Good Morning,
Today, I would like to discuss forgiveness. Ugg, why would you want to go there! Well, because we are forewarned in the Word that, "..Jesus said to His disciples, it is impossible but that offenses will come; but woe unto him, through whom they come." (Luke 17:1) We already know that offenses will come, and we want to make sure that we are not the ones that are doing the offending (on purpose). The reason why I had to say 'on purpose or knowingly' cause offense, because the Word says; "For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature." (James 3:2) Have you ever said the wrong thing? Surely this must not be talking to me, it must be for my neighbor. For I choose my words with great care, I study my words before I ever open my mouth. Hmm, well I know for a fact, I usually don't try to offend with my words, but quite often I still do. We stumble and fall and offend, sometimes we do it on purpose, but quite often it is stumbling. That's why Luke says, it is impossible but that offenses will come. Impossible means 'not supposable', not within the realm of the possible, incapable of occurring, contrary to the nature of reality. Which means then that it's going to happen; you can expect it to occur, offenses will happen.
Then we as believer's should know how to respond to them in a Godly fashion. For God says: For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. (1 Corin. 10:13) So then we are called upon to grow up and become mature, by exercising the Word. Nothing that is allowed in our lives is beyond our ability and strength either to endure it or resist it. Endure means to undergo, suffer with, put up with, to bear hardship, to stick it out, tolerate or take it patiently. So that means that there are some situations that you are not meant to play 'Houdini" the great escape artist, you're going to have to go through it, because God is developing the character trait of 'stick – to – it – tiveness'. There are people in our lives that are not like trash, we can't just throw them away, because they offend us. God is about developing our God-likeness. "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)". (2 Peter 1:3) There are also certain things that we have to resist which means to withstand the force or the effect of; to exert oneself to counteract or defeat; to be able to repel or ward off. So when offenses come it is not the people that we are to repel, we are after all called to love like He does. No, what we are to repel, withstand, counteract and defeat are the affects or the force of the offense. We are to exert the Word in the place of the offense and the offender. What is an offense anyway? Offense is the Greek word, 'skandalon' which is a trap-stick, a snare or a trap, an entrapment to sin, an occasion to fall or stumble. God is faithful He will cause a way to escape the trap. He has empowered us to endure and withstand every offense. We are not to let it take us down, but we are to use our authority that has been given to us. This authority is in the power of love; "it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]". (1 Corin. 13:5) That sounds like offenses to me. A suffered wrong and evil done to you! Well, let's grow in love, instead of nursing offenses, pay no attention to a suffered wrong. Don't you know you would drive the enemy insane? He can't harm you with the offense, only if you let him have the upper hand. Listen to God's Word on it: "Behold I give you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy possesses; and nothing shall in any way harm you."(Luke 10:19)
Love,
Pastor D.
Daughters of Z 
THANK YOU LORD THIS SPOKEN WORD ~ IT HIT RIGHT ON TARGET! GBU SISTER, ANOINTED
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I like the writing structure of your blog and it does a pretty decent job of presenting the material.
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It’s so nice to have you do all of the research for us. It makes our decision making so much easier!! Thanks.
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