Satan's Bait ( A repost from several years ago, Sunday, November 24, 2013)

Have You Been Offended By Others?

When I went through a divorce I lost everything that I had worked so hard for during the years of my youth. I was flat broke. 
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The district attorney's office had taken my drivers license from me and my contractors license from me because i could not pay child support.
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 The economy was really bad and jobs were few. 

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This went on for four years.
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 So I was not allowed to drive nor earn a living to get out of my situation.

 I was beat down bad.
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 I think it was the lowest point that I had ever been in my life.
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 I can certainly see how some of the homeless may have ended up homeless. 
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I was not going to go there, I had determined on not giving up. 

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When I went into the district attorney's office, to complain about the Checkmate situation that I was in, the woman who I talked with told me to, "Win the lottery or rob a bank."
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 I was totally shocked and she could see it in my eyes so she pointed to a sign on the wall behind her that said, "No tape recorders." 
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I was blown away by her attitude. 
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All I was requesting was a conditional permit to drive back and forth to a job so I could survive.

 "No way," she said.
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 She would not budge.

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A coffee shop friend named Steve knew of my plight. 
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He was a shoe salesmen at a company called Timberland.
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 Steve had some floor models of new shoes that were my size. 
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 The styles were outdated but they were new. So Steve, a practicing buddhist, gave me an incredible deal of six new pairs of shoes for $15.00.
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 My youngest sister gave me a new shirt and some slacks for my birthday. I was so blessed and rejoiced in my heart before the Lord!

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So the point that I am going to make is how some people will become evil in their hearts when they see someone else prosper.

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My two good friends at this time of my life had invited me to go with them to dinner at a local restaurant. 
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We all rode in one of my friends car to the restaurant. 
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The friend that owned the car got jealous when he heard about the great deal I had gotten on the shoes. 
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And he also seemed upset that I was wearing new clothes with my new shoes.
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 It was really weird for me.
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 He was so jealous that he would not give me a ride home he actually pulled over and kicked me out!

 I had to call my sister up for a ride home.

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My friend did not rejoice with me in my blessings, instead he allowed a firey dart from the enemy to take a hold of his heart.

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Recently I encountered this again with another friend.
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 What happens to people? 
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Why do they not rejoice over others blessings in life?

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There is also another scenario that can happen to people if they are not watchful over the door to their hearts.

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Satan is always on the look out for ways to entrap us and render us ineffective for the Lord's usage in ministry. Anyone bound up in Jealousy or Bitterness is worthless to the Lord for ministry.

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In Acts 8 we see Peter speaking to Simon about what he perceives in Simon's heart.
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22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

At this time, even though he had been baptized, Simon appears to have not confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as usually when people believe in Christ as their Savior, they immediately receive the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13;Romans 8:9;Ephesians 1:13-14). 
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However, "the Holy Spirit had not yet come" (Acts 8:16) into Simon by the laying of hands.

When we harbor jealousy or bitterness in our hearts we get bound up by evil, the bond of iniquity.

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Hebrews 12:15looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

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How do we get released from this? Scripture warns us that a root of bitterness will defile and infect others if left alone to fester.

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There is a man who has ought against Calvary Chapel. 
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He grew so bitter over the years that he started a website against Calvary Chapel specifically. 
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Everywhere that this man appears on others blogs he spews his bitterness.
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 Over time I watched as his faith suffered shipwreck and he began to question  everything about Christianity and became a doubter.

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He is not pleasing God.
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Hebrews 11:6

New International Version (NIV)

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Recently I was on the phone with someone and got 'slimed.' 
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There was something of Satan in their heart towards me. 
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Something about me or something I may have said trapped them in a root of bitterness. 

This is why I felt it pertinent to post on this topic this morning.
. After I got off the phone I could feel the root of bitterness from the person towards me sliming me for hours.
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 It wasn't until later in the evening while I listened to some worship that I got a release from the 'sliming.'
. The power of the slime to oppress me certainly was not coming from the Holy Spirit. Where was the power coming from? 
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Satan! 
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A root from Satan was in their heart towards me.
. Here is an excellent resource for understanding how Satan operates in these things and how we can escape and protect ourselves.

 Bait of Satan

Taking offence can trap you. Learn how to not be ensnared in victim mentality and walk in forgiveness. Satan is laying traps for you, and his most deceptive snare is attacks on your person. Learn how to respond to hurts and insults in a godly way.

OFFENCE (OFFENSE) 1. skandalon ^4625^ originally was "the name of the part of a trap to which the bait is attached, hence, the trap or snare itself. 

"In NT skandalon is always used metaphorically, and ordinarily of anything that arouses prejudice, or becomes a hindrance to others, or causes them to fall by the way. Sometimes the hindrance is in itself good, and those stumbled by it are the wicked. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
(Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

The Readers Digest Universal Dictionary defines " to take offence" as a) to become angered, b) displeased, c) resentful, d) even to feel hurt. " To offend as to a) create or excite anger, b) resentment or annoyance, c) or hurt the feelings of, d) to be displeasing or disagreeable to.

Have you been trapped? 

This book exposes one of Satan's most deceptive snares used to pull believers out of God's will. It is the trap of offence.

 Jesus said, "It is impossible that offences will not come" (Luke 17:1).

 Nevertheless, most people who are ensnared by the bait of Satan don't even realise it. So don't be fooled!

 You Will encounter offence, and it's up to you how you're going to let it affect your relationship with God. 

Your response will determine your future. You can be delivered from the bait of Satan, stay free from offence and escape the victim mentality. Don't let another's sin or mistake affect your relationship with God!

Contents:

1. Me, Offended
2. Massive Offensive
3. How Could This Happen to Me
4. My Father, My Father!
5. How Spiritual Vagabonds Are Born
6. Hiding From Reality
7. The Sure Foundation
8. All That Can Be Shaken Will Be Shaken
9. The Rock of Offence
10. Lest We Offend Them
11. Forgiveness: You Don't Give - You Don't Get
12. Revenge: The Trap
13. Escaping the Trap
14. Objective: Reconciliation

Many who were involved with Shekinah Fellowship left because they were offended. Some were harshly treated and wrongly accused. 

When offence comes upon us we must deal with it or become ensnared. If ensnared, and not properly dealt with, the offence leads to bitterness. Bitterness destroys.

Hebrews 12:15looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Ever run across people who have been offended and have not forgiven the offender? There is such bitterness towards the offender. Paul tells us that it is a 'root' of bitterness that springs up and causes trouble. The net result is that many become 'defiled' by it.

John Bevere goes into depth with this topic in his excellent book. I am not pitching his book, that is not my intention here. I do regard his book as a resource that covers the ground with grace to counter the roots of bitterness. If anyone were to look deep within their soul and honestly assess that they have not released the offender by which offence entered their life, they may, by the grace of God, realize that they have roots of bitterness choking out blessing.

John takes the reader through, in detail, how offence can occur and what to do about it from a biblical perspective.