PASTOR OLUWASEYI OSANYINBI
It is mind-blowing that the intention of God is for us to become the sons of God. Beyond the initial adoption, God intends that we will ultimately sit with Him as the Fourth Part of the Godhead.
[biblegateway passage=”MATTHEW 24:4-11″ display=”MATTHEW 24:4-11″]
In the last days, there will be a surge of the spirit of deception. Deception is one key weapon available to the Devil, our Formidable Foe. He went as far as trying to trick the Messiah, Jesus Christ himself. He tempted Him to turn stone to bread; to bow down to Him and to fall from the pinnacle of the temple with the assurance that He would be safe. Interestingly, Satan backed these temptations up with scriptures. As a result of the afflictions that will arise against God’s people in the last days, many people will be offended. In trying to get help, they will fall into the hands of false prophets that will give them false hopes. Mankind is full of all kinds of expectations and when those expectations are not met, offences arise. We need to be ready for offences because they are inevitable and ubiquitous. In fact, many people even take offence with God because they think He is not treating them well.
[biblegateway passage=”I SAMUEL 25:1-35″ display=”I SAMUEL 25:1-35″]
David protected Nabal’s servants and belongings and he expected him to reciprocate when he had needs. When Nabal was not forthcoming, he was offended and he took it upon himself to decimate Nabal’s dynasty. It must have been God who sent Abigail to intercept David from shedding innocent blood. He would have killed Nabal and the innocent people around him. We must always remember that people will always hurt us both intentionally and unintentionally. So, we have to make up our minds not to be controlled by the offences that come our ways.
HEBREWS 12:15: “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;”;[biblegateway passage=”MATTHEW 20:1-15″ display=”MATTHEW 20:1-15″];
The labourers that were hired since daybreak were embittered when they got the same wages like the ones hired at the eleventh hour. They felt cheated despite the fact that the Lord of the Vineyard did not break their initial agreement. As far as the Devil is around, there will always be offences. We must always ensure that offences do not come through us. We must also brace up for offences so that they don’t catch us unawares. Offences cause the root of bitterness to spring up in us when we are not careful. Such roots of bitterness when allowed defile and corrupt our souls.
HEBREWS 12:1-2: “ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnaresus, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.“;[biblegateway passage=”MATTHEW 18:4-17″ display=”MATTHEW 18:4-17″]
Jesus instructs us to take drastic steps concerning things that cause us to sin. Definitely, we are not expected to pluck our eyes and cut off our hands literally but we have to shut out things that make us to stumble. We must lay aside every weight and every besetting sin. The race that is set before us requires patience. If we do not run with patience, we are done for. We have to make up our minds to not be controlled by circumstances but to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. We have a mentor in Jesus who was killed by the very same people He came to deliver from sins, sicknesses and diseases. He was thoroughly offended but he forgave all the same. He endured the cross and despised its shame. He ended up in unthinkable glory!
ACTS 24:16: “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”
We need hearts void of offense towards God and man. Since it is not easy to go that way, we need to exercise ourselves incessantly to the end that offences don’t get hold of us.