Hebrews 10:23-25 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” NASU

Yesterday we talked about ALIENATION and I believe that one of the major causes of this is ‘unresolved offenses’ or ‘conflicts’.  In fact, the Bible speaks of this as a sign of the times:

Matthew 24:10 – “And then many will be offended and repelled and begin to distrust and desert (Him Whom they ought to Trust and Obey) and will stumble and fall away; and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.”

OFFENSE – – [Skandalizo/Sandalon]

The root is to spring forward and back to slam shut.  It is a TRAP and a trap wherein one is closed in without escape.  A ‘bait stick’ is used to lure prey into the trap and in human terms it is:

•  An obstacle on the path over which one falls, stumbles, and is hindered.
• The cause of moral or spiritual ruin.
• To suffer injury, to become hurt, wounded, or offended.
• To cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he/she ought to trust and obey, to be hindered from acknowledging His authority.

           Unresolved Offenses lead to strained relationships, distrust, isolation, harassment by the enemy, emotional instability, hindrances to the flow of the Spirit of God in our lives, resentment, bitterness, and betrayal.  Any one of these attitudes left unchecked will hinder, if not destroy, the individual and local body!  It will cause the ‘corporate gatherings’ to deteriorate and stagnate!

THE SPIRIT OF CAIN…

This is another spirit of our day and one that has and is doing much damage within the church as we know it.  I have found that battling this spirit is a never ending process in which the attitudes of ‘selfishness’ must be addressed.

Genesis 4:9 – But afterwards the Lord asked Cain, Where is your brother?  Where is Abel?  How should I know?  Cain retorted, am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?  Am I my brother’s keeper?

 KEEPER – – To shepherd, tend, look upon with pleasure, to hedge about so as to guard and protect.

Yes Cain you are supposed to have your brother’s back!  The devil promotes humanism, alienation, and the spirit of Cain.  We have been liberated from the independent life and set free!  The Cross has brought a NEW ATTITUDE of caring, accountability, and togetherness to the Body of Christ and produces a COVENANT COMMUNITY!

I will again pause here and ask that you ask the Father to reveal any of these spirits in your life and your congregation and turn them over to Him.  He will deal with them, deliver us from them, and enable us to move into His fullness in a much more powerful way.  So until tomorrow may the Lord bless you richly is my prayer!  BLESSINGS!