WHY SO MANY S's IN STRESS

WELCOME BACK! Grab your ice cold glass of sweet tea, lemonade, or your favorite coffee, (Maybe a hankie) and let's have a little chat. Once again..."Jesus Take the Wheel."

Close your eyes and say the word S-S-S-S-S-T-R-E-s-s-s-s-s. Now with eyes closed - no peeking - say the word O-F-F-F-E-N-s-s-s-s-se.  Ring any bells? Could these emotions possibly be linked to the enemy of our souls? The s-s-s-s-e-r-p-e-n-t of old?

These are two subjects that I will visit often - bottom line - I am still learning.  If you admit it, reluctantly, we have ALL become experts in this arena of life. We each have our own stories to tell.  If the truth be known, probably every malady known to man could be traced to these two deep-rooted issues. Offenses and stress, real or imagined, has the same exact physiological effect on our bodies, souls and spirits. What's more incredible they have the same affect whether you are carrying your own or someone else's.  Your body does not know the difference.

There are statistics that can determine how depression and suicide increases around the holidays.  Did you ever stop to realize... the holidays are NOT just twice a year! Holidays never go away! Therefore, in addition to just ordinary, everyday life, the opportunities for offense and stress are ever before you.

Vex - Fret- to cause to become uneasy.  Erode - to gnaw, to wear away, wear a hole/worn spot.  Agitate - set in motion -gnaw with the teeth, as a rodent - to devour.  Chafe - wear away - irritate by rubbing - friction - to warm - Gall.  Annoy - toss about - shake up - to plague - afflict. - Weigh - moving mass, wiggle.

The majority of stress is birthed out of frustration.  Frustration leads to unresolved anger. Frustration is the rotten fruit of feeling out of control, and believing the lie - God is not enough to handle the situation.

Frustrate - to prevent from accomplishing a purpose or goal - to prevent from fulfilling a desire; thwart - to cause feelings of discouragement or bafflement.  To make ineffectual or invalid or nullify. Vain - Balk - placing of barriers or hindrances.

Stress - The internal resistance of a body to such an applied force or system of forces.  A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health. Examples of areas that can be affected: increased heart rate - rising blood pressure - muscle tension - irritability and depression. It also means narrowness - oppression - to draw tight!

Everyone needs a place to pour out their complaint, unfortunately, often times it's on each other.  King David's biggest giant throughout his entire life was "offense." The Word says that David was a man after God's own heart.  He was a real man being real about his shortcomings and faults.  As macho as he was - he still needed a good cry and someone to love him through his pain. God is big enough, tough enough, and loving enough to provide us a place to do just that...HIS LAP.

Psalm 55:1-2 Listen to my prayer, O God, and hide not Yourself from my supplication! Attend to me and answer me; I am restless and distraught in my complaint and must moan.

I am going to speak openly and candidly about these issues in my own life.  I have been "unfriended" more times than I can express - long before there was a button to push. My life has been a life of controversy! The faith I have fought for, the subjects that I have taught, the prayers that I have prayed, the dreams I have dreamed....etc. The coals are still hot.

Offense:  The act of causing anger, resentment, displeasure, or affront.  Something that outrages moral sensibilities. 

Never in my lifetime or walk with God have I ever experienced as intently - first-hand the effects of offense and stress, not just in our own lives, but those I hold dear.  The Bible warns that this is a dominant sign of the end-times.  Matthew 24 - it will only be those that endure the offense who will endure to the end. The Bible also warns that there will be a great falling away first. I have pondered what could cause such a thing??? Now once more, say the word.... 
S-S-S-S-S-T-R-E-s-s-s-s-s. Now say the word.... O-F-F-F-E-N-s-s-s-s-s -s-s-s-se.


Scriptures clearly warns us that more than health or finances our greatest challenges will be due to relationships.

Luke 12:52-53:  From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

The Message - Matthew 24:10  "They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat, everyone hating each other. 

There is not enough counseling or medication that can dilute the venom of these emotions. There is only one true antidote...forgiveness and the cleansing, healing blood of Jesus Christ our Savior. Ultimately, there is only one way to reverse this curse, and it is to "Bless those who persecute and spitefully use you." (Even if it is with gritted teeth and hot tears streaming down your face). The fact is...the person who wounded you is hurting even more than you are. My-daughter-in-love reminds me this is where love really begins.

If I could leave you with just one thing today - something that would make a tangible difference in your life...REMEMBER...there is a plan and purpose behind the offense and stress assignments. It is to pull you out of the will of God and force you into the position of judge and jury of circumstances you know nothing about.  There were people that said they loved Jesus. Very few loved him enough to invite him for a cup of coffee to get his side of the story or ask enough questions to determine the truth.

One of the main keys that made Jesus so powerful...He relinquished ALL his rights to prove his case -to prove He was right. "He opened not his mouth." These are some of the most powerful words in all of the Word of God! Jesus had the goods on every person he came in contact with, both friends and family. Yet he covered their junk with his love. 

You can win the fight and lose the war. My prayer is that God will grace me to do as Jesus did...lose the fight and win the war.  How do I know when I have adequately expressed what I believe the Lord was saying through me?  The conviction of this message makes me stop and get on my face....

Matthew 6:9 Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven ([e]left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have [f]given up resentment against) our debtors.

And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14For if you forgive people their trespasses [their [g]reckless and willful sins, [h]leaving them, letting them go, and [i]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [j]reckless and willful sins, [k]leaving them, letting them go, and [l]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.

This is a powerful quote... "Forgiveness is a lovely idea until you have something to forgive."  CS Lewis

How you handle offense determines your next level of promotion.  Cathy Summar Flynn

    t-t-f-n (ta-ta-for-now)

Many Will Follow From Afar

It is somewhat of a frightful thing to both commit and yield to the flow of the Holy Spirit whether it is to illustrate-write-or preach. This means you must yield control!

I have seriously counted the cost prior to the start-up of this blog.  I am sure some are thinking...cost - what cost?  I knew there would be the cost of time, the cost of accountability, the temptation to dilute or compromise a hard word. There is always the cost of the fear of offense (real or imagined) or the actual offense itself. 

After much prayer, and careful consideration...I felt the Lord gave me a personal word. "On your very best day...there is someone who is NOT going to like you, agree with you, or not speak to you.  So what have you got to lose...your reputation?"  I assure you that issue has been covered as well.

As we study the life of the Apostle Paul, it is sad to learn that even after the Apostle Paul's radical conversion, the majority of the people never trusted him nor forgave him. He  could not win either way he chose. He was  numbered with the vilest of sinners up until his death. The people either carried a direct offense with Paul or still carried the offense for someone he had injured or killed. 

Paul could have drowned in his own condemnation and regret.  If anyone had every right to slither under the nearest rock and never come out it was the Apostle Paul. In his personal encounter with the living Christ, he s-o-o-o came to terms with his reputation being destroyed. It was this concept of allowing his reputation to be put to death, that Paul put his own foot on the neck of pride. THIS MADE HIM  BOTH FEARLESS AND TO BE FEARED!

The risk/cost works in both directions - not only for those who carry the Word, but those who choose to follow and listen. 

There are several types of followers to consider. The first are those who are excited and desire to be numbered regardless of the cost. 

The second group consists of  those, who for many different reasons, will choose to follow from afar.  In some cases the curious will  follow at a distance due to  peer pressure or the very real threat of the fear for  their lives or reputations. All of the men and women of God had "secret"  followers, including Jesus. 

As always, we can turn to the Word of God for our examples.

NLT  -  Luke 19:1 - 7 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.  He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.  When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name.“Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”  Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.  But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

I submit to you... that yes, the Word clearly indicates that Zacchaeus was short in stature, but I believe this passage also indicates that this man, weary of all the gossip and accusations associated with his line of business and personal life, made the brave choice to climb above the peer pressure and naysayers in his life.

Then there are the followers who keep their distance out of guilt by association. They fear betraying the person whose offense they are supposed to help perpetuate. 

The Message - Matthew 26: ^{57 -58}The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out. 

Worse yet...after all of the investment of unforgiveness, what happens if you get too close to the fire of  the truth only to discover that after all this time the culprit is NOT who you have believed it to be? THE FIRE OF THE TRUTH BURNS HOTTER THAT THE HEAT OF THE OFFENSE! 

Passage Acts 28:^{3 -6}Paul pitched in and helped. He had gathered up a bundle of sticks, but when he put it on the fire, a venomous snake, roused from its torpor by the heat, struck his hand and held on. Seeing the snake hanging from Paul's hand like that, the natives jumped to the conclusion that he was a murderer getting his just deserts. Paul shook the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear. They kept expecting him to drop dead, but when it was obvious he wasn't going to, they jumped to the conclusion that he was a god!  

Lastly, sad as it is true, there are followers who are waiting in the shadows hoping their perceived enemies will stumble, fall, and ultimately fail.

^{NLT Passage 26:14-16} Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests  and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.  From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

There are the followers who first will curse their only hope of deliverance.

Then there are the followers who have lost their hope.......

^{NLT - Mark 15:40} Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph^[i]), and Salome. ⁴¹ They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.

Then there are the followers that allow their shame and pride distance them from their only source of healing....  

Luke 17:12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

There is the last group of followers - those that understand, regardless of the depth of their sin, humbleness, and repentance, removes ALL distance between them and their Saviour!

Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Regardless of what category we find ourselves there is one inescapable truth...  

Amplified -  James 4:8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].

^{NLT - Mark 5: 1-8} So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.  When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.  Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.  Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.  With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!”  For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

One picture is worth a 1,000 words as evidenced by this illustration by Mary Engelbreit!

t-t-f-n (ta-ta-for now!)