Spirit of Offense.

The Spirit of Offense.

Has somebody ever said something around you and you were greatly offended by what they said?  It pierced you deeply, taking away your joy.  You may have said, ‘how could they have said that?, I thought I knew them better than that.’.  You may have found that you replay the scene over and over again in your mind, and each time it replays it continues to fuel resentment.  You continue to grow bitter as anger rises up inside of you.  This is the spirit of offense and it is not of God; it is demonic.  Your heart is telling you that they are only human and that you should forgive them, but the spirit of offense tells you that you are better than them, because you would never do that.  It rises contention up inside of you to the point where you can’t keep it in anymore and then you share it with someone else.  And consequently the spirit jumps on them as well.  What are the fruits of this spirit?  Anger, bitterness, anxiety, strife.  Doesn’t sound like the fruit of the Comforter, does it?

I had a circumstance a little while ago when I was listening to someone, whom I care about dearly, share his offense with me.  He told me about how these different people, whom are also friends I deeply care about, have offended him.  I listened to him and counseled him the best I could under the circumstances.  However, I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness that my other friend would have said these offensive things.  That very same day, I was talking to my other friend and sure enough, he said something to me casually and most likely in jest and it crushed me.  I thought, how could he say that?  I thought I knew him better than that.  Is that really where his heart is?  I replayed that scene over and over again; each time getting more and more bitter and convincing myself that I am justified in feeling this way.  I started feeling self righteous, like I am a better person that he is, because I would never say that.  A little while later I was in church and the worship team was playing.  This is one of my favorite times with God.  I will take this time to thank God for His goodness, and confess,  proclaim, and worship, and enter into a very close intimacy.  Well this time, every time I would close my eyes and start telling God how much I love him and thanking him for all he does for me, I would be interrupted by this replay of my offense.  I would see it over and over again.  I would get very disturbed and try to shake it off to get back into worship and the same thing would happen.  This went on for about 15 minutes.  I couldn’t get any intimacy with my Lord and I started to feel an icky darkness all around me.  I finally discerned that this was spiritual.  It was a demonic attack.  This spirit of offense had taken to me and was trying fiercely to keep me from fellowship with my God.  I took control of the situation and bound that spirit and told it leave our church and then walked to the front of the church to the alter, raised my hands to the Lord, repented for receiving the offense and continued to enter into intimacy with God.

I am sharing this personal story because I have seen too many people take offense at something or someone, especially within their church.  They will feed it and tend it and grow it into monster which they will let loose on the friends that love them and care enough to listen to them.  Let me tell you this as a fact.  Offense is something that you do not have to receive.  Somebody may say something that disturbs and distresses you, but it is up to you as to whether to forgive or receive offense.  Forgiveness is of Christ Jesus, Offense is of the demonic.  The more you replay that offense in your mind and come into agreement with the demonic, the more you are driving a wedge between you and intimacy with God.  I encourage you to judge the spirit by the fruit.  What is the fruit that it is producing in you.  If it’s not love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, you are coming into agreement with the wrong spirit.  The next time that offense replays in your mind, instead of agreeing with it, take authority over it and tell it to flee from you by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Then immediately, repent for receiving the offense and forgive your offender, as the Heavenly Father has also forgiven you.    

And one more thing, when your friend comes to you and starts dumping in your ear about how someone said this or did that and they are crushed by it.  Stop the conversation right there and ask them if you can pray for them.  Start off by binding that spirit and then pray that they may forgive and receive healing. Do not let that spirit of offense sneak in on you.

Ecclesiastes 2:10

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.

But God, ... at my lowest point, said 'have faith in me'. Trust me with the tithe and I will restore you. I did, and he did; bringing new meaning and purpose in my life. Glory to the King, Most High! For He is worthy to be trusted and praised!

Zephaniah 3:17

Did you know that the Lord God Almighty, the creator of all creation, doesn't look down at you from his throne all grumpy saying, "why cant they get their act together"? No! He takes delight in you with Gladness. He shouts and sings in JOY for you! Imagine that! He is a proud Papa who brags on you to His angels. He is mighty to save! Zephaniah 3:17

Don't be like the Widow of Zarephath

Don't be like the Widow of Zarephath.
This lady lived under the supernatural provision of God but failed from so many levels. First, she had an encounter with the Lord where He told her Elijah was going to be coming to her house and "Commanded" her to provide for His prophet. Yet, when Elijah came to her she was preparing to end her life with her son because they were out of food. She didn't receive the Word of the Lord.

Then Elijah prophecies, "For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth."
And, the barrel nor cruse never ran dry. She was living in the supernatural provision of the Lord. After many days, possibly years, her son dies and she blames Elijah. Elijah raises her son from the dead and she says,
"Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth."
Really? The endless barrel and cruse lasting years didn't do it. The blessing just became like manna in the desert, blah! This lady lived under the provision of the Lord but never recognized it. Possibly never thanked and praised the Lord for it.
Was this the sin that she feared Elijah was bringing to remembrance?

I hear people say, I tried tithing but it doesn't work; all I do is give but never get back. They look at all that is wrong around them and say "where is God?" I lost my job, I lost my wife, I lost, I lost, I lost.

Start recognizing and praising God for the small things that he does. His provision isn't always a fat wallet, sometimes it's as simple as scraps of bread and flesh from the ravens. Sometimes, it is as simple as the breath you breathe.

Matthew 6
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?
28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Hebrews 6:4

I am so distressed when I see mature Christians, whom God has revealed Himself in their hearts, whom have experienced God's free gift, whom have been born into a new creation with the Holy Spirit and whom having experienced the power, authority, and goodness of God's Word, how they can walk away from all they knew in their hearts and either declare that God does not exist, or that imaginary gods are more worthy and mighty than Adonai Elohim.
Pastors, teachers, mentors, mothers and fathers, bringing public shame to Him whom has given them so much, blessed them beyond measure, and loved them unconditionally; and now they turn their back on Him, spit in His face, and say I never knew you. My heart aches for their souls and that of their family.

How Long Must I Wait and Fight

I was meditating on Luke 8, (parable of the sower) today and thinking about the different types of ground that good seed falls onto. I think most of our ground is somewhere between the last two, depending on what is going on in our lives. Sometimes there are so many distractions pulling us in different directions (weeds) that the Word gets choked out and becomes unproductive. Sometimes it falls on good ground and settles deep in our hearts, takes root, and blossoms, and bang-o, prest-o; there's the harvest.

But often, the Word lands in good soil, takes root, blossoms, grows buds, and yet you never see the promise.

Luke 8:15 says “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

A key word here is the 'persevering'. It is the Greek word Hypomone. And means endurance, steadfastness. It means that we have a job to do after the seed is planted. We need to press forward, never giving up, step after step, struggle after struggle, victory after defeat after victory, over and over again until we see the fruition of the harvest.

The grow season is not an easy time, there will be struggles, dry times, frost, enemies will attack wanting to steal and destroy and devour your crop. BUT GOD, if you persevere through this growing cycle, will reward you with a harvest if you do not lose heart and stay in the fight. You have got to keep pressing forward, fighting the fight to see the promises of God manifest.

Have you got revelation of the Word in your heart and you know it took root. And yet you haven’t seen the promise manifest? All of us, from all levels in their faith walk, are in this position. And, you bang your head against the wall trying to figure it out. You know the Word is true and you see and hear of fruit all around you, but you look on your vines and all you have is little buds; the hope of the promise. And, you cry out to God, Lord I believe, how long must I wait and fight.

And the answer is, until you have persevered; for at the proper time we WILL reap a harvest if we do not give up.

5 Loaves, 2 Fish

If you go to a church similar to mine, you have probably heard a sermon or two on how God uses your giving in the Kingdom as the mechanism to give back to you; pressed down, shaken together, and running over.  If you don’t have a revelation of this in your spirit, you need to.  But have you ever thought about what happens to your tithe or offering once it leaves your hands.

The other day I was praying over my tithe and offering, much like I normally do, but I had a heavy heart.  Not because, I need the money that I am giving away; far from it.  I was excited about giving into the kingdom, but was distressed that I didn’t have as much money to give as I would like to.  In that moment of prayer, when I was praying that the Lord would give me more seed to sow back into the kingdom, I was thinking that my offering wasn’t going to go very far to pay the electricity, support ministries, etc. 

Have you ever had that thought?  Have you ever considered, “how can my $5, 10, $20.00, $100 really make a difference; wouldn’t it go so much further in meeting my needs than that of the church’s, as the church’s needs are so great”?

In the mist of this prayer and almost apologizing to the Lord about my tithe, the Lord spoke this in my spirit which really blessed me …

“Just as I supernaturally multiply your seed and create of harvest of fruit in your life, I too supernaturally multiply your offering into the Kingdom like I did with the five loaves and two fish.” 

And in my mind I could picture Jesus looking up to the heaven and giving thanks for my tithe and offering, breaking it, and handing to my pastor to pass out to the people.  And when everyone had enough, he took up twelve baskets that were left over.

This took the heaviness off my heart and I praised God for the miraculous things He will accomplish in the kingdom with my offering (five loaves and two fish). 

Sometimes, when I am ushering and passing the offering bucket around the congregation, I see some people that look burdened, as they place a dollar in the bucket, or even more whom look embarrassed as they pass the bucket without putting anything in it.  I am not writing this to condemn anyone or to place a yoke of guilt on you to start putting something in the bucket when it comes around.  I am writing this to share the revelation with you that it doesn’t matter how much you put in the offering bucket.  It can be $50.00 or 50 cents.  God will use that to do miraculous things in your life as well as in the kingdom.  You never know, someone may see you place two quarters (or a widow’s mite) in the bucket and be inspired to give $10,000.  God not only wants to bless you when you give with a joyful heart, but he also wants you to participate in the building the kingdom in every way that you can.

Please never let an opportunity go by to seed into the kingdom of God.  Even if you have to borrow a dollar from the person next to you, participate in Kingdom building by your giving and allow the Lord to supernaturally bless you as well as others.

-Jeff