Greetings Brother,

no offence, but....

I read something the other day about a chap who was involved in a war and was a medic. The chap went into the open battlefield and was caring for wounded soldiers from both sides. In amazement and possibly in honour, fighting stopped while he busied himself doing so.

Usually, offence happens the moment we give place to the temptation and lie from the adversary. While something comes our way and we like to think and sometimes like others to think that we want to be more Christ-like in all we do - and the Lord in His love allows a situation to arise for the express purpose of our desire, whether it is real or false, when that something comes our way, it is the moment we really need the most to exercise that desire and to overcome our flesh, our mortal and carnal, and to triumph in what the Lord has equipped us with for doing so. Never being freed from such temptation until the time of perfect redemption, the enemy, the accuser, the snare setter, never ceases to be somewhere on the path and it is in such moments that faith is tried, commitment is tried and endurance is fortified.
We need to take a re-think about the times we will face when we have opportunity to do good, to respond righteously and to glorify our Father for His kindness set out for us through His Son. Show kindness, even as your Father in Heaven has been kind to you [see Ephesians 4:22 which is also a perfect remedy (Matthew 5:48) ]

When we go walkabout we might find a fence or two along the way. We can either jump it or go under it or take it as a redirection we need to follow. Is it not strange that most folk will take some sort of medication when pain or discomfort intrudes on them = i don't often hear folk being offended when they get ill, ie have some sort of pain, is they don't get offended by the pain itself but take some sort of remedial treatment or even pray about it or seek prayer.... and yet when something goes haywire in the mind, they don't take the medication of the Lord that He is not taken by surprise nor is He baffled nor complacent but He remains ever faithful and present to help us overcome.

If a fence does eat at you, you really need to consider, what's on your mind... ie what's on my mind? Then ask why. If we are open to integrity and are willing to grow in the grace we have received, we can admit that we have been looking at things from the place of having given in to the devil, whose way is to divide, kill and destroy without mercy. We ought to remember that in the Bible, we do have the instruction, to give no place to the devil and he will flee from you.
If however you sow bitterness, you will be soon overcome with thorns and that will only mess up your day, preventing travel and irritating you immensely.

Finally (?) what about forgiveness and turning the other cheek? Fair suck of the sauce bottle!

nearly finally.... so we need to defend our upset mate and take sides, do we? Maybe we prefer mafia rules over the rule of the Spirit?
You mentioned about a lot of very worldly things that people can get offended by. Naturally so.
Maybe the Lord was not all that asleep when He gave us the exhortation to finally....

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. <==Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9


Bless you ....><>

Bear with each other and forgive any complaint you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13