Two down, seven to go. Wow, what a call!
FRUITFUL VINES FOUNDATION
Acts 13 – Holy Ghost sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Their first convert was a false Jewish prophet and a magician resisted them. The Lord won, the false prophet was born again, and they moved on to share the Gospel with the Jews. The Jews rejected the Gospel message, so Paul and Barnabas moved on to the Gentiles.
Acts 14 – They were chased out of one city and into another where Paul saw a lame man had faith to be healed. The people rejoiced so that they gathered oxen and garlands to offer sacrifice to them as gods. Paul and Barnabas tore their robes, rushed to confront the people and convince them of their humanity. “We preach the Gospel for you to turn from idols to the living God who made all things.”
In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. (vv. 16-17)
These nine weeks are to pull on the fruitful seasons to yield for the saints. God may allow some chaos, but He’ll always leave a witness to His goodness.
PRAYER POINTS TO DEMOLISH PERSONAL OFFENSE
- “A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and their contentions separate them like the bars of a castle.” ~ Proverbs 18:19
- Release the harvests delayed by offense and bitterness.
- Value the harvest more.
- Time and chance allowed us to clear our hearts in time…
- FORGIVE — as the offender and the offended — and let the response time shorten in our ability to discern the distraction of offense.
- Grace to go back again and try to win over the one(s) we offended.
- Turn over the ground of our hearts (uproot thorns and scatter stones) so that our hearts are good ground again.
- Move us beyond offense with God; we were tested or afflicted on account of the Word and we got offended with Him.
Thank you for listening, sharing and dropping offense. Love to all.
Image: demolition
