nkjv bible study

Entrapped by Offense

By Kris Belfils

Do you feel like you have been wondering in the wilderness for years and years? Does your Christian walk seem to go no where? Do you trip over the same obstacle(s) time and time again to find no freedom from the bondage you are experiencing?

You could be a slave to something and you don’t even know it. How can we be in bondage and not know it?

1. The way we think can make us experience slavery.
2. The way we react or don’t react can create a prison for us.

I am sure you have heard the definition of insanity? “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This sounds crazy, but this is exactly what we do when we continue to respond the same way, over and over again, to situations and circumstances and expect our life to change.

Our response determines our future! God showed me this lesson recently by unveiling my heart and motives to me. I was having lunch with a couple of friends and one of them expressed to me that I get offended easily. She said that I had “The Spirit of Offense,” and that God wanted to heal me of it. She also expressed she was healed of this very thing in her life. Well this was not a nice thing to say and I walked away from the lunch “offended” and frustrated with my friend. I went home and kept on thinking about what she said to me. I tried to be busy around the house but I couldn’t shake the offense. I tried to take a nape as I was tired from attending an Endurance Women’s Conference the last two days and there was still one more session that night. As I tried to go to sleep, I found my self rehashing the conversation I had earlier with my two friends. Finally, I got up and decided to do some research on “The Spirit of Offense.” I found many scriptures in the Bible that talk about offense and being offended. All of which were not connected with a good response. Mark 6:3 states; “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”

Mark 4:16 & 17 “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” Jesus said, “…It is impossible that no offenses should come…,” (Luke 17:1 NKJV). So we know that there will always be a temptation to fall into this sin. Jesus also said, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:10 – 13 NKJV).

I looked up many more scriptures and also went on the Internet to see if there was anything on the phrase, “The Spirit of Offense.” To my surprise there were many articles written on this subject. I read article after article from pastors and ministers. Each article I read was a confirmation that I did get offended easily. Then God began to show me the pattern I created in my life of being offended and cutting off relationships or leaving churches. It was hard to see. I wept and asked God to forgive me for this sin. I wanted to be free from the bondage of un-forgiveness it brought in my life. I was a slave to it. My thoughts and emotions controlled me and it affected my family as well. I asked the Holy Spirit to show me the people I was holding an offense with. One by one God gave me their name and face. I began to write their names down and asked God to forgive me for holding onto each hurt and offense. I didn’t realize being offended was a trap the enemy was using to prevent me from being who I was in Christ. I wanted to be free from being offended, and free to be me.

After I asked God to forgive me for each name I wrote down, I released name of anything I was expecting from them. In other words, if I was expecting an apology, I released them in my heart. They don’t owe me that any more. If I was expecting support or recognition, I released that person from expecting them to give it to me. I began to pray for them and asked God to give me His love to love them. Everyone on the list was a Christian. Isn’t that interesting? Look how the enemy put a smoke screen in front of my eyes and prevented me from seeing the slavery and bondage I was in. Then, he twisted how I perceived a situation, and it became a hurt or offense in my mind. The enemy was using my own weakness to separate me from the family of God, and I would put up walls to protect me from this perceived offense. Crazy! Thank God He loves us so much to make us aware of our sin and the enemy’s trap. In the Strongs Hebrew and Greek dictionary and Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the word “offense” is translated: “A scandal, a trap stick, that is, snare (figuratively cause of displeasure or sin): - occasion to fall (of stumbling), stumbling-block, any impediment placed in the way and causing one to stumble or fall, (a stumbling block, occasion of stumbling), i.e. a rock which is a cause of stumbling

I was falling over and over this stumbling block all my life and never saw it was even there. Now that God has shed His light on it, I can’t help but see it. Now, when the enemy tries to remind me or bring a twisted reality to my mind concerning someone, I quote this powerful scripture right back at him; “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV). If you think about an offense over and over again becomes exalted in your mind. It takes the place of where God should be. It becomes an idol as you are thinking and “worshipping” that thought more than God. WOW! What a concept. Knowing this truth makes me all the more cast down any thought that would prevent me from exalting God in my thought life. God is who I adore and think about. He is the One I worship and dwell upon, not any twisted, offended, thought.

This brings us to the true reality of living. We are no longer entrapped by any offense and the possibility of a new one is no longer a threat to us. We see that stumbling block long before we come upon it and decide to walk around it! I encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal any offense you have been holding onto. Write down the names of those involved. Ask God to forgive you for your un-forgiveness and release those that have offended you. Pray for them and if you have the opportunity, go to them and ask them to forgive you for your un-forgiveness. After all, Christ died and forgave all the wrong you’ve done, how much more should we forgive others?

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Success is All in Your Mind

By Bobby Keating

How do you measure success? It’s probably not exactly the same for any two people. While athletes measure success by wins or their personal best, a business owner may measure success by the amount of money their business nets every year. Successful Christians do not measure success by the amount of wealth or physical possessions that they acquire but by the depth of their relationship with Christ and the understanding of God’s Wisdom, The Holy Bible.

Regardless of how you measure success, it all starts in your mind…your subconscious mind, to be exact. While most people are familiar with the concept of the subconscious mind, few truly understand how to use its power to create the success (and happiness) that they desire. Remember that we are told in Philippians 2:5 (NKJV), “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” and in Romans 8:6 (NKJV), “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” All of use function on a physical level and our conscious mind. We also have the advantage of the influences on a spiritual level in our subconscious minds. What some call the subconscious, a successful Christian knows to be a powerful functioning spiritual mind influenced by ‘the mind that was in Christ’ or the Holy Spirit of God who gives us the power to succeed and offers us eternal happiness.

To take advantage of this incredibly powerful presence, you must first ready your subconscious mind for the success you are seeking. Without a clear, consistent “picture” of the results you seek, your subconscious mind can actually sabotage even your best efforts. Where do we get this consistent “picture”. We are able to form that picture through constant and diligent study of the Wisdom of God, His Holy Written Word. Any time there is confusion, your subconscious will strive to help you achieve your goals. That’s why the more concise your goal and your mental image of its results, the better the chances you’ll achieve it. By focusing on the diligent study of God’s Word and a concise concept of what you want to achieve, you’re helping your subconscious mind with the help of the Holy Spirit of God to manifest that result in your physical reality.

It’s very important to monitor what you tell your subconscious verbally and silently. Most people are surprised to find when they actually start to “listen” to the words they use on a daily basis that they are issuing counterproductive “requests” to their subconscious.Make sure to use positive descriptions when speaking aloud or to yourself silently about your goals. Instead of saying “I won’t be tempted anymore”, phrase your request in a positive way: “I am strong through the strength that Christ gives me.” Our words hold the power of life or death.

Also, it’s important to use a present tense, not a future tense like “I will be strong” as your subconscious takes everything literally. If your request is in the future, you will subconsciously think that nothing needs to change now. You, physically and spiritually, live in the present. “I am strong because I have the strength that Christ gives me.”Be careful not to use negative words accidentally: such as “I’m not going to be poor any more.” Your subconscious mind doesn’t understand words like “not”, “doesn’t” or “won’t”. It will automatically delete those words from your request which will almost always create the opposite meaning and results of your goal!

There are many techniques you can use to create clear pictures of your completed goal. Most find that imagining a movie in their mind of what it will be like when you achieve your goal to replay in your thoughts to be very effective. For example, if you’re trying to wipe out your credit card debt, imagine yourself receiving statements from your credit card companies with a $0 balance on the payment section. Remember, what you focus on expands. You must focus on Christ. “Seek first the kingdom of Heaven and then everything else will be added to you.” If you constantly see yourself overweight, or in debt, that’s what your subconscious mind will continue to create for you in your reality. Study and concentrate on the promises that God has made to you. It’s very simple and takes very little time to mentally produce a “movie” that gives your subconscious a clear idea of what results you expect. With consistent attention and effort toward what you DO expect, you’ll be amazed at the results you can create with your mind!

nelson's nkjv study bible

Now or the Long Run?

By Jennifer Hallmark

Several years ago, I taught a women’s class at church where we were studying “Keys to Good Relationships.”  A lot of the study was repetitive and one of the verses we talked about over and over was James 1:19-20:

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” NKJV

Why do we study these verses over and over?  We are getting ready for the long run!  Too often in church today, we want to study a subject or a verse from the Bible for a couple of weeks and then move on to the next thing.  We, at times, act like children with a short attention span.  Sometimes, in our pride, we think we can actually receive deep revelation or knowledge from studying a couple of days or weeks.  It just doesn’t work that way; you don’t learn algebra in a couple of days either. Today I am gleaning fruit from past long time studies of the Word.  For two and a half years, my major study verses have been Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” NKJV

When I first started studying this verse, I was serious for a couple of weeks and then I was ready for something else.   God wanted me to stay where I was however.  Study to me is keeping this word written in plain sight around the computer desk and Bible, asking God to help me to understand it and thinking of ways to learn to trust as the verse says.  Though I studied other things also, this was a main thought every week.  I would talk to God about going on to something else but didn’t feel released from this study for over two years!  Why?  This was a basic truth that I did not have revelation of and I needed to be strongly rooted and grounded in this truth.  We need to be unshakeable in many areas so we can stand during testing and trials.  God knew the trials that lay ahead in my life: dealing with several deaths in a month’s time and later on health problems and He knew the foundation had to be strong for me to be able to not only survive during this time but grow.

There are two verses I am studying now and hopefully I will listen and be patient:

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

The point I am trying to make is that we have to be ready to do things that make a difference in the future, not just instant gratification.  It might be fun to study a couple of weeks on this and that but you won’t get rooted and grounded in the Word that way. I challenge you today to think of the last thing God told you to do or study and commit yourself to that until you feel released.  It could be to stop worrying, to work on your marriage or it could be a specific scripture like:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Go to the Word and God and let’s build a foundation that will last until Jesus comes back. I want to be in this for the long run!  Do you?