in our lives.  They are there because of deep wounds and hurts.  They have been there a long time and have polluted or defiled the heart of the person who holds these judgments.  To make matters worse, this root of bitterness will spread to others and defile them which is why the writer of Hebrews warned against them.  This defilement can happen just from words that are spoken or it can literally come because of the expectancy (faith) in your own heart.  Perhaps someone very close to you died of cancer and in crept the fear that you’re going to get cancer.  Now you can’t get past it.  You’re certain that’s going to happen to you.  The bitter root judgment is that you’re going to get cancer and die.  Now the expectancy (faith) is this is happening. Your faith is bringing this into your reality over time.  Maybe your father was a drunk who lost his job and abused your mom and you.  Now you believe that any man that cares for you will become a drunk and will abuse you.  That is your judgment and your expectancy.  Later you get married and over time the drinking started and the abuse.  We’ve all seen this happen.  Multiple marriages with the same outcome.  This is because of the same judgments and the same expectancy.  The one partner defiles the other.  Then when you add kids into the mix, they grow up with the same expectancy.  The plot thickens with marriage, because not only do you have your own stuff, but you also gain some of your mate’s also and the kids, they get it from both sides.  Impossible?  Not really. If this is you, keep reading all the way to the end and I’ll show you how to get free.  But first, let’s take a look at a couple more scriptures.

Let’s take a look again at this famous passage in the book of Mark.

Mark 11:23-24  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

We always think this scripture only pertains to the good things of God.  We think that because vs 24 talks about “when ye pray.”  So people think this is the only context.  Let’s look closer at the very first phrase is each verse.  Verse 23 says “For verily I say unto you.” Most modern translations say “Truly I say to you.” I think what is really being said here is “Here’s a really important truth principal that you need to understand.”  Verse 24 is a little easier.  Instead of “Therefore I say unto you”, I think what is being said is “Therefore, because of this principal, I say unto you…”

So, what’s the important principal? That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Again, these verses are most often used when talking about the blessings from God and not negative things.  But let’s put these scriptures in their proper context.  Lets back up to Mark 11:13-14.

Mark 11:13-14  And seeing a fig-tree with leaves afar off, He went to it, if perhaps He might find anything on it. And when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season of figs.  And Jesus answered and said to it, No one shall eat fruit of you forever. And His disciples heard.

Look at those last two sentences.  Jesus was most assuredly speaking negatively towards that fig tree.  He was cursing it forever. And his disciples heard.  It is my considered opinion that this was done for the very purpose of showing that our words have power. He could have just as easily told that tree to bloom like never before and to bring forth seven times the normal amount of fruit.  Instead, he chose the negative side of this because he wanted them to see that our words matter.  Now, let’s move forward a bit to verses 20-22 of that same chapter.

Mark 11:20-22  And passing on early, they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which You cursed has withered away. And answering Jesus said to them, Have faith of God.

This is the context for the following verses.  He was showing them that whether good or bad, your words have power.  Power to bless or the power to curse. The power to move mountains and the power to dump those mountains on top of your own head.  Now let’s look at the verses 23 and 24 once more.

Mark 11:23-24  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Now that you have a little better understanding of the power of your own words, take a moment to think about those you may know who became convinced they are going to get cancer or some other disease and die.  You know of this because you have heard them speak of it.  Perhaps you have heard someone convinced they will go insane or bankrupt or have a failed marriage or any number of other horrible outcomes, because this runs in their family, etc.  We’ve all heard someone like this.  They believe, therefore they speak.  Before long, there is corresponding action such as giving their personal property away, etc.  They are acting in faith, totally believing the lie that their life will have a horrible outcome.  But, that’s not all of the story.  Remember, bitter roots defile. In talking about these things, they involved others and now others start speaking.  They hear the lie and believe it is truth.  Then they tell others… “Hey, did you hear about < person’s name>?  He (or she) is dying of cancer!” Before long, a whole bunch of people are declaring this curse over that person.  Can you see the progression? <person’s name> believes the lie.  He is DECEIVED.  <person’s name> DEFILES others by telling them this same lie as if it were truth.  They believe because they are DECEIVED.  They go on to tell others who also tell others. They are all deceived and believe what they are speaking is truth.  The end result of this over time will be the untimely DESTRUCTION of <person’s name”>… all because of a lie.

Sadly, just like the fig tree that Jesus cursed, they experience the horrible outcome they have been speaking over themselves.  Because of their own judgments, they believed it, they spoke it because that is their expectancy, told others about it and they received it.

It doesn’t matter what the bitter root judgment is, if it’s about sickness and disease, or a spouse that may become abusive, or someone who thinks they could do a better job than the pastor. All bitter root judgments work the same. There is deception, followed by defilement of yourself and others and lastly there is destruction.

James had something to say in this regard:
James 3:4-10  Behold also the ships being so great, and driven by fierce winds, yet they are turned about with a very small rudder, where the impulse of him steering desires.  Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold how little a fire kindles how large a forest!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So the tongue is set among our members, spotting all the body and inflaming the course of nature, and being inflamed by hell.  For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of sea-animals, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. But no one can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  By this we bless God, even the Father. And by this we curse men, who have come into being according to the image of God.  Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

And then there’s Proverbs 23:7 which says As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (paraphrased)

Are these things I have laid out, absolutes?  In many ways, I believe they are.  In other ways, no.  In the case of the repeating pattern of drunkenness and abuse,  what I have laid out is true, but there can be other factors at work also.  This deeply held belief can be an open door to demonic influence for example.  There can be other reasons that this person keeps picking a mate that starts drinking.  All of that is also true.  But, when you unravel the whole mess, you will often find this underlying belief system constantly doing its work in the background.  Just like waves crashing down on rocks and eroding them away over time, this negative faith is moving and changing circumstances in peoples’ lives in order to bring forth its evil and bitter fruit.  In some cases, the destruction comes quickly.  For others, it may take years.  But, the destruction caused by these bitter root judgments will come one way or another.

So what do we do?

We stop our judgments, that’s what.  This isn’t something that is just for “those guys over there.”  This is for ALL of us.  We ALL do it.  We have to recognize it and deal with it.  We have to repent of it.  Here’s my suggested approach.

1. Pray and ask the Father to show you where you have judgments.  Have a pad and pencil with you and start writing them down as he shows them to you.
2. Take each one and FORGIVE those who hurt you, ask forgiveness and repent.
3. Ask him to show you if you fall into judgment again.
4. BE WILLING to ask for HELP.  We are to confess our sins one to another.  So getting help in this area is a biblical approach.  No shame.  I needed help and lots of it.  A great resource is the Sozo ministry.  Some churches offer this.  I will put a link on the bottom of the page that will help you find one of them.
5. Be WILLING to ask for prayer.

Here’s an important choice:  Your world today can be framed either by our faith in the things hoped for and motivated by and through love -OR- your world can be framed by your judgments and your own negative faith (expectancies) motivated by your anger, hatred and fears.  That really is the choice.  Which of these do you want governing your life?  Food for thought…

I know some of what I said may be provocative to some.  What I have written is far from being exhaustive, but I hope I have given you enough.  Please review the scriptures and give it prayerful consideration.  Until next time, may God’s richest blessings be yours in Christ Jesus.

Links:

Sozo Ministry: http://bethelsozo.com/
Search for Sozo ministry in your area: http://bethelsozo.com/sozo-network/

Copyright (c) 2017-2021  M. Unruh