Post by nicfos on Dec 25, 2006 19:46:16 GMT -5
You shall know the Truth the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth; Judgment Begins in the House of God
2 Chron. 7:12-22 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
If I (send economic ruin or send plagues) shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.
For I have chosen and sanctified (set apart for holy use) this house, that My Name may be here forever, and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually. As for you [Solomon], if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do all I have commanded you, and observe My statutes and My ordinances,
Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel. But if you [people] turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you and go and serve other gods and worship them,
Then will I pluck [Israel] up by the roots out of My land which I have given [them]; and this house which I have hallowed for My Name will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which was so high, shall be an astonishment to everyone passing it, and they will say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?
Then men will say, Because they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of Egypt, and they laid hold of other gods and worshiped and served them; therefore has He brought all this evil upon them.
2 Tim. 2:19 But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names [himself by] the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it
Rom. 11:20-22 That is true. But they were broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and you are established through faith [because you do believe]. So do not become proud and conceited, but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid.
For if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], neither will He spare you [if you are guilty of the same offence]. Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's gracious kindness to you--provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away) (from the blessings).
Paul warned the Church if they did not repent that God will carry out the covenant sanctions, the curses of Deut. 28 and Lev 26. which can include military or economic ruin.
First Peter 4:15-17 says, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
As I was pondering what I believe the Lord was saying to me as we enter 2007, I felt He was showing me that He wants to do a new thing in the church, moving greater than ever before, but that He is hindered from doing so because of the lack of integrity, discipleship, and godliness in many congregations and among church leaders.
The verse cited above gives us a command not to suffer as an evil doer. Unfortunately, much of the suffering Christians have presently are not due to the devil but are the result of violating the laws of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-8.
I believe we are presently in a time when God is setting things in order in this nation. According to this passage, God will begin first with His church. I believe that the grace period for us (especially leadership) in regards to testing the patience of God with our fleshly behaviour is lifting! (He gave us time to repent but we did not; see Rev. 2:21.)
In light of the passage in 1 Peter 4, I would not be surprised if more scandals are uncovered in the body of Christ this coming year. (God allows the ungodly to uncover and accuse us if we don’t supervise ourselves!) Unfortunately, much of Evangelical preaching and standards have been lowered to accommodate church growth strategies and political correctness. A church can only do this for a short period of time before they start noticing their attendees and members lacking in holy zeal, passion for God, and holiness. While the ministration of preaching and membership standards need to be seasoned with grace without legalism, the church also needs to present the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), Congregations need to be fed a wholesome diet that includes all the spiritual nutrients necessary for maturity. Preaching only positive “self-help” messages will not help saints in the long run if they are not supplemented with biblical discipleship messages (Luke 14:26-27).
Finally, non-believers shouldn’t rejoice when a church leader falls or is scandalized; they should realize that when God judges His people it is only a precursor to an even greater judgment that will fall upon those outside His house. This being said, I am fearful for this nation as we move towards 2007 and beyond.
In conclusion, if the church repents and experiences a biblical restoration, then this nation has hope for an awakening. If the church doesn’t experience a restoration, then, because the salt has lost its saltiness, she will be unable to preserve and protect this nation from destroying itself from within, in the same way the Roman Empire fell from inward decay in the fifth century!
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! (Luke 17:1)
I have discovered as of late that the overwhelming scheme of the enemy here in the Land is to cause hurt and offence. I began to wonder why this was such a clear path for him. I knew that the outcome was retreat and isolation and out of the wounds many deceptions and judgments abounding. As I pressed in I began to see a connection between the offences and idolatry of the heart. It is as if the idolatry and the offenses were mirror images of each other. When the enemy can cause us to be hurt, in that very area is idolatry. This is actually a wonderful revelation. If we can but see the pain as a sifting process of satan and realize that the Lord Yeshua is specifically interceding for us, we can begin to go on the offensive and with humility turn the tables on the schemes of the enemy. What I want to suggest as at least a starting point is to look at our pain that is “people” related and ask the Lord to reveal the offense that has been received and the lie of the enemy resulting in idolatry which leads to death in our lives, in relationships, in our health and in our relationship to God.
Recently I was involved in a couple of very charged situations. When I say “charged”, I mean conflict between close friends who were upset with each other. The source of the conflict was a difference of opinion on finances. What I observed was that finances were a struggle for both couples. In times of stress, the enemy will sift and look for idolatry.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1Pe 5:8). The devouring of the devil is based on food that he can eat. He is a scavenger and like all scavengers lives on death. He finds death when he finds sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23).
Sin is found where lies and deceit have infiltrated into the minds and hearts of God’s people whom the enemy hates.
"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44.
He, satan, abides in deception, false conclusions appearing real. When he has tricked us into believing lies about our brothers and sisters then he has succeeded in breeding another pseudo reality into our lives that is idolatry. It is idolatry because it always involves a judgment that is not our place to make. Only God is good and therefore only God has the standard within Himself to judge. Our judgments are really the placing of ourselves in the place reserved for God, the Judgment seat.
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? (Mat 7:1-4).
Why does Yeshua say that we will be judged by our standard of measure? Why does He speak of specks and logs? What is so evil about judging? It is the measure. The measure is that standard of correctness that is applied to what is measured or judged. It presumes a standard of truth in order to be reliable. In order to measure fault, we have to have a standard of fault that is reliable. It must itself be clear of fault or it cannot compare fault against anything. In order for me to know if I am right and you are wrong I have to be always right. Or else how can I know that this time I am right if I have been wrong before? Only One Being is always right or always correct. That being is Light Himself in who there is no darkness and therefore He can judge the darkness.
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1Jo 1:5)
God alone is capable of judging how much darkness is in an individual. He alone has the correct measure, pure light, pure truth. When we get hurt in an area and begin to make conclusions, judgment about people and how they have “hurt” us, we are taking the place of God. We are judging within the standard of hurt, offence. This is pure idolatry. We have placed ourselves and the others in the place of God and have given the enemy his favorite diet, death. Love dies and pain is born or more accurately re-released causing separation and a dulling of life. We become the walking dead and the only thing that feels alive is the hurt and pain. This is the death of idolatry through offence.
When we find ourselves in pain, we need to remember that we gave our heart to the Lord and no other person has the right to be lord of our heart and emotions including ourselves. Let’s look at one scriptural commentary on this:
1 Peter 5:5-11 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.
First we need to be clothed with humility. What is humility? It is the attitude toward one another of tenderness and preferring one another. It is the opposite of pride. When we clothe ourselves we are covering a nakedness or shame that comes from the sin of self will. We are asking the Lord to be our covering, to let His love cover the multitude of our self willed sin. We have to realize that being offended is SIN. It is rooted in pride and self will and it is SIN. I don’t like that it is SIN, but the Word tells me that it is SIN. Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! (Luke 17:1).
Clothing ourselves in humility when we have taken offence at our brother is really coming into the secret place under the shelter or cover of the Most High. We come under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt us at the proper time, casting all anxiety on Him because He cares for us. In humility, His Hand is upon us. He opposes our pride but gives His Grace to us in our humility. This grace is His Mighty Hand. What does it mean that He exalts us? We humble ourselves, a kind of death and then He can resurrect us or exalt us. The “us” that is exalted is NOT the “us” that is offended. It is the new man, the one new man. It is the result of His Glory in us.
"The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; John 17:22.
This is the exaltation, Him in us. We cannot humble ourselves to be exalted. It just when we humble ourselves, we are resurrected in Him. This is the place of casting the cares on Him, onto the cross. We allow the offence to pass through us into death on the cross. In that place is the provision of His care for us, His Love for us.
Secondly, we need to have a sober spirit, to be on alert. The enemy is seeking to place offence on all of us that he may isolate us from each other and thus devour us in the mire of self-pity and confusion. If you are having these feelings and are looking to others as the cause the word says: Sober up! Be on alert! The enemy is at hand. This is what the Lord said to Peter facing the cross;
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; (Luke 22:31).
Peter was about to learn the lesson that would spawn the above scripture. His pride and the self- justification would cause Him to deny the Lord of Life three times, and face his own humanity. This is what the enemy; the roaring lion wants to do to all of us. Get us to deny the Lord of Life and embrace the death of offence.
Finally, we have to be willing to suffer in the same spirit as the Lord. He experienced many things at the cross but the most devastating was the rejection. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our grief’s He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (Isa 53:3-5). We will be rejected for He was rejected. Yet He bore the rejection for our sakes and His response was: forgiveness.
But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luke 23:34)
1 Tim. 6:3-21 But if anyone teaches otherwise and does not assent to the sound and wholesome messages of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and the teaching which is in agreement with godliness (piety toward God),
He is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which result in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions,
And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit . From such withdraw.
[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world; But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied). But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish (useless, godless) and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing.
For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute [mental] pangs.
But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart.
Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.
In the presence of God, Who preserves alive all living things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I [solemnly] charge you To keep all His precepts unsullied and flawless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), Which [appearing] will be shown forth in His own proper time by the blessed, only Sovereign (Ruler), the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honour and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it). As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment.
[Charge them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share [with others], In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed.
O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination.
[For] by making such profession some have erred (missed the mark) as regards the faith. Grace (divine favour and blessing) be with you all! Amen (so be it).
2 Chron. 7:12-22 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
If I (send economic ruin or send plagues) shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.
For I have chosen and sanctified (set apart for holy use) this house, that My Name may be here forever, and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually. As for you [Solomon], if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do all I have commanded you, and observe My statutes and My ordinances,
Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel. But if you [people] turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you and go and serve other gods and worship them,
Then will I pluck [Israel] up by the roots out of My land which I have given [them]; and this house which I have hallowed for My Name will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which was so high, shall be an astonishment to everyone passing it, and they will say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?
Then men will say, Because they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of Egypt, and they laid hold of other gods and worshiped and served them; therefore has He brought all this evil upon them.
2 Tim. 2:19 But the firm foundation of (laid by) God stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription): The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names [himself by] the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it
Rom. 11:20-22 That is true. But they were broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and you are established through faith [because you do believe]. So do not become proud and conceited, but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid.
For if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], neither will He spare you [if you are guilty of the same offence]. Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's gracious kindness to you--provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away) (from the blessings).
Paul warned the Church if they did not repent that God will carry out the covenant sanctions, the curses of Deut. 28 and Lev 26. which can include military or economic ruin.
First Peter 4:15-17 says, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
As I was pondering what I believe the Lord was saying to me as we enter 2007, I felt He was showing me that He wants to do a new thing in the church, moving greater than ever before, but that He is hindered from doing so because of the lack of integrity, discipleship, and godliness in many congregations and among church leaders.
The verse cited above gives us a command not to suffer as an evil doer. Unfortunately, much of the suffering Christians have presently are not due to the devil but are the result of violating the laws of sowing and reaping found in Galatians 6:7-8.
I believe we are presently in a time when God is setting things in order in this nation. According to this passage, God will begin first with His church. I believe that the grace period for us (especially leadership) in regards to testing the patience of God with our fleshly behaviour is lifting! (He gave us time to repent but we did not; see Rev. 2:21.)
In light of the passage in 1 Peter 4, I would not be surprised if more scandals are uncovered in the body of Christ this coming year. (God allows the ungodly to uncover and accuse us if we don’t supervise ourselves!) Unfortunately, much of Evangelical preaching and standards have been lowered to accommodate church growth strategies and political correctness. A church can only do this for a short period of time before they start noticing their attendees and members lacking in holy zeal, passion for God, and holiness. While the ministration of preaching and membership standards need to be seasoned with grace without legalism, the church also needs to present the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), Congregations need to be fed a wholesome diet that includes all the spiritual nutrients necessary for maturity. Preaching only positive “self-help” messages will not help saints in the long run if they are not supplemented with biblical discipleship messages (Luke 14:26-27).
Finally, non-believers shouldn’t rejoice when a church leader falls or is scandalized; they should realize that when God judges His people it is only a precursor to an even greater judgment that will fall upon those outside His house. This being said, I am fearful for this nation as we move towards 2007 and beyond.
In conclusion, if the church repents and experiences a biblical restoration, then this nation has hope for an awakening. If the church doesn’t experience a restoration, then, because the salt has lost its saltiness, she will be unable to preserve and protect this nation from destroying itself from within, in the same way the Roman Empire fell from inward decay in the fifth century!
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! (Luke 17:1)
I have discovered as of late that the overwhelming scheme of the enemy here in the Land is to cause hurt and offence. I began to wonder why this was such a clear path for him. I knew that the outcome was retreat and isolation and out of the wounds many deceptions and judgments abounding. As I pressed in I began to see a connection between the offences and idolatry of the heart. It is as if the idolatry and the offenses were mirror images of each other. When the enemy can cause us to be hurt, in that very area is idolatry. This is actually a wonderful revelation. If we can but see the pain as a sifting process of satan and realize that the Lord Yeshua is specifically interceding for us, we can begin to go on the offensive and with humility turn the tables on the schemes of the enemy. What I want to suggest as at least a starting point is to look at our pain that is “people” related and ask the Lord to reveal the offense that has been received and the lie of the enemy resulting in idolatry which leads to death in our lives, in relationships, in our health and in our relationship to God.
Recently I was involved in a couple of very charged situations. When I say “charged”, I mean conflict between close friends who were upset with each other. The source of the conflict was a difference of opinion on finances. What I observed was that finances were a struggle for both couples. In times of stress, the enemy will sift and look for idolatry.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1Pe 5:8). The devouring of the devil is based on food that he can eat. He is a scavenger and like all scavengers lives on death. He finds death when he finds sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23).
Sin is found where lies and deceit have infiltrated into the minds and hearts of God’s people whom the enemy hates.
"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44.
He, satan, abides in deception, false conclusions appearing real. When he has tricked us into believing lies about our brothers and sisters then he has succeeded in breeding another pseudo reality into our lives that is idolatry. It is idolatry because it always involves a judgment that is not our place to make. Only God is good and therefore only God has the standard within Himself to judge. Our judgments are really the placing of ourselves in the place reserved for God, the Judgment seat.
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? (Mat 7:1-4).
Why does Yeshua say that we will be judged by our standard of measure? Why does He speak of specks and logs? What is so evil about judging? It is the measure. The measure is that standard of correctness that is applied to what is measured or judged. It presumes a standard of truth in order to be reliable. In order to measure fault, we have to have a standard of fault that is reliable. It must itself be clear of fault or it cannot compare fault against anything. In order for me to know if I am right and you are wrong I have to be always right. Or else how can I know that this time I am right if I have been wrong before? Only One Being is always right or always correct. That being is Light Himself in who there is no darkness and therefore He can judge the darkness.
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1Jo 1:5)
God alone is capable of judging how much darkness is in an individual. He alone has the correct measure, pure light, pure truth. When we get hurt in an area and begin to make conclusions, judgment about people and how they have “hurt” us, we are taking the place of God. We are judging within the standard of hurt, offence. This is pure idolatry. We have placed ourselves and the others in the place of God and have given the enemy his favorite diet, death. Love dies and pain is born or more accurately re-released causing separation and a dulling of life. We become the walking dead and the only thing that feels alive is the hurt and pain. This is the death of idolatry through offence.
When we find ourselves in pain, we need to remember that we gave our heart to the Lord and no other person has the right to be lord of our heart and emotions including ourselves. Let’s look at one scriptural commentary on this:
1 Peter 5:5-11 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.
First we need to be clothed with humility. What is humility? It is the attitude toward one another of tenderness and preferring one another. It is the opposite of pride. When we clothe ourselves we are covering a nakedness or shame that comes from the sin of self will. We are asking the Lord to be our covering, to let His love cover the multitude of our self willed sin. We have to realize that being offended is SIN. It is rooted in pride and self will and it is SIN. I don’t like that it is SIN, but the Word tells me that it is SIN. Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! (Luke 17:1).
Clothing ourselves in humility when we have taken offence at our brother is really coming into the secret place under the shelter or cover of the Most High. We come under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt us at the proper time, casting all anxiety on Him because He cares for us. In humility, His Hand is upon us. He opposes our pride but gives His Grace to us in our humility. This grace is His Mighty Hand. What does it mean that He exalts us? We humble ourselves, a kind of death and then He can resurrect us or exalt us. The “us” that is exalted is NOT the “us” that is offended. It is the new man, the one new man. It is the result of His Glory in us.
"The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; John 17:22.
This is the exaltation, Him in us. We cannot humble ourselves to be exalted. It just when we humble ourselves, we are resurrected in Him. This is the place of casting the cares on Him, onto the cross. We allow the offence to pass through us into death on the cross. In that place is the provision of His care for us, His Love for us.
Secondly, we need to have a sober spirit, to be on alert. The enemy is seeking to place offence on all of us that he may isolate us from each other and thus devour us in the mire of self-pity and confusion. If you are having these feelings and are looking to others as the cause the word says: Sober up! Be on alert! The enemy is at hand. This is what the Lord said to Peter facing the cross;
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; (Luke 22:31).
Peter was about to learn the lesson that would spawn the above scripture. His pride and the self- justification would cause Him to deny the Lord of Life three times, and face his own humanity. This is what the enemy; the roaring lion wants to do to all of us. Get us to deny the Lord of Life and embrace the death of offence.
Finally, we have to be willing to suffer in the same spirit as the Lord. He experienced many things at the cross but the most devastating was the rejection. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our grief’s He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (Isa 53:3-5). We will be rejected for He was rejected. Yet He bore the rejection for our sakes and His response was: forgiveness.
But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luke 23:34)
1 Tim. 6:3-21 But if anyone teaches otherwise and does not assent to the sound and wholesome messages of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and the teaching which is in agreement with godliness (piety toward God),
He is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which result in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions,
And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit . From such withdraw.
[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world; But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied). But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish (useless, godless) and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing.
For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute [mental] pangs.
But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart.
Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.
In the presence of God, Who preserves alive all living things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I [solemnly] charge you To keep all His precepts unsullied and flawless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), Which [appearing] will be shown forth in His own proper time by the blessed, only Sovereign (Ruler), the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honour and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it). As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment.
[Charge them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share [with others], In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed.
O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination.
[For] by making such profession some have erred (missed the mark) as regards the faith. Grace (divine favour and blessing) be with you all! Amen (so be it).