The

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The Grudge Holder
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• The grudge-holder suffers from an unusual kind of
  wound. Although a grudge is associated to a past
  conflict with another, it is a wound that is
  inflicted.
• Remarkably, its healing is hindered because of a
  lack of desire. It is actually a cherished or
  desired, spirit of resentment a welcomed feeling
  of ill-will toward another.
• You might say the grudge-holder is glad to be mad
  at someone. If so, it is about the only gladness
  that comes from grudging.

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• One thing that you will never see is a happy
  grudge holder. His mind is troubled because the
  object of his grudge becomes the object of his
  thinking.
• He continually rehearses and relives his
  mistreatment even magnifying it.
• With each recollection comes more bitterness and
  resentment, if not self pity.
• Harboring a grudge defiles the heart, poisons the
  thinking and produces misery
• The grude-holder will be hard pressed to rejoice
  in the Lord as encouraged in Phil 31

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• Phil 31 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the
  Lord.
• Prov 237 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is
  he
• Matt 1518-20 But those things which proceed
  out of the mouth come forth from the heart and
  they defile the man.
• 9 For out of the heart proceed evil
  thoughts, murders, adulteries,
  fornications, thefts, false
  witness, blasphemies
• James 411 Speak not evil one of another,
  brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother,
  and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the
  law, and judgeth the law

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• Grudges can easily become a wedge of division. As
  the tongue advertises the grudge-holders
  flavored grievance in search of sympathy and
  allies, some are apt to be influenced and
  prejudiced especially by kinsmen and friends.
• Their thinking and conduct toward perpetrators of
  this great injustice are adversely affected
  and, thus, others become involved in a way that
  threatens unity in the church.
• As Paul wrote,
• 1 Cor 56 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not
  that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

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Example Moses, Aaron Miriam

• Num 121-4 And Miriam and Aaron spake against
  Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had
  married for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
  2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only
  by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the
  Lord heard it 3 (Now the man Moses was very
  meek, above all the men which were upon the face
  of the earth.) 4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto
  Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out
  ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation.
  And they three came out.

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Example Moses, Aaron Miriam

• Num 125-9 And the Lord came down in the pillar
  of the cloud, and stood in the door of the
  tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam and they
  both came forth. 6 And he said, Hear now my
  words If there be a prophet among you, I the
  Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision,
  and will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant
  Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine
  house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth,
  even apparently, and not in dark speeches and
  the similitude of the Lord shall he behold
  wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak
  against my servant Moses? 9 And the anger
  of the Lord was kindled against them and
  he departed.

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Example Moses, Aaron Miriam

• Num 1210-14 And the cloud departed from off
  the tabernacle and, behold, Miriam became
  leprous, white as snow and Aaron looked upon
  Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 11 And
  Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech
  thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have
  done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. 12
  Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is
  half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's
  womb. 13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying,
  Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. 14 And the
  Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit
  in her face, should she not be ashamed seven
  days? let her be shut out
  from the camp seven days and after that
  let her be received in again.

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• Many churches have been made to suffer
  unnecessary and irreparable harm through the
  influence of grudge-holding brethern.
• None is more deceived than the Christian who
  thinks he can hold a grudge without jeopardizing
  his soul. Calling it something else doesnt
  remove the problem. Even when it may not be
  apparent, we can be tempted to harbor a
  deep-seated resentment and bitterness toward
  others. We must be honest with ourselves.
• God says to put away ALL bitterness,
  wrath, anger, and malice. Do we
  believe it?

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• Eph 431-32 Let all bitterness, and (all)
  wrath, and (all) anger, and (all) clamour, and
  (all) evil speaking, be put away from you, with
  all malice 32 And be ye kind one to another,
  tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
  for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

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• Finally, no matter how justifiable the grudge may
  seem, it is always an expression of contempt and
  hate.
• God commands us to love one another.
• John 1512 This is my commandment, That ye love
  one another, as I have loved you.
• 1 John 311-12 For this is the message that ye
  heard from the beginning, that we should love one
  another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked
  one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew
  he him? Because his own works were evil, and
  his brother's righteous.

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• 1 John 47 Beloved, let us love one another for
  love is of God and every one that loveth is born
  of God, and knoweth God.
• Even our Enemies
• Matt 544-45 But I say unto you, Love your
  enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
  them that hate you, and pray for them which
  despitefully use you, and persecute you 45 That
  ye may be the children of your Father which is in
  heaven for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
  and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
  on the unjust.

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• Eph 432 And be ye kind one to another,
  tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
  for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
• Forgiveness mans greatest blessing. How
  desperate we need it, yet the grudge-holder would
  forfeit it by withholding it from others.
• Brethern, lets get grudges out of our hearts
  and out of the church today and keep them far
  away.