Blessing or Offense?

John 6:53 - 69.

In this passage, Jesus was telling his disciples, that unless they drank his blood and ate his flesh, they will live forever. And he never bothered to explain.

John 6:61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you?"

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.

I haven't read "Bait of Satan" by John Bevere. But I heard it speaks all about offense, and living above offense. Bill Johnson talks about it very frequently, saying that the Christian life will be a life full of offense, but there is one foundational structure in our life. Is that "God is Good" and we may know his ways, his methods of doing things, but it is for us to be above offense and believe in Him.

I was talking to my sister this morning. She was telling me, that she has met a third Christian who came from New Creation Church, who came to Melbourne, and can't seem to find a "good" church. And they would prefer to stay at home rather and listen to sermons from Pastor Joseph Prince rather than coming to church.

Now, I am not against Pastor Joseph Prince. Honestly, I love him to the max. I believe he is such an amazing, extremely anointed man of God called with a special purpose and a immense revelation to preach the Grace of God. I have more than 6Gb's of his sermons, and I love listening to them. I agree with nearly everything he says, including the gospel of Grace. I have been a frequent listener for the last 4-5 years, had seen him a couple of times when he pops to Malaysia, and long for the chance to go to Singapore to drop by his church and just bask. :o)

But yeah, the interesting thing was, she has now met 3 people who has preferred to just sit at home. And to me, that is a very immature. Do I blame Pastor Joseph Prince? Nope. Knowing a couple of people from NCC, I believe these people are just a small sample of the population. Of people unable to live above offense, people who should be willing to step out and see the bigger glorious body of Christ. Even Joseph Prince has preached in his sermon "The Importance of Fellowship in the New Covenant" NOT TO FORSAKE the fellowship of the saints.

To be honest, Pastor Joseph Prince does spoil people. Spoil in a good way. Especially to be able to sit under such a powerful anointing and teaching. That it is hard to find anywhere else. I have to admit, that even most times the preaching in Planetshakers pale in comparison. I know many great friends who are from NCC. And they are on fire for God, they are evangelistic, they are great champion men and women of God. But they are those who are willing to step out of the comfort zone and stop being babies.

The thing that really got me all churned up about this matter started really when John Bevere popped by our church. He held a leadership conference in City-Life church. And so I went, knowing him by reputation. And have to admit, I was absolutely wrecked. He preached on the church, on issues of leadership, submission, discipline and even on Grace. What wrecked me, is how can someone somewhat feel like tip-toeing along the line of Grace and I would think he just be branded as a person who still worships the Law. But he is fundamentally sound in Grace, but not the quite there in terms of the revelation of Grace similar to Joseph Prince. I got back, went through John Bevere's stuff, his books, and just kept on going back to Joseph Prince back and forth towards each other.

I was so disturbed because how could both men, moving in such power in Christ, both displaying miracles acts of the Holy Spirit, and also giving praise to Christ. How could one seem so right and the other equally right when they seem to clash? Both equally powerful doctrinally in the book of Romans (The theological foundation of salvation). I even went down on my knees and asked God "Lord I do not want to be deceived, who is right?". They can seem utterly incongruent at times.

Who is right? I got my answer from God. Both are. During the moments, I felt like I had to mature, had to grow up. Not only change my thoughts in terms of theological stance, but to come to understand the immensity and sovereignty of God. That each have their own magnificent revelation revealed unto them. Bill Johnson in Toronto heard from God saying "Some of the greatest truths about the anointing is hidden in the most offensive stories in scripture". Randy Clarke was touched so powerfully when he stepped outside his theological camp, and went to the Word of Faith movement, which he has been so avoiding because of the misconceptions that he had. The word of Faith movement, in which Kenneth E Hagin is called the Father of Faith movement, which at that time was also wrought with so many levels of weirdness and error. Randy Clarke passed on the anointing and the Toronto Blessing was born.

Coming back to John Bevere and Joseph Prince. How could both be right? Both are. God would never allow one person on this earth to have a full measure of his revelation given unto him. He wants us as a church, as a body of Christ. Even Pastor Joseph Prince mentions, about the many parts of Christ, some are the hand, some are the nose, or some are the arm-pits which doesn't go too well along with the nose. God has specifically chose each and everyone of us and given us the different measure of revelation according to the destiny he has in store for us.

The growing sign of maturity as Bill Johnson says, is to eat the chicken but not the bones. There is a need to grow up. And to be honest, most of us honestly, the words we speak are fishbones with little meat. :p

No one here is theologically perfect. Why? Because we are not called to be theologically perfect but to do the works of Christ. Not works for our salvation. We don't earn Grace. But we work out of Grace. We work out of favour. We do not work to get favour, but favour is given to us to do above and beyond what we can humanly possible. The defining Pastor is one who mentors his sheep to always go back to the Bible and having a relationship with the Holy Spirit as their eventual guidance. Not only subscribing to the words of one Pastor. Even in the book of 1st Corinthians, the church squabbled over who was of Paul and Apolos. They did not have the bible yet, we do. But other churches learned to follow the Holy Spirit. Learned to discern the voice of God which is life.

John 6:68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.

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People who seek to be theologically perfect without doing what it says will eventually be in error.

Matthew 7:26 - But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.

That is why we have so many theologians out there with no one in their church. They have boiled down the word of God into theological statements to beat each other up as to who is right, rather than as a guide together with the Holy Spirit to carry out the great commission. But on the flipside, I also know of powerful theologians like I believe Pastor Ben Fewster in Shakers church is our theological watchdog but he also used to ran the largest urban life in Adelaide at one time and eventually ran an entire community of urban life's.

I remember Pastor Ben Fewster preached recently, a simple message about the cross, and my gosh, I think we raked in the largest altar call in the whole year that week. When the Word is made flesh in our life. And not just arguing over Calvinism, Armenianism, the soveriegnty of God and other things just to make us sound smart. But really taking it into effect, that the Word of God is life, life to transform, to change, to heal, and to destroy the works of the devil.

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

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When we are called to go outside our comfort zone. Its a sign to wake up. I think for the 3 people my sister mentioned who are in Australia, God has definitely called them to a different place. And the words required is not found overseas. But is found in the church that they are supposed to find and be well planted.

The word that Joseph Prince brings is true. It is true for his church, and the people worshipping in his church, and the very thing required for the moment where he is. Same with John Bevere, I believe he brought the exact words I needed here being in Planetshakers. Both are some of my favorite overseas preachers I have known. But at the same time, I listen to a lot of preachers all over the world, but the one in which I must subscribe to, is the word being preached here in Planetshakers, because it is life and in it is which I need to survive.

The Word of God is weighty. It is powerful. I reckon, those people need to pray, and follow the anointing. Ask the Holy Spirit to give the peace and the 'click' as to which church they would need to go to. Stick in it, and live above offense. John Bevere torn me inside out, but it was the word necessary for me to grow.

Living above offense is to live not selfishly, but to live maturely. Not only just spitting out the bones, but also having the bigger picture that we are all the same body of Christ. Churches of all forms, moves and theologies play each different roles in the harvest for the Kingdom of God. And we as individuals do sometimes get moved around to different parts, but to learn to submit under the anointing called by the Holy Spirit and live above offense is the doorway into greater blessings and maturity.

Quoting Bill Johnson who is Quoting Paul Cain,

"Be careful about offense, why? Because when you grow in the experience and revelation in the Lord, the tendency is to be more exacting and offended of other people when they don't mirror your values. We do good at momentum learning how God moves in a particular way, it is easy to spot those who don't function the same way. We have to be careful not to pick up a spirit of offense because we feel justified someone doesn't measure up to our theological standards. The Lord Requires us to maneouvre through minefields our entire life. Its why we have revelation from God and almost always have contradictory circumstances."