Sunday Re-cap (05th March 2006)

Let go of the Peanuts
Ps. S. Nathan

Matt. 24:4-10 ~We are living in the last of the last days.
Who we are today is what we will be in Heaven.
The main purpose of God’s calling is for us to be transformed to the image of Christ. Allowing God’s promise to work in our lives is always a fight of faith.
Mark 4:13-20 `~ Satan comes to steal the word. Everything that God does will always start with the Word.
We can always nullify the word by carelessly speaking or handling it.

How to guard the word of God in our lives without being offended?
Offence: In Greek it means trap.

Let go of the peanut. The monkey is trapped when it puts it hand into the coconut hole to take the peanut and hold it with the fist and doesn’t want to let go. Likewise offences are thrown into our lives to keep us in bondages and rob the power of God’s word in our lives.

Matt.13:54-58 The people were offended because Jesus was like one of them from that city. Every time we are prejudiced, we lose the presence of God.

Matt 11:1-6 John was offended because he put his eyes on himself / self-pity and expected Jesus to visit him in prison and set him free. Jesus doesn’t live to John’s expectation but to fulfill God’s expectation. Because of offence, John lost his head.
~ Nobody can meet our expectations. What we do with it that counts. Forgive and bless those who offend us. Curse Satan and command him to restore us seven fold.

1 Sam 17 –David grew up with rejection as a shepherd boy who was not brought out for the prophet to see. No one wanted to fight Goliath and when David wanted to fight his brother Eliab was offended because he felt insecured and could not get to marry the princess.

2 King 5 – Naaman was offended.
When we come before God, we are nobody, we need to humble ourselves. We go to Him by the Blood of Jesus and not by what we are or have.
Respect is earned, not demanded. Lower your expectation with others and humble yourself and God will exalt you.

How to live with offence?
1. Realize what offence- a trick by the devil is / trap.
2. Ps. 119:165 Learn to love the Word of God and be protected from offence.
3. Decide to forgive everyone who’s going to offend us.

When we have a problem, identifying the problem itself will solve half of the problem!