Hello everyone who faithfully reads my blog.
I know I haven't updated it in a while. My sincere apologies.
There's just so much that has happened. After Austria, the Lord has led me to so many places. So much has happened that I don't know when and how to start.
I've since been to Berlin, Rome, Israel, Ukraine.
I'm now in Zurich and will go back to Lausanne soon. Boy oh boy.
So much has happened. God has been really good. I'll update more at a later stage.
Blessings.
Barns.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
To Austria, With Love
I love Austria.
It's a beautiful place. And the people - simply marvellous. I've never seen such warm-hearted Caucasians in my life. The Austrians are simply beautiful - unassuming, loving, kind, and boisterous in a fun way.
And I love Austrian food.
And I love the colour and culture of Vienna.
I can't get enough of Austria.
Austria will always have a special place in my heart. After all, it's the place where the Lord led me to after months of struggle with my spiritual walk and my studies. God had a destiny for me in Austria. Before I came here, one pastor prayed for me and said that she heard the "blue Danube" and thought that I should go to France - but NO... the blue Danube was written in Austria.. and runs through Austria.
I was seriously contemplating whether I should go back home for the summer holidays, but I just felt that God wanted me to stay in Europe. And I received an email from Kathie Walters about the 777 Heart for God festival in Austria. I just felt a stirring in my heart to go there.
[An aside on how I got linked to Kathie Walters... This happend like 2 or more years ago. I awoke one morning and heard the name "kathy walters". I went online to search for "Kathy walters" but found nothing... so I thought I might have spelt Kathy wrongly (which I did - and a handful of you would remember how God let me to Europe for my studies with "Burtigny" which I mistook for "Brittany" - that is another long story). So I tried some other combinations - and finally found her name on the Elijah List. And so, I subscribed to her mailing list. Then again, there were so many emails a week that I decided to "unsubscribe" after a few months... When I arrived in Switzerland, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to re-subscribe to the mailing list, which I duly did so. And so that was how I found out about the 777 Festival in Austria. Haha... God is amazing]
Now... back to the Austria story.
I heard about the 777 festival before the exams. But didn't really want to bother with it cos I had to concentrate on studying. But I exchanged a few emails with the organisers and found out some details on the festival and decided I would relook into this after exams.
And so... exams were finally over for me. I was lazing around in my hostel (feeling rather miserable about the whole exams - I felt that I really could have done better)... so I was just sleeping and lazing around - didn't feel like doing anything - didn't even want to read the bible. But then, God (as usual) got the better of me. One morning, He just spoke to me "you better get out of bed to get ready to go Austria. Go book your train ticket"... Ooopss... I got out of bed and emailed the organisers whether it was too late for me to go there... (it was already Monday). Festival starts Friday night - talk about being last minute. Funny thing was, when I clicked "send", I received in my Inbox a mail from the organisers "Are you coming?". Apparently, our emails crossed. Gosh... talk about confirmation.
So, I booked my train ticket and got ready to leave for Austria! But the journey there was not easy. (Kathie at the conference spoke about harressing spirits which would try to harress us when we are reaching towards our destinies. They can't stop us from getting there, but will make the journey difficult or unbearable. I could totally identify with it.) Anyways, it was a "perilous" journey. It's rather long to recount but funny and great to see how God paved the way for me to get there despite all the haressment I got.
So... I think I'll stop here for now. Will write more about how I managed to wriggle my way into a small little town in Austria by the name of Oberschutzen.
Blessings,
Barn
My results are out!!
I just got another miracle. I passed all my exams! Phew… and the one that I had the greatest fear – I had a 4.5 out of 6.0. This course has really been somewhat of a roller coaster. Up and down and up and down. I was really very worried after coming out of the exams for the "numerical methods" paper. It was TOUGH.
I went to review my scripts yesterday - Funny thing was, I got 91 out of 100 for one of the papers. And I only got a 5.0 out of 6.0. (Perhaps my presentation, which accounted for 50% of the marks was bad - it couldn't be, because I remember it was a very good presentation, and the professor said it was good). My groupmate, who also did the presentation got only 4.0 out of 6.0. I highly suspect that the professor made a mistake with our presentation grade - i.e. he probably mistook our group for another group, which did the same topic, but who had, in my view an inferior presentation. But anyways, I'll see if I have the "energy" to pursue the matter. My overall results are much much better than last semester, which I scraped through with the skin of my teeth! (Talk about grace. Har!)I had mostly 5.0 out of 6.0… i.e. out of 8 subjects, all were 5.0 out of 6.0, with one 4.5 and one 4.0. The surprising thing is that for the 4.0, it was one of the "easier" subjects for which I had 95% for the assignments... haha... so I didn't study much for the finals - only got 29 marks out of 100... haha... but overall, I passed.
I really give thanks to God for this. I remember telling Him before the exams - let my results be a testimony for You. I was still "recovering" from the lack of academic studies... come on... at my age - doing such a technical course with all the squiggly math formulae is NO SMALL JOKE. And I told Him after the numerical methods paper - "it's not fair... I studied VERY VERY HARD for the exams... but I 'blacked out' during the final paper. I KNEW how to do the questions but I simply blacked out. And so very much want to do You proud" (you know how these blackouts tend to happen for the most difficult of papers for which you have prepared so hard for?). Anyways, I just left the matter to God to "manage" and prayed that they would be more lenient with the marking. I was even prepared to retake the exam. But two days before the results were out, I heard God whisper to me “prepare to celebrate” – so I reckoned that it would be for my studies – and it’s true. Well…. God is really Good to me. What to say? But then, I now feel that the "celebration" might also be for something more.
Will update. Arh... yes... I'll also add in snippets of my journey to Austria. Apart from the diamond and gold dust, God did other amazing stuff with and to me. Haha.
God bless you.
Barns
I went to review my scripts yesterday - Funny thing was, I got 91 out of 100 for one of the papers. And I only got a 5.0 out of 6.0. (Perhaps my presentation, which accounted for 50% of the marks was bad - it couldn't be, because I remember it was a very good presentation, and the professor said it was good). My groupmate, who also did the presentation got only 4.0 out of 6.0. I highly suspect that the professor made a mistake with our presentation grade - i.e. he probably mistook our group for another group, which did the same topic, but who had, in my view an inferior presentation. But anyways, I'll see if I have the "energy" to pursue the matter. My overall results are much much better than last semester, which I scraped through with the skin of my teeth! (Talk about grace. Har!)I had mostly 5.0 out of 6.0… i.e. out of 8 subjects, all were 5.0 out of 6.0, with one 4.5 and one 4.0. The surprising thing is that for the 4.0, it was one of the "easier" subjects for which I had 95% for the assignments... haha... so I didn't study much for the finals - only got 29 marks out of 100... haha... but overall, I passed.
I really give thanks to God for this. I remember telling Him before the exams - let my results be a testimony for You. I was still "recovering" from the lack of academic studies... come on... at my age - doing such a technical course with all the squiggly math formulae is NO SMALL JOKE. And I told Him after the numerical methods paper - "it's not fair... I studied VERY VERY HARD for the exams... but I 'blacked out' during the final paper. I KNEW how to do the questions but I simply blacked out. And so very much want to do You proud" (you know how these blackouts tend to happen for the most difficult of papers for which you have prepared so hard for?). Anyways, I just left the matter to God to "manage" and prayed that they would be more lenient with the marking. I was even prepared to retake the exam. But two days before the results were out, I heard God whisper to me “prepare to celebrate” – so I reckoned that it would be for my studies – and it’s true. Well…. God is really Good to me. What to say? But then, I now feel that the "celebration" might also be for something more.
Will update. Arh... yes... I'll also add in snippets of my journey to Austria. Apart from the diamond and gold dust, God did other amazing stuff with and to me. Haha.
God bless you.
Barns
Monday, 16 July 2007
Diamonds are Forever??
After exams, the Lord led me to Austria for a 777 festival in this tiny little town – We had a Jesus march there on 777 and a prophetic conference thereafter. It was an amazing time.
Some of you might have seen video clip about people in the US receiving gemstones from the Lord. Guess what? I received a gemstone from Jesus in Austria!!! A tiny little white gemstone that looks like a diamond. I was worshiping the Lord in my room and felt God’s presence and healing – and then when I opened my eyes, this shiny thing was on my table. It’s very small… but very shiny.
See Links below for other testimonies.
Video 1
Video 2
Friday, 13 July 2007
Exams are over!!!
Exams are over and I have had a wonderful time relaxing and just allowing my mind and body to just "cool off".
Went to Austria last week. God reminded me when I awoke one morning about going to Austria for a 7-7-7 conference.
It was a BLAST!!!
I had such an amazing encounter with God there, the story is so incredible, it just blows my mind away...
The story is pretty long. So, I'll need some time to pen it down. But it is nothing short of amazing (for me).
Will write later.
Blessings.
Barnabas
Went to Austria last week. God reminded me when I awoke one morning about going to Austria for a 7-7-7 conference.
It was a BLAST!!!
I had such an amazing encounter with God there, the story is so incredible, it just blows my mind away...
The story is pretty long. So, I'll need some time to pen it down. But it is nothing short of amazing (for me).
Will write later.
Blessings.
Barnabas
Saturday, 23 June 2007
Unoffendable (Part II)
Unoffendable
Part Two
Francis Frangipane
"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another . . . and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt. 24:10-12 KJV).
The Sequence That Leads To Apostasy
In our last teaching we looked at offenses and examined the lethal effect an offended spirit could have upon our lives. We discussed how the only way to not be permanently offended was to attain the unoffendable heart of Jesus Christ.
Attaining Christ's heart is not a minor issue. Remember, Jesus warned that, in the last days, "many" would be offended. A wounded spirit is not the same thing as an offended spirit - an offense occurs when we do not process our wounds in a Christlike manner. Indeed, an offended spirit, left unattended and brooding in our minds, will soon manifest as betrayal, hatred and cold love. Jesus said offenses would be the ultimate cause that leads many to fall from faith. Listen well: Jesus linked the real cause of apostasy not to wrong doctrines, but wrong reactions.
Aren't right doctrines important? Of course, but we can have right information and still have a wrong response. Doctrinal information can be upgraded and refined, but Proverbs warns that someone "offended is harder to be won than a strong city," and "contentions" between people "are like the bars of a castle" (Prov. 18:19).
Yes, beware of false leaders, but more deceitful than false prophets or teachers is our own heart when it is offended (Jer. 17:9). Are you living with an offended heart? If so, you are gradually slipping away from true Christianity, which is known for its agape love.
Thus, dealing with an offended heart is vital in maintaining ongoing spiritual maturity. For this reason, we need to look again at the things that offend us.
False Expectations
Unrealistic or exaggerated expectations inevitably will cause others to fall short and offend us. Some desire their spouse or pastor or friends to meet their every need. However, at the deepest level, our soul was created to find its security in God, not man. When the Almighty truly becomes our security, our peace flows from our awareness of His love and unlimited capabilities. As people who put their confidence in God, we can live comfortably with imperfect people around us.
Still, the very power of our expectations can choke out the sweetness of a personal relationship. Suppose that, instead of burdening people with our expectations, we simply learned to appreciate them for themselves - no strings attached. What if we approach family and friends with gratitude for what they are doing rather than disappointment for what they failed to do?
Suppose that a husband, instead of expecting a full course dinner from his wife each night, learned to appreciate whatever she was able to offer him? Then, instead of his failed expectation degrading into an offense, there would be a living, sincere appreciation for the food his wife prepared. I know we have arrangements by common consent, but in reality, a wife is under no obligation to cook special meals or do housekeeping. You did not marry her to be your housekeeper, but to become one with her.
Or imagine a husband who works a long, tiring job. However, his wife expects that he will work another two hours at home or go shopping with her or listen attentively about her problems. What if, instead, she welcomed him at the door and sincerely thanked him for daily giving himself to support their family? What if she met him, not with demands, but with appreciation? Perhaps she might even massage his shoulders and, because of love, have his favorite meal prepared.
You see, expectations can seem like legitimate aspects of a relationship, but they can also cause us to be disappointed and offended when people fall short. I have known situations in the past where my expectations actually blinded me to the efforts being made by a loved one. They were trying to improve in an area I was unaware of because my focus was preset upon a different expectation. I should have been grateful and encouraging.
Of course, today I discuss issues and expectations with those close to me, but the weight of my expectation is not on others, but upon myself to be Christlike and sensitive to those around me. I put a premium upon enjoying the uniqueness of others, sincerely thanking God for their contribution to my life.
When God Himself Offends Us
The fact is, false expectations can become a source of many deep offenses. However, one of the worst offenses we can suffer is when God Himself purposely offends us.
In 2 Kings 5, we read the story of when Naaman, a Syrian general, sought to be healed of leprosy by Elisha, the prophet. When Naaman and his entourage arrived at Elisha's house, Elisha didn't greet him personally, but instead sent his servant with a word/cure for Naaman. It was a simple assignment for the military leader: wash seven times in the Jordan River. However, the cure offended Naaman. Why didn't the prophet himself come out? Why this muddy Jordan? Scripture says that "Naaman was furious."
An offended spirit is an angry spirit. In this case, Naaman was beyond mad; he was furious. Do you find that you are always mad at a particular person? It's because they have offended you and you haven't forgiven them. Naaman was offended at Elisha, but what was the real cause of Naaman's offense? Listen to his words. He said, "Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper'" (v. 11).
Catch the phrase, "Behold, I thought . . ." In truth, Naaman was not offended by Elisha, but by his own failed expectations. He probably spent many hours envisioning the moment of healing. He even pictured himself testifying of how the man of God healed him. When it didn't happen according to his plan, he was offended.
Friends, before the Lord heals you or assigns you some new, elevated position of service, He will often offend you. Why? What is it that gets offended in us? Usually, it is our pride. We come to God desiring physical healing, but the Lord wants us not only to be healed, but to be humble. Yes, God heals us through our faith, but there our times when our own pride keeps us from receiving the method of God's healing. The Lord offends us to humble us, so He can give us grace. Faith works through grace, but God only gives grace to the humble.
Look at how often Jesus offended people before He healed them. Once, He actually spit on the ground, made mud and put it on a blind man's eyes, and then told him to walk across town that way! Imagine if you were next in the healing line and saw what the guy before you had to do. Admit it, we each would be looking for another healing ministry, one that is a little less offensive! On another occasion He told a woman who came seeking her daughter's healing that she was an unclean dog; another time, He stuck His fingers in the ears of a man to heal his deafness. The Lord often offended people before He healed them.
If we would learn to humble ourselves in the offense, we would discover that the apparent offense was, in realty, a door that led into the manifest power of God. When Jesus called the Canaanite woman a "dog," instead of being offended, she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs" (Matt. 15:27). When Jesus told the man to walk across town with mud in his eyes, the man didn't argue or ask for a more dignified healing; he humbled himself and came back seeing. When Elisha told Naaman to dip in the Jordan seven times, the offense wounded him. Yet, when he humbled himself, his leprosy was replaced with the skin of a little child. His skin became as a child, because his heart, through humility, became as a child.
Maybe you haven't received your healing or breakthrough yet because to walk the path set before you is beneath your dignity. Maybe you need to get rid of your dignity and go to that Pentecostal or Baptist church you've been making fun of, then ask them to pray for you. God wants to heal you, but He also wants to renew and transform you with His grace.
Overcome Offenses
When we study what Jesus taught, it is obvious that He came to make us "unoffendable." Consider: He says that if someone slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other. He said to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. What He's really doing is showing us how an unoffendable heart of love overcomes all adversity.
We pray, "Lord, I want to change." To answer our prayer, He sometimes must put us in situations that perfectly offend us. The offense itself awakens our need of grace. Thus, the Lord precipitates change by first offending the area of our soul He desires to transform. He does not expect us to merely survive this adversity, but to become Christlike in it. Ask Joseph in the Old Testament: the "land of offense" became the land of his anointing and power. Listen my friends: the destiny God has for man unfolds or dies at the junction of offense. How we handle offense is the key to our tomorrow.
"Those who love [God's] law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble" (Ps. 119:165).
Lord, grant me that new creation heart that can walk as Jesus walked, through a world of offenses without stumbling. I want to see everything as an opportunity to pray, everything as an opportunity to become Christlike. Lord help me to interpret offenses as opportunities that lead to transformations. Grant me, Lord Jesus, the pulse and beat of Your unoffendable heart. Amen.
Part Two
Francis Frangipane
"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another . . . and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt. 24:10-12 KJV).
The Sequence That Leads To Apostasy
In our last teaching we looked at offenses and examined the lethal effect an offended spirit could have upon our lives. We discussed how the only way to not be permanently offended was to attain the unoffendable heart of Jesus Christ.
Attaining Christ's heart is not a minor issue. Remember, Jesus warned that, in the last days, "many" would be offended. A wounded spirit is not the same thing as an offended spirit - an offense occurs when we do not process our wounds in a Christlike manner. Indeed, an offended spirit, left unattended and brooding in our minds, will soon manifest as betrayal, hatred and cold love. Jesus said offenses would be the ultimate cause that leads many to fall from faith. Listen well: Jesus linked the real cause of apostasy not to wrong doctrines, but wrong reactions.
Aren't right doctrines important? Of course, but we can have right information and still have a wrong response. Doctrinal information can be upgraded and refined, but Proverbs warns that someone "offended is harder to be won than a strong city," and "contentions" between people "are like the bars of a castle" (Prov. 18:19).
Yes, beware of false leaders, but more deceitful than false prophets or teachers is our own heart when it is offended (Jer. 17:9). Are you living with an offended heart? If so, you are gradually slipping away from true Christianity, which is known for its agape love.
Thus, dealing with an offended heart is vital in maintaining ongoing spiritual maturity. For this reason, we need to look again at the things that offend us.
False Expectations
Unrealistic or exaggerated expectations inevitably will cause others to fall short and offend us. Some desire their spouse or pastor or friends to meet their every need. However, at the deepest level, our soul was created to find its security in God, not man. When the Almighty truly becomes our security, our peace flows from our awareness of His love and unlimited capabilities. As people who put their confidence in God, we can live comfortably with imperfect people around us.
Still, the very power of our expectations can choke out the sweetness of a personal relationship. Suppose that, instead of burdening people with our expectations, we simply learned to appreciate them for themselves - no strings attached. What if we approach family and friends with gratitude for what they are doing rather than disappointment for what they failed to do?
Suppose that a husband, instead of expecting a full course dinner from his wife each night, learned to appreciate whatever she was able to offer him? Then, instead of his failed expectation degrading into an offense, there would be a living, sincere appreciation for the food his wife prepared. I know we have arrangements by common consent, but in reality, a wife is under no obligation to cook special meals or do housekeeping. You did not marry her to be your housekeeper, but to become one with her.
Or imagine a husband who works a long, tiring job. However, his wife expects that he will work another two hours at home or go shopping with her or listen attentively about her problems. What if, instead, she welcomed him at the door and sincerely thanked him for daily giving himself to support their family? What if she met him, not with demands, but with appreciation? Perhaps she might even massage his shoulders and, because of love, have his favorite meal prepared.
You see, expectations can seem like legitimate aspects of a relationship, but they can also cause us to be disappointed and offended when people fall short. I have known situations in the past where my expectations actually blinded me to the efforts being made by a loved one. They were trying to improve in an area I was unaware of because my focus was preset upon a different expectation. I should have been grateful and encouraging.
Of course, today I discuss issues and expectations with those close to me, but the weight of my expectation is not on others, but upon myself to be Christlike and sensitive to those around me. I put a premium upon enjoying the uniqueness of others, sincerely thanking God for their contribution to my life.
When God Himself Offends Us
The fact is, false expectations can become a source of many deep offenses. However, one of the worst offenses we can suffer is when God Himself purposely offends us.
In 2 Kings 5, we read the story of when Naaman, a Syrian general, sought to be healed of leprosy by Elisha, the prophet. When Naaman and his entourage arrived at Elisha's house, Elisha didn't greet him personally, but instead sent his servant with a word/cure for Naaman. It was a simple assignment for the military leader: wash seven times in the Jordan River. However, the cure offended Naaman. Why didn't the prophet himself come out? Why this muddy Jordan? Scripture says that "Naaman was furious."
An offended spirit is an angry spirit. In this case, Naaman was beyond mad; he was furious. Do you find that you are always mad at a particular person? It's because they have offended you and you haven't forgiven them. Naaman was offended at Elisha, but what was the real cause of Naaman's offense? Listen to his words. He said, "Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper'" (v. 11).
Catch the phrase, "Behold, I thought . . ." In truth, Naaman was not offended by Elisha, but by his own failed expectations. He probably spent many hours envisioning the moment of healing. He even pictured himself testifying of how the man of God healed him. When it didn't happen according to his plan, he was offended.
Friends, before the Lord heals you or assigns you some new, elevated position of service, He will often offend you. Why? What is it that gets offended in us? Usually, it is our pride. We come to God desiring physical healing, but the Lord wants us not only to be healed, but to be humble. Yes, God heals us through our faith, but there our times when our own pride keeps us from receiving the method of God's healing. The Lord offends us to humble us, so He can give us grace. Faith works through grace, but God only gives grace to the humble.
Look at how often Jesus offended people before He healed them. Once, He actually spit on the ground, made mud and put it on a blind man's eyes, and then told him to walk across town that way! Imagine if you were next in the healing line and saw what the guy before you had to do. Admit it, we each would be looking for another healing ministry, one that is a little less offensive! On another occasion He told a woman who came seeking her daughter's healing that she was an unclean dog; another time, He stuck His fingers in the ears of a man to heal his deafness. The Lord often offended people before He healed them.
If we would learn to humble ourselves in the offense, we would discover that the apparent offense was, in realty, a door that led into the manifest power of God. When Jesus called the Canaanite woman a "dog," instead of being offended, she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs" (Matt. 15:27). When Jesus told the man to walk across town with mud in his eyes, the man didn't argue or ask for a more dignified healing; he humbled himself and came back seeing. When Elisha told Naaman to dip in the Jordan seven times, the offense wounded him. Yet, when he humbled himself, his leprosy was replaced with the skin of a little child. His skin became as a child, because his heart, through humility, became as a child.
Maybe you haven't received your healing or breakthrough yet because to walk the path set before you is beneath your dignity. Maybe you need to get rid of your dignity and go to that Pentecostal or Baptist church you've been making fun of, then ask them to pray for you. God wants to heal you, but He also wants to renew and transform you with His grace.
Overcome Offenses
When we study what Jesus taught, it is obvious that He came to make us "unoffendable." Consider: He says that if someone slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other. He said to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. What He's really doing is showing us how an unoffendable heart of love overcomes all adversity.
We pray, "Lord, I want to change." To answer our prayer, He sometimes must put us in situations that perfectly offend us. The offense itself awakens our need of grace. Thus, the Lord precipitates change by first offending the area of our soul He desires to transform. He does not expect us to merely survive this adversity, but to become Christlike in it. Ask Joseph in the Old Testament: the "land of offense" became the land of his anointing and power. Listen my friends: the destiny God has for man unfolds or dies at the junction of offense. How we handle offense is the key to our tomorrow.
"Those who love [God's] law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble" (Ps. 119:165).
Lord, grant me that new creation heart that can walk as Jesus walked, through a world of offenses without stumbling. I want to see everything as an opportunity to pray, everything as an opportunity to become Christlike. Lord help me to interpret offenses as opportunities that lead to transformations. Grant me, Lord Jesus, the pulse and beat of Your unoffendable heart. Amen.
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Unoffendable
Unoffendable
By Francis Frangipane
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26).
God has a new heart for us that cannot be offended, an “unoffendable” heart. Beloved, possessing an unoffendable heart is not an option or a luxury; it’s not a little thing. Consider: Jesus warns that, as we near the end of the age, a majority of people will be offended to such a degree that they fall away from the faith. Listen carefully to His warning:
"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another . . . and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt. 24:10-12 KJV).
“Many” will be offended; the love of “many” will grow cold. My prayer is that we will hear His words with holy fear.
When we allow an offense to remain in our hearts, it causes serious spiritual consequences. In the above verse Jesus named three dangerous results: betrayal, hatred and cold love. When we are offended with someone, even someone we care for, we must go to them. Otherwise, we begin to betray that relationship, talking maliciously behind their back to others, exposing their weaknesses and sins. We may mask our betrayal by saying we are just looking for advice or counsel, but when we look back, we see we have spoken negatively to far too many people. Our real goal was not to get spiritual help for ourselves but to seek revenge toward the one who offended us. How is such action not a manifestation of hatred? For an offended soul, cold love, betrayal and hatred go hand-in-hand.
People don’t usually stumble over boulders; they stumble over stones, relatively small things. It may be that the personality of someone in authority bothers us and soon we are offended. Or, a friend or family member fails to meet our expectations, and we take an offense into our soul. Beloved, if we will “endure to the end,” we will have to confront the things that bother us.
When Jesus warns that we need endurance, He is saying that it is easier to begin the race than finish it. Between now and the day you die, there will be major times of offense that you will need to overcome. You might be in such a time right now. Do not minimize the danger of harboring an offense.
No one plans on falling away; no one ever says, “Today, I think I’ll try to develop a hardened, cold heart.” Such things enter our souls through stealth and it is only naiveté that assumes it couldn’t happen to us. I know many people who consistently become offended about one thing or another. Instead of dealing with the offenses, these people carry them until the weight disables their walk with God. You may be doing fine today, but I guarantee you, tomorrow something will happen that will inevitably disappoint or wound you; some injustice will strike you, demanding you retaliate in the flesh.
The Root Of Offense
An offense can strike at our virtues or sins, our values or our pride. It can penetrate and wound any dimension of the soul, both good and evil. I once brought a series of messages about gossip. Most people saw their sin and repented, but a core group of gossips were greatly offended and ultimately left the church. When the Holy Spirit exposes sin in someone’s soul, if we refuse the opportunity to repent, we often become offended at the person who brought the teaching. Instead of humbling our hearts, we are outraged at the pastor or teachers in the church. Truthfully, most of the time, I have no idea who specifically needs to hear what I’m teaching, but God knows.
Paul told Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (see 2 Tim. 4:2). He didn’t say, “exhort, exhort, exhort,” but exhortation is what we receive in most churches. Certainly, we need to be encouraged, but there are also times, beloved, when we need to be reproved and rebuked. Today, there are preachers who are afraid to preach truth for fear people will react and leave the church. The end result is a church of easily offended people who cannot grow beyond their inability to accept correction.
People don’t change by exhortation alone. There are areas in all of us that need to be confronted and disciplined. The pastor who refuses to discipline and correct those in sin is in disobedience to God. He is unable to lead people into any truly transforming changes in their lives; they will not “endure to the end” if they cannot be corrected (see Matt. 24).
We need to become a people who say, “Lord, show me what needs to change in me.” I’m talking about growing up. A wise man will receive a rebuke and he will prosper. But a fool rejects his father’s discipline (see Prov. 15:5).
Personal Offense
An offense can wound our pride when we are not recognized for our good works or ministry. This happened to my wife and I long ago while in California. We were young pastors at a conference when the main leader decided to personally greet each minister and wife. He greeted the couple on our right and then turned to his staff to ask a question. A moment later he returned, but passed us by and went to the couple on our left. Everyone around us saw we were bypassed. We were embarrassed and offended. But my wife wisely observed that we could allow this thing to hurt us or we could see it as an investment in sensitivity toward other people’s feelings. The offense taught us how others feel when they are ignored. Do you see this? You must make that offense become an opportunity to become more Christlike.
The occasions for taking offense are practically endless. Indeed, we are daily given the opportunity to either be offended by something or to possess an unoffendable heart. The Lord’s promise is that He’s given us a new heart: a soft, entreatable heart that can be filled with His Spirit and abound with His love.
Lord, forgive me for being so easily offended and for carrying offenses. Father, my heart is foolish and weak. Grant me the unoffendable heart of Jesus Christ. Amen.
By Francis Frangipane
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26).
God has a new heart for us that cannot be offended, an “unoffendable” heart. Beloved, possessing an unoffendable heart is not an option or a luxury; it’s not a little thing. Consider: Jesus warns that, as we near the end of the age, a majority of people will be offended to such a degree that they fall away from the faith. Listen carefully to His warning:
"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another . . . and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt. 24:10-12 KJV).
“Many” will be offended; the love of “many” will grow cold. My prayer is that we will hear His words with holy fear.
When we allow an offense to remain in our hearts, it causes serious spiritual consequences. In the above verse Jesus named three dangerous results: betrayal, hatred and cold love. When we are offended with someone, even someone we care for, we must go to them. Otherwise, we begin to betray that relationship, talking maliciously behind their back to others, exposing their weaknesses and sins. We may mask our betrayal by saying we are just looking for advice or counsel, but when we look back, we see we have spoken negatively to far too many people. Our real goal was not to get spiritual help for ourselves but to seek revenge toward the one who offended us. How is such action not a manifestation of hatred? For an offended soul, cold love, betrayal and hatred go hand-in-hand.
People don’t usually stumble over boulders; they stumble over stones, relatively small things. It may be that the personality of someone in authority bothers us and soon we are offended. Or, a friend or family member fails to meet our expectations, and we take an offense into our soul. Beloved, if we will “endure to the end,” we will have to confront the things that bother us.
When Jesus warns that we need endurance, He is saying that it is easier to begin the race than finish it. Between now and the day you die, there will be major times of offense that you will need to overcome. You might be in such a time right now. Do not minimize the danger of harboring an offense.
No one plans on falling away; no one ever says, “Today, I think I’ll try to develop a hardened, cold heart.” Such things enter our souls through stealth and it is only naiveté that assumes it couldn’t happen to us. I know many people who consistently become offended about one thing or another. Instead of dealing with the offenses, these people carry them until the weight disables their walk with God. You may be doing fine today, but I guarantee you, tomorrow something will happen that will inevitably disappoint or wound you; some injustice will strike you, demanding you retaliate in the flesh.
The Root Of Offense
An offense can strike at our virtues or sins, our values or our pride. It can penetrate and wound any dimension of the soul, both good and evil. I once brought a series of messages about gossip. Most people saw their sin and repented, but a core group of gossips were greatly offended and ultimately left the church. When the Holy Spirit exposes sin in someone’s soul, if we refuse the opportunity to repent, we often become offended at the person who brought the teaching. Instead of humbling our hearts, we are outraged at the pastor or teachers in the church. Truthfully, most of the time, I have no idea who specifically needs to hear what I’m teaching, but God knows.
Paul told Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (see 2 Tim. 4:2). He didn’t say, “exhort, exhort, exhort,” but exhortation is what we receive in most churches. Certainly, we need to be encouraged, but there are also times, beloved, when we need to be reproved and rebuked. Today, there are preachers who are afraid to preach truth for fear people will react and leave the church. The end result is a church of easily offended people who cannot grow beyond their inability to accept correction.
People don’t change by exhortation alone. There are areas in all of us that need to be confronted and disciplined. The pastor who refuses to discipline and correct those in sin is in disobedience to God. He is unable to lead people into any truly transforming changes in their lives; they will not “endure to the end” if they cannot be corrected (see Matt. 24).
We need to become a people who say, “Lord, show me what needs to change in me.” I’m talking about growing up. A wise man will receive a rebuke and he will prosper. But a fool rejects his father’s discipline (see Prov. 15:5).
Personal Offense
An offense can wound our pride when we are not recognized for our good works or ministry. This happened to my wife and I long ago while in California. We were young pastors at a conference when the main leader decided to personally greet each minister and wife. He greeted the couple on our right and then turned to his staff to ask a question. A moment later he returned, but passed us by and went to the couple on our left. Everyone around us saw we were bypassed. We were embarrassed and offended. But my wife wisely observed that we could allow this thing to hurt us or we could see it as an investment in sensitivity toward other people’s feelings. The offense taught us how others feel when they are ignored. Do you see this? You must make that offense become an opportunity to become more Christlike.
The occasions for taking offense are practically endless. Indeed, we are daily given the opportunity to either be offended by something or to possess an unoffendable heart. The Lord’s promise is that He’s given us a new heart: a soft, entreatable heart that can be filled with His Spirit and abound with His love.
Lord, forgive me for being so easily offended and for carrying offenses. Father, my heart is foolish and weak. Grant me the unoffendable heart of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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