Being OFFENDED

Usually when my feelings get hurt, I ask myself 3 questions. One....have I
ever done anything to you Jesus, like has just been done to me? Has the
wrong spirit that was inflicted on me a spirit I ever had towards you Jesus?

Two....I remind myself that I have entered into Jesus' sufferings. "If you
suffer with me so will you reign with me." We are called to fellowship His
sufferings....you don't hear a lot of sermons on that one. Also Jesus made
some big promises to those who gave up many things to follow him. One of
those promises was "persecution." (We also tend to forget that.)

Three....how can you get the glory in this situation Father? I pray and am
willing to let the Lord use me to reconcile others unto Him. Sometimes
people are blind to how offensive their behavior is to God, and they need
someone who is willing to speak the truth in love, so we can all grow up and
be the bride who has made herself ready for her groom!

Also in the beatitudes in Matt. Jesus said to "REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY
GLAD" when we are persecuted for righteousness sake. Now that was something
I had to admit to The Lord....was not in me to do.....the rejoicing
part....and I asked Him for a heart transplant in that area of my soul. We
can get to the place where we don't take things personally and we can be
ministers of reconciliation when someone is in a wrong spirit! If someone can
hurt us soooo deeply, just think how it must hurt the heart of our Savior? I
have 6 children and I'm filled with grief when they aren't "loosing" a spirit
of love to one another. They know loving one another is big on the list of
having Mom and dad's approval.\

I pray you get a heavenly view of your hurt feelings....It might change your
whole perspective in the situation so you can OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD! When
we can really get to the place where we can bless those who curse us, pray
for those who use us....bless and curse not, we have confidence that we are
the children of the most High. Maybe this thing that has been done to you,
is something the Lord wants to be glorified in. Maybe if you pray, and we
can agree with you.....The Lord will use you to help this person not be
offensive to the one who has the power to cast our soul into hell. I have
come to see that when my friends are "grieving" me with a wrong spirit they
have, that the Lord usually wants to use me to help them look at something
they have hardened their hearts to. Jesus isn't here...in the flesh, we are.
When people are insensitive to The Holy Spirit.....it will show itself in
how they are treating flesh and blood...people. Sometimes the only way
people can see their carnality is if they have someone who is willing to
"show the house to the house" as Jer. puts it.

If our brother offends us, we should go to them. (So they can make it right
before they see the Lord and He has to confront them with unrepented sin. I
don't want to be judged later, if I offended someone. I want someone to love
me enough to point it out to me if I'm "loosing" a wrong spirit, so I can
repent now....not later. I don't mind at all being judged now by God's
people. I don't want to be deceived in thinking I'm fine when I'm not. I
care about being holy, and if I'm really walking in God's spirit. It doesn't
offend me for people to come to me when they think I'm being carnal....why
would I want to continue in my foolish path. People that really love
Jesus.....learn to love correction and see it AS A WAY OF LIFE....(prvbs.6)
I don't get offended when I'm corrected....I rejoice in the fact that The
Lord loves me enough to send correction into my life!

love, Ceci