OFFENSES!

THESE LAST FEW WEEKS, THE LORD HAS BEEN STIRRING MY HEART TO SHARE AND TEACH ABOUT OFFENSES! HOW OFFENSES COME OUR WAY, AND HOW WE OFFEND OTHERS!

LUKE 17:1, THE JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, " IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT NO OFFENSES SHOULD COME, BUT WOE TO HIM THROUGH WHOM THEY DO COME! SO WE LEARNED THAT OFFENSES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO COME OUR WAY, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE SAY, OR DO TO US, THAT MIGHT CAUSE US PAIN, HURT, TORMENT...

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF THESE PEOPLE IN JAIL HAVE BEEN OFFENDED IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER, AND BOTTOM LINE IS THAT, THE CHOICES THEY HAVE MADE, TO CAUSE THEM TO END UP HERE IN JAIL, ARE ROOTED IN THE OFFENSE.

MOST TIMES, THE OFFENSE HAS COME BY SOMEONE VERY CLOSE TO US, LIKE A FAMILY MEMBER, PARENTS, SPOUSE, CHURCH LEADER. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WE BELIEVED THAT WE HAVE BEEN BETRAYED! WOW! WHAT A PUNCH! PSALM 55:12-14, FOR IT IS NOT AN EMEMY WHO REPROACHES ME: THEN I COULD BEAR IT. NOR IS IT ONE WHO HATES ME WHO HAS EXALTED HIMSELF AGAINST ME; THEN I COULD HIDE FROM HIM. BUT IT WAS YOU, A MAN MY EQUAL, MY COMPANION AND MY AQUAINTANCE. WE TOOK SWEET COUNSEL TOGETHER, AND WALKED TO THE HOUSE OF GOD IN THE THRONG. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A 'BEST FRIEND FOREVER!!' THE CLOSER THE RELATIONSHIP, THE MORE SEVERE THE OFFENSE!

THESE OFFENSES CAUSE US THE BIGGEST HURTS AND LEAVE US WITH OPEN WOUNDS!
THEY GIRLS SAW HOW THEY HAD BEEN OFFENDED BY THINGS CAUSED BY THEIR LOVED-ONES, AND THEY SAW CLEARLY, HOW IT HAS AFFECTED THEIR LIVES AND MINDS, AND THE CHOICES THEY HAVE MADE.
ONE EVEN COMMENTED THAT BECAUSE SHE WAS OFFENDED BY FAMILY MEMBERS, SHE CHOSE TO CLOSE HERSELF OFF FROM THEM, NOT TRUST, IN TURN NOT TRUST ANYONE! SHE SAID SHE HAD BEEN THAT WAY ALL HER LIFE, AND I ASKED HER HOW SHE FELT ABOUT THAT NOW THAT SHE WAS LIVING A DIFFERENT LIFE, AND SHE SAID, 'IT'S BEEN VERY LONELY.' SO BECAUSE WE ARE HURT, WE TRY TO PROTECT OURSELVES BY NOT LETTING ANYONE INTO OUR 'SPACE' AND WE IN TURN HURT OR 'OFFEND' OTHERS. THEY ARE SEEING HOW THIS IS A TRICK OF THE ENEMY TO LEAD THEM INTO A LIFE OF SIN.

AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE LEARNING HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE TRICKS OF THE ENEMY WHEN HE SPEAKS TO OUR MINDS! THEY ARE LEARNING HOW TO RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN VOICE, THE VOICE OF GOD, AND THE VOICE OF THE ENEMY!

IT'S SO EXCTING TO SEE HOW GOD IS REALLY WORKING IN THE LIVES OF THESE GIRLS! I'M AMAZED AT THEIR WILLINGNESS TO LEARN EVERYTHING THEY CAN IN ONE TO TWO HOURS. THEY ARE HUNGRY!! FOR TRUTH, FOR GOD.
NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE LEARNING ABOUT, 'DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE OFFENDED?'

OH KEEP PRAYING!!!