Avoiding the trap

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Last week, I was speaking on my favourite verse (John 14:1), and I wanted to follow on from that thought.    In Chapters 14 and 15 it's like Jesus is giving a list of last minute instructions to the disciples.  He went on in John 16:1 to say that he told the disciples 'these things' so they might not be offended!!

That word 'offended' comes from the Greek word "scandalizo".  It means to entrap, trip up or stumble.



Offence is a real problem in the world today, but this problem has become an issue in Christian circles too.

Jesus warned us that offences would come (Matthew 18:7), but when we let offence into our hearts, we set ourselves our trap.

When someone offends us, we have a choice.   The trap is, that if we let the offence take root in our hearts, it entraps us in a cycle that will certainly produce fruit in our lives; sadly, the crop will harvest only bitterness, frustration, anger and a critical spirit.  Offence becomes a filter through which we will view life; it becomes our focus. 

Proverbs says "a froward (distorted, false, crooked) heart finds no good thing".   I used to think this meant that such a person wouldn't have any good thing in their life, but I think that it means that because their heart is twisted, they can't see good in anything any more.  When we allow offence to take root, it stops us from seeing good, and makes our lives miserable.

Offences come, but what you do with them; that is your choice.

Last week I spoke of the choice we each have to let our hearts be troubled or not, and today I want to challenge you for another choice.   We can chose to let offences go, or to hold onto them.

Psalms 119:165 says "Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them." I believe the word 'law' in this chapter consistently refers to the Word of God. It is possible to love God's Word so much, that we can stay in that peace (wellness, happiness, prosperity, health, rested, whole).  Jesus Christ is the Living Word!   We can be so in love with Lord that we don't get offended. 
So how to we get to that place?    The way we fall in love - we spend time; we get to know Jesus through the written Word.   When we see how much we are loved, when we see how much Jesus has done for us, and when we see who we are in Him, I think it's pretty impossible not to love Him.  When we are in that place of security, the offences that come can be released, so that they never have chance to produce that bad fruit.





Location: Toronto, ON, Canada

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