Defend Yourself Against Offenses!!!

Saturday, September 3rd, 2011

Today's Passage: John 6:25-71
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 10:5

Signs everywhere around us tell us that these are truly the last days. What generations before us tolerated that was not of God, is now being accepted and embraced by those who choose not to believe that God is real, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. As sad as that may seem, and as concerned as we should be for those who are blind to the Voice of God, there is something that's even sadder: that people who claim to know Him are just as blind, and miss the whole point of living in everything He promised.

In today's passage, we see that the disciples witnessed Jesus, the most powerful Person Who ever walked the earth, perform miracles. They saw Him heal and deliver those who were sick and oppressed; they heard Him speak of things the religious crowd could not even begin to comprehend about the things of God. So how was it possible that they could become offended with the God of the Universe? Even more importantly, how was it possible that they could allow an offense to cause them to walk away from Him?

Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that the heart or mind of humanity is desperately wicked. At our very heart, we really are selfish and easily led to believe that we have rights, and the world owes us. So, the minute we find ourselves confused about something, especially on matters of faith, we begin to feel betrayed or that those who've offended us have become disloyal to us. The next step is to walk away, or worse still, to stay even while we decide to walk away in our hearts. This is the reason I believe Judas was still able to walk with the Lord up until he gave Him up for thirty pieces of silver. It wasn't even about the money for Judas; what the real issue was had to do with the fact that he felt justified in what he did because he felt as if Jesus turned out to be the opposite of what he'd originally believed. I think he even saw Jesus as the one Who'd betrayed them all, which is why it was so easy for him to walk up to Him and give Him a kiss on His cheek.

Saints, we must be very mindful of this spirit of deception when it comes to walking in loyalty towards our leaders in the church of the living God. If there's something that's said or done that we don't understand, we must immediately seek the counsel of the Lord and not come up with our own opinion. If we're not aware of the enemy's scheming ways, we will fall victim to thinking our high and lofty opinions are actually gospel in and of themselves. The solution? The minute those thoughts enter, we have to be obedient to God's Word and cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the very knowledge of God.
As we walk in obedience, we will be the force that God will use to lift up the standard against the enemy in our churches, but also in our homes and cities. Don't give in to offenses. Stand and see the truth through the Father's eyes, and let the enemy be defeated in Jesus' Name.

Prayer: Father, as the day of the Lord approaches, Your Word has already told us that the love of many will grow cold. May it not be said of us that we long to hear only that which will tickle our ears, but may we pursue You and the unadulterated Word. May we be open to receive truth, discipline, chastisement and training in these last days, and not be offended because of the harshness of what You may have to say to us. We stand now against every scheme of the enemy to use our minds and hearts against one another. May we be completely sold out to Your Will. In jesus' mighty Name, Amen.