SMOKE & MIRRORS: OFFENSE, OFFENDERS, AND THE OFFENDED

05/14/2024

"Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones" (Luke 17:1-2).

Offense works primarily as a stumbling block to short-circuit the power of God from flowing where it should. And over time, there have been offenses that have come to communities, and people groups because certain  Christians acted apart from the dictates of the word of God. 

In some of these instances, these offenses have been so heinous that some people vowed never to set foot in a church again. Others simply switched off at the instance of hearing the gospel of Jesus preached. For these ones, the name of Jesus has come to represent so much hurt that the enemy has used it to blind them from the glorious liberty that God could have made available to them in Christ. 

Now, it's not that the offended had no reason to be offended, no.  But it is the objective of the offense that is never apparent. Offense produces a disconnection from the spirit realm. Many have become atheists or turned to hedonism in many places across the world because of offenses and hurts caused by Christians in a previous generation. 

If people in these places are going to become open to the message of Christ, the believers in these places are going to embrace an intercession of the penitential kind. They are going to repent on behalf of Christians who hurt people based on prejudices. They are going to ask God to forgive the errors of saints who hurt people in previous generations. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Hear me, so much has been done in the name of Jesus that grieved Jesus but created a breach in the spirit. Some of these abuses were racial causing some to embrace other religions. Some were sexual, causing some to embrace queerness. And some were based on teaching false doctrines, causing some to embrace agnosticism and atheism.

Today, stand in the gap for the city where you live, asking God to forgive past offenses against certain persons and groups that arose from the actions of ignorant Christians in the past. Pray that He will cause Christians in your city and country to restitute for the actions that have created a blockade in the spirit so that many more might come to Christ. Declare that the justification of the enemy to hold many in atheism,  queerness, and hedonism based on hurt they experienced from Christians is broken. In Jesus' name. 

Have a beautiful day 

Faith-Filled Confession

I am wise to repent on behalf of other Christians in generations before mine, who hurt certain people, ignorantly. I declare that peculiar wickednesses that have been perpetuated by territorial spirits over certain families, cities, people groups, and countries are resolved by the corporate repentance of fellow believers with me today. There is healing and revival in this land where I reside and the glory of the Lord fills the whole place without let up. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer 

Today, stand in the gap for the city where you live, asking God to forgive past offenses against certain persons and groups that arose from the actions of ignorant Christians in the past. 

Pray that He will cause Christians in your city and country to restitute for the actions that have created a blockade in the spirit so that many more might come to Christ. 

Declare that the justification of the enemy to hold many in atheism, queerness, and hedonism based on hurt they experienced from Christians is broken. In Jesus' name

One-Year Bible Reading Plan: 2 Kings 12-14; John 5:25-47