Daily Devotional for Tuesday August 3, 2004

The Truth of God?s Word is Offensive to those Who Choose to Reject It

(Matthew 13:57; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Galatians 5:11; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Isaiah 30:9; 1 Corinthians 1:23)

One of the lessons I had to learn early in my ministry was that the truth of God?s Word is HIGHLY offensive to those who have chosen to reject it. Having been called to reach the lost, ministering in the ?marketplace,? I hear daily from those who are offended by God?s Word. The fact is, I AM OFFENDED by the lies of satan that I see destroying people?s lives and causing many to be lost for eternity because they chose to believe the lie over the truth of God.

Let me give you a great example, which will also be something you can pray about. I am currently in negotiations with the IN-DEMAND people. These are the folks who bring you pay-per-view events through your cable television service. In addition to first-run movies, IN-DEMAND handles special events like boxing matches, Vince McMahon?s monthly live wrestling event, special concerts, as well as a host of events featuring nude women.

We are trying to do a special ?live? 2 hour version of the Liveprayer television program that would be available for a nominal charge via the IN-DEMAND pay-per-view service to cable subscribers nationwide. Like my nightly t.v. program, it would allow those watching to call in for prayer or help with whatever they are facing in their life. The idea is to bring live prayer to people all over the country, reaching a mostly secular audience much like on my t.v. program each night.

Right now it is about a 20/80 chance that they will do the deal. Their number one objection? OFFENDING PEOPLE! I told them they have got to be kidding. First, it is pay-per-view. People will have to BUY the program to even watch it. Nobody is going to force anyone to pay to watch our program. Second, if just having us as an option is offensive, then I am offended by them every day.

I find what McMahon does highly offensive. I find naked women playing poker, playing football, having special beauty contests highly offensive. I find gangsta rap concerts full of lyrics denigrating women, law enforcement, and using every foul word man has imagined highly offensive. They have no problem offering this type of ?entertainment,? yet are fearful of making Liveprayer available since sharing the truth of God?s Word may offend people! (We have another meeting this Wednesday, I will keep you posted.)

You see my friend, I have been writing about this for nearly 5 years now. THE WORLD IS NO LONGER AFRAID OF OFFENDING CHRISTIANS! Even 20 years ago, Hollywood, the television industry, the music industry, NEVER would have produced the kind of filth and garbage they do today. Why? They knew it would be offensive to most people. They had a legitimate fear of offending the Christian community. Well my friend, that fear no longer exists and NOBODY is worried any longer about offending Christians.

Even more of a problem is that this concern over offending people has now taken hold IN THE CHURCH! Too many pastors stand in their pulpits on Sunday morning and give a watered down message carefully crafted to insure nobody is offended! WHAT? Paul said to the church at Galatia, ?Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men??

If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.? Our job as messengers of the Most High is to share the complete, unadulterated, uncompromised Word of God!!!

If someone is offended by what God says, that is THEIR problem. If you are worried about losing people, LOSING OFFERINGS, you are worried about the wrong thing! Man measures a successful church by the size of the building, the number of people who attend, and the amount of the offering on Sunday. GOD DOESN?T! God measures a successful church by the hearts and lives of those transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, those who are living committed lives for the Lord and being equipped to serve Him. Never forget pastor, the moment you die it is not your denomination you will answer to, or your board, or your congregation, IT IS GOD!

I love you and care about you so much. Sadly, we now live in a world that no longer cares if Christians are offended. In many places around the globe today, Christians are being persecuted for their faith through intimidation, imprisonment, and even death. We will one day see that same type of persecution here in the United States. Right now there is an all out assault on everything that we hold sacred. The Bible, the cross, the manger, the Ten Commandments, Jesus, the church, life, marriage, the family, are all high profile targets for those who oppose the work of God and want to wipe Christianity off the face of the earth.

But the hope we have is the knowledge that one day very soon Jesus is coming back. He is retuning for His church and it will usher in a 7 year period of tribulation unlike anything this world has ever known. For those who oppose the work of God, they will get a dose of what their eternity will be like as God pours out His wrath on this lost and evil world. At the appointed time, John the Revelator describes for us in the 19th chapter of Revelation this event: ?I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ?He will rule them with an iron scepter.? He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.?

My friend, the truth of God?s Word IS offensive to those who choose to reject it. The truth of God?s Word is also the road to everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ. Our job as God?s servants is not to worry about who we might offend, but who we might save! I will be praying for you today to become BOLD in sharing that truth with those you meet in the course of your day to day life. Don?t allow those who may be offended stop you from reaching those who are searching for Christ.

THE TRUTH OF GOD?S WORD IS OFFENSIVE TO THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO REJECT IT, IT IS THE PATH TO EVERLASTING LIFE FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT!!!