Are you easily offended?

Psalm 119:165
"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

No, I'm not about to share something that is likely to upset anybody... Rather, I'd just like to share an issue that perhaps you deal with too.

About a month ago, one of the pastors of our church preached on 'offense'. He challenged us as believers to let upsetting things roll off- like water off a duck's back. He reminded that a mark of a solid believer...one who is founded in Christ and finds true solace in Him, is not offended to the point of sin.

Seriously, though- how many times a day are we really offended over such trivial things? If I am allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me on a daily basis (even in the little things), I will show traits of joy, patience, self-control and gentleness. How many times, though, am I grumpy, irritated, undisciplined and angry!?

For instance- case in point; I came home the other day to a plethora of emails and one in particular shook me up a little. I received a note from an friend that seemed a little on the 'arrogant' side and it just ticked-me-off. I mentioned it to my husband as I was reading it. Then I mentioned it at dinner. And then I mentioned it at bedtime- to which he turned to me (in his best loving husband way) and said, "Dear, you are allowing this to offend you too easily You have moved from the point of "irritation" to sin. Ask forgiveness and let it go..."

Oh, how right he is!

I was again reminded a couple days ago in the parking lot of my ease for being irritated. I had been waiting for a parking spot when I lady hurriedly tried to cross in front of me. I quickly stopped and allowed her to pass. All of a sudden her quick gait turned into a Sunday stroll and I waited and waited and waited. Then- wonder of all wonders- she turned her cart INTO the spot I was waiting for and parked it. And turned and looked at me with an irritated expression and begin to 'mouth' her annoyance. HER annoyance! Her big 'ole cart is in MY spot!

Why did I allow my offense to turn to sin? Sure, she was inconsiderate, but why wasn't my first reaction to show kindness or gentleness? I want to come to the place that I allow the goodness of the Holy Spirit to be free-flowing...even when my flesh is frustrated! Oh, that I might be a vessel of His faithfulness!

More News...

The following is a copy of a letter that my husband and I just sent out this morning to our friends and family!! Please be in prayer is we start out on this great endeavor...
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I’m writing to engage your prayers concerning a momentous occasion. Angel and I have been working towards starting a church in the **** area. We have just submitted our initial articles of non-profit incorporation in the state of ***** and we are moving forward in having the new church recognized as a legal non-profit entity.

We have chosen the name of Oikos for the new church. Oikos is a Greek word meaning family, a dwelling place or descendents. It used within Scripture in I Peter 2:5, “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Our desire is for Oikos to be a congregation of people who strengthen Biblical families and build legacies for Christ. There is also a desperate need to engage the withering culture and in particular to address the twenty-somethings that have been fed a steady media diet of postmodernism and unbelief. The god of this world, Satan, has focused his attention on destroying the Biblical concept of family and crippling the minds of our next generation of leaders.

In every age, it is imperative that God’s people fight the advance of evil on the battleground where evil is advancing. I can think of no greater peril than what is currently facing families and young adults.

It is our passion to not merely create another church entry in the Yellow Pages. We want to seek the lost, to bind children’s hearts to their parents and to Christ, to redeem the times, to raise up a holy generation, to rightly divide the Word, to serve our community with Christ-like compassion and to establish an eternal community. God’s foremost passion is for his people to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him through Christ. We want to pour out our lives and we are seeking others who want to do the same.

We are still in the initial stages of forming our core group and establishing our identity doctrinally. Please pray that Oikos would wage war on spiritual strongholds, that our efforts at creating a church would bear fruit, and that God’s hand would guide us. Our greatest need is for intercessory prayer warriors to lift up our cause.