hey guys Jennifer LeClaire here again back with another episode of
hand-to-hand combat I'm here with my good friend Ryan Johnson from Ryan
Johnson ministries we just got going on this topic of offense and I felt there's
such a wind on this topic palpable because there's a deliverance for you in
it if you're struggling with offense few things we need to address one of the
things Lord showman when you were talking we were speaking the last
episode about not taking on another's offense and how you can stand with
someone who is being attacked without ever throwing a dart and here's the
thing if we remember from Scripture you know in it Jonathan and David now Saul
was trying to kill David he was trying to kill him now Jonathan interceded for
him Jonathan gave him a tip yeah my dad's after you Jonathan
wept with him Jonathan gave him his armor they had a covenant that a
covenant they weren't this wasn't just ministry friends they had a covenant
together but when David was under attack Jonathan does not walk around in the
wilderness with him Jonathan wasn't in the cave with him and David could have
been offended by that but David wasn't he didn't expect Jonathan to have to
suffer that with him that was his battle so and actually you know the the the
right way to have looked at the thing was that hey John Jonathan's where
Jonathan needs to be you know he is you know I wouldn't want you know if if I'm
under attack I don't want you just because you're running I don't want you
to be under attack I don't want you to take my darts I want you to pray for me
but I don't want you to to get caught up in my you know issue and so we have to
remember again don't take up somebody's offense it's a bad situation you know
Paul it was it Paul and Silas with with Mark was a Barnabas it was Barnabas
Paulo sighs with you know they they got they had issue with each other over this
thing now you don't see Paul telling Timothy hey hey don't go hang out with
Barnabas you know I'm offended with him you don't see Paul writing it you know
in the Bible watch out for Barnabas you know he's sided with Mark you I mean you
don't see this petty stuff in the Bible you see walk in
love walk enjoy you know region and so we just have to be very careful not to
take on that offense what's interesting because you mentioned
David and Jonathan and David probably had every right to say well you're on
Southside yeah you know but realistically before Jonathan had a
relationship with David Jonathan had a relationship with Saul
so David knew in the wisdom I can't destroy that relationship just because I
have a relationship then you flip to Paul and Barnabus you know when you
dissect that word and you get the definition of that Greek word when Paul
and Barnabas argued the understanding that word is they had a knock-down
drag-out yeah over John Mark and it really got very in in our understanding
very hateful between the two when you understand that word so they have this
strong disagreement over the maturity of John Mark Paul refused to have anything
to do with John Mark in that now here's what's interesting about that though so
they separate and they go their separate ways
Barnabas goes with John Mark and eventually Silas comes with Paul yeah
when you fast-forward through the scripture eventually Paul takes John
mark with him so there's a right way to handle this you can have a strong
disagreement and you just say I can't run with this person I can't I can't be
a part of what this person is doing in that moment and even in the midst of the
strong disagreement there's a way that time permits you to eventually learn how
to work with that person because Paul didn't reject John mark as an individual
he rejected the timing of John mark because of immaturity eventually John
Mark grows he matures and out of that he takes him on with him and greater things
are advanced so sometimes you know one of the things that I'm learning is
rejection is not always the opportunity to be offended rejection is also an
opportunity is in itself to create opportunity what will you do will you
use it as opportunity or will you use it as offense and John Mark could have
totally took events at Paul for rejecting him you didn't you weren't I
wasn't good enough for you five years ago now
the sudden I'm good enough for ya well yeah now that's it that's a good word
that's a really really good word and that's the best possible outcome you
know there there are times you know when where whether it's family whether it's
brothers and sisters you know or or whether it's co-workers you know
sometimes the enemy does find a way and sometimes there is a legitimate concern
that will cause you to separate but you know you know we don't have to have this
fatalistic mindset we're either well I'm mad and I'm offended they did this to me
and I'm never gonna work without always Nevers are usually from the devil you
know God has always Nevers but their blessings and promises and laws of God
the devil wants to pervert that and bring always Nevers I'm never gonna work
I've never done you don't know what God's gonna do in the future somebody
who today seems like your enemy in the future could be one of your strongest
allies listen we're gonna take a break we're to come back and we're going to
talk about the Matthew 18 principle because this is one of the keys to
freedom from the spirit of offense we'll be right back
inspiring daily devotionals prophetic words breakthrough intercession
spiritual warfare prayer join me every morning at 6 a.m. Eastern Time on
Facebook or periscope for mornings with the Holy Spirit prayer calls these calls
will change your life thanks for sticking around we're back here the
Matthew 18 principle and this is something I've learned to really really
live by you know Matthew 18 says if if you have something against your brother
go to your brother don't go to five other people don't go to you know the
social media outlets and begin to blast and make videos about them and go to
your brother talk to your brother talk to your brother talk to your sister go
to them now there are times we do need to get advice from a very trusted
counsel that you know that they will advise you prudently sometimes you might
have to get that advice before you go to your brother but you know the spirit of
it is don't go gossip don't go ranting don't
go raging go to your brother so many times if we would just go to our brother
we could work it out amicably and many times it's just a misunderstanding yeah
it is you know let me say this I want people to understand I'm not suggesting
I'm telling you this from experience I've had to do this I served under a
ministry one time and unfortunately there was some unethical things that
were occurring and I was really just grieving over the situation the
circumstance you know how do I handle this what do I do and I did go to a
spiritual father and I said you know how do I even present this because the
reality is Matthew 18 the three principles are one you go to them in
private you have that private conversation to you bring forth other
leaders in that step three is you go before the church now here's what I'm
gonna say I've really had to walk this out a couple of difficult times I mean
very very difficult especially in this unethical situation that was occurred
and I went to that person I sat down with him privately they lied
they denied it they went on so here's what I learned in
that the next time I sat down I made sure to have documentation of some of
the things that were happy in it and it's not that I'm trying to throw blame
or throw shade on them if you have something that is tangible you have to
bring that tangible or it's just accusation
it's just slander it's just European it's your thoughts so I had
documentation so I brought forth a couple leaders from the church and I sat
down and there came a point one of the leaders says why do you feel like this
person is doing these things let us reach back and I brought the
documentation and I said that's why again the person continued a lot and
continued to be adamant it's not me I'm not doing this so here comes Step three
now I'm going to tell you this because I'm telling you this out of the
experience I've done this at some of the most difficult times but I've never
taken step three I've took in the brunt of it yeah and
what I mean by that is in every situation I've never had the heart to
defile a person for the sake of I could show them and prove them my mindset was
always I don't want to damage other people in our efforts to destroy an
individual what we often fail to recognize is the potential to destroy
others and that's good it's I don't have the heart to do that and so what I
literally done in those cases is I took the brunt I took the heat I took that
because I cared more about the body than I did making myself feel validated and
every time then I'm saying this because it's not easy it's extremely difficult
it's it's heartbreaking at times but when you are a person who is devoted to
honor character and integrity even if you take the brunt of the blow time will
reveal your motives in your heart because of the honor the character in
the integrity and so you know in this one particular case it was
bad I mean it was real bad and everybody thought I was wrong and everybody
thought I was this bad person years have passed and I can't tell you the phone
calls the emails that people sent and they go we just learned so much but the
integrity outweighs any attack that's the principle Matthew 18 that's why it
is there yeah and it's vital that we follow what the word says when we do
what the word says to do we'll have what the word says we're gonna have I've
never brought it before the church either I have had to bring others in
sometimes and it's not you know it's just it's it's these things are very
difficult but I want to pray for you and I believe that God is gonna bring some
clarity in Jesus name father first of all we repent I ask you Lord by the ear
by your Holy Spirit to bring conviction if we have taken on an offense or
someone else's offense God Lord make that apparent to us in the days ahead
because it is the bait of Satan and we want no part of it God I break that
voice of offense that comes to speak to you and in opportune times and opportune
times lord I thank you that you will deliver us from offense in the name of
Jesus and Lord we forgive those who have hurt us we forgive those you have harmed
us and we Lord what Lord we're asking you if we've brought harm to someone
else if if someone is offended with us and we don't even know it God would you
show us that we might find a way to mend that fence God give us discernment help
us to gird up the loins of our minds and see it understand and know that this
spirit is subtle it's it's crafty it can sneak in in an instant and a brother
affinities harder win than a walled city but we can win our brother back when we
follow your strategy so give us the strategy to reconcile and repair where
you want to see reconciliation and reparation in Jesus name Amen amen thank
you for listening to this broadcast Ryan Johnson here from Ryan Johnson
ministries go follow him online he's an awesome man 'god
the Lord spoke to me about a book of Acts church movement that breaks down
religious barriers and sets the stage for body ministry where the holy spirit
is free to move
awakening houses join the moon
you