The Offender

The Offender

Sunday, February 18, 2018

By Rev. James May

Please listen closely because I have a very serious matter to bring before the church this morning, and it could have an impact upon the very survival of our church.

Sitting among us, right here in the sanctuary of our church, among those we call our friends, family and brothers and sisters in Christ, there sits someone who is about to become a betrayer and offender.

Don’t look at your neighbor with that suspicious look. Don’t turn to them and say anything except “Good Morning, God Loves You and I’m glad you’re here.” We don’t want anyone to think that we’re “on to them”, or that we are even considering them to be the one because we might push them into becoming that betrayer and offender before it would have happened on its own.

I know that’s hard to even consider what I’m saying will happen, but I assure you with absolute conviction and confidence that what I’m saying is true.

I know that Holy Spirit would have me to reveal this behind the scenes plot to you because the Lord would want the betrayer and offender to consider their ways and repent now before they entertain the thoughts of betrayal anymore.

The longer the betrayer allows those thoughts of selfishness or personal gain, and forget to focus on becoming the disciple of Christ that they should be, the more likely their acts of betrayal and their works of division and offense will come to pass, and the longer those thoughts are allowed to remain, the greater their damage to both themselves, the church and the cause of Christ will become.

I sensed Holy Spirit saying to me this morning that the betrayer was already among us and that they have tried to justify what will happen thinking that their plans will do no harm, but the Lord would have me to say to you, if you are the one, that your words, your actions and the damage that you will do to your testimony as well as those of the people around you will be serious. So please consider your ways now, before it’s too late.

The Lord has revealed to me who that betrayer could be. He showed me how it could, and probably would happen. He allowed your face to appear before me and I was completely shocked by who he brought to my mind. I’m not going to reveal the identity of the betrayer because I don’t know for sure when it will happen, and the Lord didn’t tell me to call you out by name.

I have no doubt that you are thinking to yourself right now, “Who could the offender be? How could anyone stoop so low as to become a betrayer in the church? I thought everyone here was real and that we all loved the Lord and one another?”

I want you to think about everyone who comes to church here and consider who you think just might be the one who will be the betrayer. Who among us is already showing subtle signs of becoming an offender that will bring guilt and shame into our midst? Who could that guilty person be?”

I know you are curious and would like to know? It’s only natural that you want to know that there is someone in our midst who will soon show their true colors and will become the one that everyone will shake their heads at in disbelief that such a thing could even exist among us? Like me, as this revelation came to me, you want to know why, how, when, where and who they were before they became the betrayer, and before they brought a great offense into our midst.

Let me ask you a question about that too? The question is, “Why would you really want to know who it will be? What would you do about it if you knew?” I think the answers to those two questions are extremely important because they reveal our own attitudes one to another, and will be a great factor in how much damage is done, or whether the offender will ever be able to be a part of this church, or any other church again.

• Would you want to know who that offender will be only so you can shun them, separate yourself from them and somehow isolate them so they can’t cause you too much trouble?

• Would you want to know who the betrayer will be so that you can begin spreading the word about them and perhaps even cause them to go elsewhere before they can commit their act of betrayal?

• Or, would you want to know who that person may be so that you can intercede for them in prayer, hoping and believing that God can change their heart and mind, so that the offense doesn’t happen?