I love the verse that Joe chose to use tonight, "Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." (Matt. 11:6). Being a christian is not easy, and many will fall off course and not return because their past failures crush them. I believe in this passage Jesus is telling John, "You are being persecuted for My name, and will suffer a terrible death because of your love for Me. Do not turn away from Me because of this, it was never My will for you to suffer."
Just like John the baptist, albeit to a much lesser degree, we share scars that, if they haven't driven us away from God, can take us away from the path He has set for us. In today's small group, I got into a deep discussion with two of my members, both of which have great question marks, that are clearly stumbling blocks in each of their lives. One of them talked about their time at a previous church, where the people showed great emotion and cared for them deeply. Now, after time has passed, this person told me they question if it was real, that God was really working in their life.
The other person told me they were once told by their mother, after time spent praying and fasting, that they were supposed to be a pastor. This person believed their mother until one day someone told them that they could never be one, and they were offended, and stopped believing. It was at this point in their life the person began to turn away from God and hit their teenage rebellion years. Of course they came back, or wouldn't be in our bible study, but the effect was clear. Offenses sting, sometimes permanently. For anyone reading this, I leave you with a question: what lies or stumbling blocks have fallen in your way? Is there anything that is in your life that makes you wonder if it was God's will for you? If so, pray about it with a pure heart, or talk to me or someone else who can pray for you. We really need to get past all of our offenses, and know they were not God's will for our lives.
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