Change is the essential process of all existence.

Feb. 20, 2012
For Mike and Robin (Rainbow Centre):

You hammer of God, you mend and build My house in the places where others see nothing to mend and build. I have made you a strong one! Lo, in My name you will tear down strongholds of the dark one. So be lionhearted, and I will be with you.

Part 1: What is Offence?
To overcome offence, one first has to determine what offence is. This is important because offence is the number one killer of Christian life in the Church today. Offence is like a cancer, it can attack you at any time. If it is caught early enough it can be treated but if left too long it is fatal. Thanks be to God that there are precautionary measures that can be taken to reduce the risk factor but first we need to discover what this killer is and how it really works.

Matthew 24:1-13 (MKJV)
Matthew 24:10 (MKJV) And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another.
Offended: G4624 skandalizō (skan-dal-id’-zo) To “scandalize”; from G4625; to entrap, that is, trip up (figuratively stumble [transitively] or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure): – (make to) offend.

Matthew 24:10 (BBE) And numbers of people will be turned from the right way, and will give one another up and have hate for one another.
(CEV) Many will give up and will betray and hate each other.
(CJB) At that time many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other,
(GNB) Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another. (GW) Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other.
(NASB) “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
(NLT) And many will turn away from Me and betray and hate each other.
(WNT) Then WILL MANY STUMBLE AND FALL, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

Part 2: Letting Go

Matthew 6:12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Forgive: to release, to let go, to let alone

Matthew 18:21-35 (NLT)

What we do to others, we will have done to us. Do you not realize that you are one with your brother? He and you are from the same body. If your foot stumbles and hurts itself, does it not bring hurt to the rest of your body? So what should you the rest of your body do? Should you be offended because of the pain you are feeling or should you take care of the foot until it is healed? The problem here is that we do not believe that our brother is one with us because we are living on the low road of life in self-outside of the Christ. Beloved we are confused about what our rights are. The only rights that we have are in the grace of God, we have NO rights in ourselves. We do not belong to ourselves, we belong to Christ. We have no right to hold something against another. Choose to let it go, take the high road of the Spirit and be free! Let it go!

We live in a time where there is much spiritual awareness. Our culture is quickly discovering that there is a vacuum that exists in life that requires something beyond our natural abilities and talents to fulfill. The challenge we face in this season is to be a spiritual people (something in which the organized church is sometimes lacking) and not be moved or lured off of the foundation which is Christ.

The spiritual philosophies of the world today can sound very appealing and yes very tempting but at the heart of each philosophy we usually find self. Remember that in these last days, a spiritual hunger with many false Christs will appear (Mat. 24:24). People want the supernatural, people want a spiritual reality. The problem we face is that people want it their own way, and it is this idea of our own way that is the mark of the beast. You see, spirituality or lack of spirituality is not the problem; the problem lies in the hearts of people who are afraid to trust and open up their lives to others resulting in a spirituality that is self serving, self motivated and puts the focus on ourselves.

The only spirituality that can save the planet is a spirituality that is selfless, lives for the benefit of others, is not concerned about it’s own success but the success of others, a spirituality that is ever growing, ever learning, a spirituality that doesn’t have to be right all the time but will always be there in the right time. Such spirituality can only be found in the Father heart of God through His Son Jesus Christ, revealed through a collective expression of individuals living for each other’s welfare in the higher purpose of The Father’s ultimate intention being manifest in each and every life. For such a concept to come to fruition, the measuring rod must continually be applied; and that measuring rod, which is our foundation, is Christ and Christ alone!

Have you ever wondered what the real reason that Jesus spoke in parables was? Could it have something to do with people understanding the message more than the words?
Remember that the purpose of words is to relay a message, what is important is not so much the words written or even spoken but the message that is trying to be communicated. I believe this is why Jesus spoke in parables. Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words and God wants us to get the picture He is trying to paint in our hearts!
What I have seen over the years is that people will often debate and argue over words written in scripture and in doing so miss the whole point that God is trying to get across. These arguments usually result in divisions and separatisms amongst believers. Let us not be so literal (letter of the law) and try to understand the message trying to be relayed.

2Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
(AMP) Remind [the people] of these facts and [solemnly] charge them in the presence of the Lord to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good but upsets and undermines the faith of the hearers.
(GNB) Remind your people of this, and give them a solemn warning in God’s presence not to fight over words. It does no good, but only ruins the people who listen.

Clarke’s Commentary states: That they strive not about words – Words, not things, have been a most fruitful source of contention in the Christian world; and among religious people, the principal cause of animosity has arisen from the different manner of apprehending the same term, while, in essence, both meant the same thing. All preachers and divines should be very careful, both in speaking and writing, to explain the terms they use, and never employ them in any sense but that in which they have explained them.

Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

Probably the prime example of missing the message and being caught up in words is found in the 2000 year debate over the divinity of Jesus Christ. Is Jesus God or just the Son of God? This was the thrust of the debate of the council of Nicaea in 325 AD, trying to deal with this topic which had split the church in two.

God’s purpose in Jesus was to express Himself (His love) and His message to the world. God’s message was not necessarily the words of Jesus but rather the life of Jesus. Jesus Christ was God’s message, God’s words, God’s love, God’s law, God’s purpose and intent for mankind wrapped up in human flesh! This is why Jesus did not tell people to focus on His words or teaching but rather taught people to focus on Himself!

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