Are you offending the offender?

In this world, we are offended by the offender of our soul. He caused problems in Heaven and led a mighty rebellion that took with him 1/3 of the angels. He is “offensive” to us. What if I could tell you that WE could be offensive to him?

What do you get out of these next few verses?

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Hab 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

Hab 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The above are scriptures that give us direction in our adversity… offenses… Infirmity. All things that are common to man. Jesus called something “impossible.” Can you imagine? The Son of God calling something “impossible”?

Luk 17:1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

The enemy WILL bring offences. The definition of Jesus word “offences” as a “trap,” “displeasure” “sin” “stumbling block” – something that will cause you to stumble. Sickness and infirmity for confessing Christians can be a stumbling block.

Or… it can be a place to prove the enemy wrong. You see, sickness, infirmity, adversity, suffering – were all allowed in the book of Job to prove God (the Word) wrong – but in the end, it was the disproving of the enemy.

Paul said… “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Now… pay close attention here… Paul didn’t glory FOR his infirmities… but IN his infirmities. These are the things that grow along the path of this life that we have been called to walk in. And sometimes we get tangled in these “things” – and these “things” are there to make us lose focus and to lose sight of the path we are on. And more importantly, we are tested to see if we will let go of our integrity and our faith.

The recipe on dealing with these “things” are in the first scriptures I gave you. Notice that Job “arose” – to deal with the things about him and then “fell down” and WORSHIPPED!!!

It was an occasion to Praise. It was an opportunity to Worship. It was a chance to “offend the offender.” The enemy lies in wait along our path. When he plans an obstacle, it is with the intent of revealing our true character and proving God wrong. When we praise instead of perjure… when we worship instead of wallow (in our self-pity) … when we dance in the midst of destruction… when we sing in the midst of sickness… when we rejoice in the midst of reconstruction… when we delight in the midst of death – it offends the offender. It makes HIM a liar – not God.

Habakkuk said… in the midst of the offenses – “YET will I rejoice”!!

I preached a message yesterday that was not recorded… but suffice to say, it was about the trials of Peter… the storms of his life. In the first storm after becoming a “Christian” – he went into a panic. He looked at Jesus asleep in the back of the boat on a soft cushy pillow and was enraged!!! How can you be so calm in the midst of this storm??? Jesus’ answer to him… “How is it that you have NO faith”?

In the second storm Peter was not only NOT scared in the boat, but had the courage and then the faith to walk on the water. His faith got him a little farther. Jesus said “Oh ye of little faith.” This was a step up into another realm with just a little faith.

Peter weathered many storms after that and through each storm – his faith grew and his focus turned from the storm to his path. In Peter’s final storm – the most intense of his life… what had he learned?

Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Acts 12:6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

Peter had learned what the Master had taught him during that first storm. How to focus on the path and not upon what was surrounding it. Jesus told them in that second storm… “Go to the other side” – and they lost sight of their purpose and their orders and their path due to the circumstances.

Now – here was Peter at the end of his life. He was soon to be martyred. He was heading to “the other side” – asleep in the boat – fully focused on his path. Peter first asked the Lord in Mark 4:38 “Don’t you care”? He had now come through his storms with great faith and great confidence inasmuch as he wrote in his epistle… 1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. And in the midst of this storm, Peter was fast asleep.

These “externals” that are surrounding our purpose and our path can come in the form of poverty, sickness, storms, and about a million other “offenses.” Focus on your path – not the winds and the waves. And add to your focus – Praise, Worship, Glory and Truth. Build your faith through the storms. It is one of the reasons for them. With the kind of faith that Peter had built, he was able to get across a troubled sea of life and he found his way home.

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.