Have you notice the epidemic of people who are offended and living their lives entrenched in the bondage of offences. Maybe it is a friend that out of the blue won’t talk to you or a co-worker that becomes standoffish after your promotion. Maybe it’s even hit closer to your home with a family member who hasn’t communicated with you for sometime. Whatever the scenario might look like most of us have been defiled in someway by offended people.
We read in Matt 24:10-11 Jesus’ words concerning the end of the age, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many”. One of the many signs that He gives them in this dialog is that there will be a noticeable plague of people
Once a person is offended they are dragged down a demonic trail that will open their callused hearts to deception. (tweet)
who are offended. The word “offended” in this passage means to entrap, to put a snare or stumbling block in the way. The word picture is the lever on a trap that ensnares whatever is enticed. In other words an offence will ensnare and hold in bondage the person that has been offended.
We set ourselves up for offense when we require certain behaviors from those with whom we have relationships. Offenses unchecked will lead to hurts and distortions. A person that chooses to be offended has allowed himself or herself to be entrapped and held captive. Limiting them from being about the fathers business.
We read in Matt 24 verse 10 that once people are offended that it leads to betrayal of each other. Meaning to cast off your commitment or bond that was there before the offence. It even implies to put in prison or bondage. When a person
The ironic thing about the person that succumbs to being offended is that they will become offenders themselves (tweet)
becomes offended it breaks the bond or covenant one may have and actually imprisons a person in the enemies hold. To betray someone is the ultimate abandonment of covenant!
Unfortunately, we also read in verse 10 that the slippery slope of destruction progresses from just being offended to betrayal and then drops off the cliff of Continue reading
Stranger things have happened, but the story we read in Gen 16 can definitely be counted among that category. We drop in on a story that started much earlier with the God of the universe putting a divine stamp or call on Abraham and his wife Sarah. God had called them out from among their own people to a land that they had not been and then downloads a promise that they are going to be blessed beyond measure (Gen 12:1-3), as well as, their own personal family to be numbered as the stars of the sky (Gen 15:5). In Gen 16:1-2, 4 we read, “…Abram’s wife, had borne him no children…” which at this point had been some time from God’s initial promise.
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