The Spirit of Offense, Part 7: Strive not to be Offensive | Dr. Mike Woods, Sr. | 1.March.2021

Good afternoon, everyone. Y'all come in real quick. Uh, we're teaching today. Welcome to the Apostle's Table. It's going to be phenomenal. I need you guys to do me a favor. We're going to pray in a few moments, then we're going to jump right into the heart of this. But I need you guys to share this. Please like this video, comment, say hello, whether you're watching on YouTube, on Rider Church Facebook page, my personal page, or Dr. Mike Woods Sr. fan page wherever you're watching us today. Uh, it's important, listen, that you like, share, comment. I need you to do those things for me, okay? The Bible declares we are blessed to be a blessing. So this afternoon, I need you to bless somebody else. Glory to God. Anything God gives you that helps you, you ought to want to share it with someone else. It's just the way of the kingdom. Glory to God. So you guys come in and we're going to share— or we're on Dealing with Offense, uh, part number 7. All right, this is, um, been a very long series, but at the end of the day, it's very needed. I'm getting a lot of feedback from individuals who are telling me that the messages are being a blessing to them. So, um, I'm gonna take a few moments and just share this with a few people. As a matter of fact, let me do it on my iPad, and then I want you to do the same, okay? Hallelujah! We give you glory today, God. We exalt you, we extol you. Hallelujah! Beside you there is no other, there is no other God. You're amazing, you're wonderful. Blessings, Jerry Green, welcome, sir. You guys do me a favor, please. I need you to share this, I need you to share. Glory to God, God is an amazing God. He's a mighty God. Oh God, he's wonderful, he's glorious. There's no God like our God. Hallelujah! There's no God like our God. We give him all the glory, we give him all the honor, we give him all the praise. We bless his holy name. We praise you, Jesus. Hallelujah, hallelujah! We bless you, God. We bless you, God. God is a great and mighty God. He's an awesome King, and we love him, we love him, we love him. I'm just sharing, guys. Y'all do the same. Please share. Jesus. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Y'all come in. Hey, Tina. Hey, girl. Welcome. Y'all do me a favor, please. Please share this. Please share. This word is absolutely necessary, I'm telling you right now, and it's going to bless some people today. Glory to God. We give him praise. We give him glory. We give him honor. Abate sedakoskia. We lift him up. Shketaia bre kato osiae. Ma sedebe ose. Yes, God. Ibamansa iskurakase. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. We give him praise. We give him praise. Hallelujah, Jesus. Yeah, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Yeah, Lord. Just sharing it, y'all. Just sharing. I better not share with him. He on vacation. I told him to get on Facebook. Let me not share with him. Glory to God. God, I give you glory. I exalt your name, Jesus. We bless you, God. We give you glory, Jesus. We give you honor, Jesus. We give you praise, Jesus. From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, your name is worthy. Your name is worthy. Hallelujah. Thank you, God. Y'all good today? I love him. I just love him. I just love it, man. The dude is awesome to me. I love him. He's an amazing God. You guys come in. We give you the glory, Jesus. We give you the honor. We give you the praise. Bless you, Jerry. I appreciate your support, man of God. God is moving. Praise God. There's so many testimonies, man of God, already behind that $31 seed. March is going to be ballistic, uh, for financial increase and growth, because in order to advance the kingdom, we have to be positioned adequately financially. I'm not going to talk about that today. But since you said you just sold your seed, Jerry, thank you so much, man of God. Thank you so much. Glory. Abba, sorabasi ataya, urabamamasiataya, kiskiananse. We bless you, God. Nothing leaves heaven until something leaves earth. I'll say that again. Nothing leaves heaven until something leaves earth. So you have to get seed in the ground just like Jerry. Hallelujah. Hallelujah! I'm telling you right now, God is good. He's good. Well, we bless him, we bless him, we bless him. Hallelujah, Jesus! Yes, God, we honor the Lord. You guys that are coming in, say hello. Let me know you're here. Praise God. We're gonna wait a few moments. Hallelujah. I just love him. I love him. He's wonderful, and we bless him. We give him the glory. The Lord is the light of my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my foes, came to eat upon my flesh. Thank you, Lord. They stumbled and they fell. Though an host should encamp against me, in this will I be confident. One thing I've desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may dwell, hallelujah, in the house of the Lord forever. The Lord is my shepherd, hallelujah. I shall not want. Glory to God. He maketh me to lie down me in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadows of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Blessed is those— thank you, Father— that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, nor standeth in the way of sinners, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in it doth he meditate. Handa so rebaba hatekiskia, both day and night. Glory to God. We give you glory, God. We give you glory, God. We magnify you. We lift you up. We praise your name today, God. Oh God, this afternoon I lift you up. I exalt you. I extol you, God. While we're just waiting for your Spirit, God, before we start teaching, we, we honor you. Somebody that's popping into this right now, I dare you give God praise. Hallelujah. Praise is the vehicle that gets us to the place called worship. And so when we praise and when we exalt the name of Jesus through his word. We get— am I— oh God, the Lord is the light of my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Hallelujah. Of whom shall I be afraid? Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. Yes, God. Hallelujah. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble. The name of the God of Jacob defend thee. Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we shall remember the name of the Lord our God. Hallelujah, hallelujah! We remember the name of Jesus. Hallelujah! Every knee shall bow. Hey, Prophetess, God bless you, woman of God. Every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord. Hallelujah! We remember The name of Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our provider. We remember today the name of Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our banner. We uphold a bloodstained banner because of the efficacious, vicarious, substitutionary work of Calvary. We give you praise, oh God, and we give you glory, and we declare, God, that we hallow that great name. We remember the name of the Lord our God, of Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our sanctifier. Thank you, Father, that you sanctified every one of us for an authentic vintage assignment, for a particular task. Oh God, and we give you glory today. We give you glory today. We honor the name, and we— oh my God, oh my God, hallelujah! We remember the name of Jehovah Makkadesh, the Lord our righteousness. We remember the name of Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our peace, the presence of assistance in our life. We give you the glory, God. Oh, listen, if you're just joining us, I need you to share this. This is going to be phenomenal today. Glory to God. We're going to teach it. Hallelujah, hallelujah. But I, I want— I'm waiting on the Lord. I really don't wait on people, I'm waiting on God, because there's this particular anointing that's going to be released on this live today, that's going to destroy yokes, that's going to— oh my God— remove burdens, that's going to loose the bands of wickedness. Hallelujah! That's going to break financial bondage. That's going to bring forth healing. Yeah, I heard that. God, he sent his word And it healed them. So God, even as we declare your word today, we thank you for light, illumination, and the intelligence, God, of the Holy Ghost. Hoorah bahasi, hoorah bakasi. And we thank you that you sent your word and it's gonna heal. We break the bondage of coronavirus in the name of Jesus. We bind up cancer in the name of Jesus. You are Jehovah Rapha. Oh, Rapha. Oh, Rapha. Oh, Rapha. You, the Lord, are healer. Oh, Rapha. Heal our land, God. Oh, heal the land, Jesus. Healing to your children. Healing to your son. Healing to your daughter. Oh, Rapha, oh, Rapha, you're the Lord our healer, Jesus. You're the Lord our healer, Jesus. Healing to your body. Diabetes, we declare. Oh, high blood pressure, we declare. Oh, oh. Cancer, I command you to bow to the power of Jehovah Rapha, to the name of Jesus Christ. Heal our land. We plead the blood. Oh, God, we haven't been waiting on a vaccine. We're open, God, for your blood to superimpose itself upon us. Yeah, God. Hey, God. Hey, Mamie, God bless you, woman of God. Hey, Tressa, I love you, baby. I love you, girl. I give you glory, God. I give you honor, Jesus. You're the God, our healer. You're the God, our strength. We lean on your power. And God, let your glory superimpose itself upon my words today. Let no flesh be seen. Hide me behind the cross, God, and let the power of your— yeah, I hear it in my spirit, God. I hear it. I hear that. Oh. I command your house to be whole. I command your bodies to be whole. Whether you're watching us live or by replay, whole, whole, whole. Behold. I speak to your mind, behold. I speak to your finances, behold. And we cast down every imagination. We cast down every lie. Every scheme of the enemy. We bind up every vantage point. Every angle. Every GPS locator that the enemy has tried to attach to us from our past. We bind it up! And we tear it down! And we declare that we won't look back— esh katataba sorabaki— but we're moving forward! We're healed from the wounds, from the failures, from the brokenness of yesterday! Oh ho rafa, ho rafa, yes God! Yes God! Hallelujah! Yes, God, heal our hearts, Jesus. Yes, God. Oh God, I'm sorry, y'all, I was waiting on the anointing. The glory of God is here right now. Jerry Green, I don't know if you're still here, but if you're watching live or by replay, I just heard the Lord say this to me for you in my right ear. The Lord said, tell Jerry Green that the heavens— ha sheboku— even while I'm talking, literally just opened for you. And the Lord said to Michael, say to my son Jerry that I'm calling him higher. Etabakou. I'm calling him to a greater place. And God said everything in him, hotabakasiaya, that has been a hindrance— hallelujah— he said tell Jerry that the things that meant to protect him, that proclaimed protection for him in his past, in many ways have become a hindrance to him breaking forth into his future. But tell him there is a power that's about to flow out of his life. There is a fresh oil and anointing, a fresh glow and a fresh glory in God that's going to flow out of him and exude from him, that everywhere he goes he will be like a magnet now, and people will gravitate to the anointing. And he said, tell him that he's breaking up, oh my God, the fallow ground. Otababasa. Every place where religion tried to take root in the past to block this new place. But men of God, God is stirring up prophecy in your belly. I see it so clearly. I see you prophesying to your children, prophesying to your family members. And the Lord said 2021, hear me, will be a year of harvest for Jerry Green. He said, Michael, tell Jerry Green that the harvest— yeah God, I feel— listen, I knew something special was gonna break through on this live today. And God said, tell Jerry his family is getting saved. His family is being drawn to the light. Otababakaya. Eshkatetaba. And there's a power in your hands, Jerry. Otemamansi. Not another person will die in your family. That's not the will of God from sickness and disease. For healing virtue now is heavy upon you, man of God. And the Lord said, when the sick come in the midst of you, boldly lay hands upon them. And God said, when you touch them, they will recover. But there's a new day, Jerry Green, of glory that's resting on your life, says the Lord. If you just joining us, this word is going to be phenomenal. Please like, share. Oh God, oh God, I hear you, I hear you. Tressa, I don't know if you're still here. Oh God, but I see this so clearly for you, and you know I love you, little sis. The Lord told me to call you Jonah Jr. He said, because from your mother's belly You were called to be an influencer. Yes, Lord, I hear you. You were called— ishka tabansi ooshka tabaya— to draw many into righteousness. Matter of fact, I heard the word turn many to— oh my God— to righteousness, and it will be because of your transparency. Oh yeah, your transparency and your testimony. This morning, and he said, don't let religious people stop you from being you. I called you Jonah Jr. because there's an innate calling, woman of God. And I call you woman of God, and you my little sister, I love you with all my heart. I always have. We— the Lord said, you must now in this hour Your friends need you. Your family need you. The things you've gone through at such a young age, the things you've survived. God said, Michael, tell Tressa I bothered her to make her better. I bothered her so that I can trust her with this anointing. And he's going to use your— yeah, I hear that. Thank you for bringing that back, Holy Spirit. Your personality, who you are to draw many to the— oh my God— to him. And they ain't gonna even know why they're coming, but it'll be the glory. They'll come to you and say, how do I deal with this? How do I get past this? And you'll have a word that's in season for them, for you are influencer. And I see literal thousands upon thousands that will begin to even follow you on social media, on Instagram, on Facebook, book. And as you open your mouth, many will lend their ear and they'll be delivered and free by your personality, not by a religious approach to things. But God said, let him use you. Yes, God, right where you are. But he's changing— oh my God— every situation for you for the better. Even now, says the Lord. I see that, God. This is your greatest year ever that you've ever had since you've been alive. Watch what I tell you. Whoo! Because the anointing is about to carry you where you've never gone. Lord have mercy. Hi, Auntie. Good God Almighty. Ah, let me teach y'all. Let me teach. Glory to God. I'm gonna get out. I'm gonna leave it alone. I'm gonna teach this word. So whether you're coming in today live or by replay, I love y'all. I love all of y'all. I just had to obey God. I had to get where we are, you know. I had to get where we are. Praise God. Let me teach. Glory to Jesus. Wonderful Savior. He's a good God. Yeah. So Father, we thank you again for the light, the illumination, and the intelligence of the Holy Spirit. And Father, we thank you. Hallelujah. Then our greatest days are in front of us now. In Jesus' name, we thank you, God, that we're experiencing the supernatural. We're sitting in heavenly places, and we bless you for it in Jesus' name. Amen and thanks be to God. Hallelujah. Wonderful Savior. I love every one of you with the love of the Lord, and guess what? Ain't nothing you could do about it. I'm gonna jump into this. I feel the Lord today. Pray, amasia. This is part 7 of our series dealing with offense. And again, whether you're watching us on YouTube, on Rodder Church Facebook page, on my personal page, on Dr. Mike Woods, uh, Facebook page, or wherever you're watching these, or listening to the podcast, yes, I need you to do me a favor, share this with someone, uh, because these words, again, they are edifying, they are spirit and life, and they really are designed to help us. And you know, as a a leader and one whom God has entrusted with his word, I want you to understand something. I'm always first partaker of everything I teach and preach. A lot of times the stuff I'm sharing hits me first, and I have to deal with it. And often I can't really even preach and teach something honestly until I become one with it. And, uh, this is something that I've lived through that God has given me victory been. And, you know, I just want to share with you, and I want you to really, really join this conversation that God and I have been having for a minute, right? And, um, I've gotten some breakthroughs in this area, and I want to make sure that you get them as well. So, and offense is one of the things that stops us. And here's the reality, guys, there'll be no offense in heaven. So we got to deal with it. And that's why I'm still teaching. I can't even get off this on of these midday teachings that I'm doing because it's really necessary and somebody really needs it, right? So let's jump into this. And again, if you're just joining us live or by replay, I need you to share it, right? So just by way of review, I want to review a few things that we've talked about in the previous messages. One, I'm gonna make sure that you are clear about the working definition of offense. What does it mean? What does offense mean, right? So we found out that offense is from the Greek word skandalon, which is where we get words like scandalous, scandal, uh, and what it simply is— a skandalon is the apparatus that holds the bait that lures in prey. So skandalon would be the actual hook that a fishing worm or fishing bait is placed on, it is hidden. The fish can't see the hook, right? He's lured in because he believes he's about to eat dinner, lunch, breakfast, whatever, and he bites this worm only to find that it's a scandal, that hidden beneath that worm is a hook to lure him in and ultimately cause death. And so offense is Satan's deadliest trap. That's one of the things we've been unpacking. That's really what this is. So what he'll do, he'll cause us to be offended by something that could possibly happen to us years ago. You have people that are offended because, you know, growing up they was molested, growing They were abused or they were in a bad marriage, so they're offended by men, they're offended by women, they can't get in relationships. And what they do is, especially religious people, they'll hide behind the church. They'll jump and shout and speak in tongues over something that's scandalous, that's in their heart that they really haven't dealt with. So one of the things we've discovered in the teachings is that scandal or offense hinders progress. It blocks the blessing of God from flowing into your life. And watch this, it blocks the blessings of heaven from flowing out of your life so that you can be a blessing to others. Because as long as the offense is there and you have not dealt with it, all you're gonna do is spit poison onto other people. So today, listen, I want you to grab this, guys, okay? Because you gotta deal with it, man. And so we've, we've learned basically that there are 6 types of offense, and I've been going through really since message 1 trying to unpack these. We've talked about taking offense, giving offense, being offended by the truth, being offended at God, offending the Holy Spirit or offending yourself. So today we're going to look close at— oh my God— giving offense. So we're going to talk about striving not to be offensive, and it's really work, guys, because sometimes you feel the right to offend somebody because you feel like, man, they need to be offended the way they're acting and what they're doing, right? But you know what the reality is? A brother or sister who is offended is very hard to win. Y'all help me, those of you that are live or by replay, uh, type these scriptures on the screen so that when people come in they can see them. So really engage with us today. So let's go to Proverbs 18 And let's look at verse number 19, okay? Can we do that? Proverbs 18. I got my Bible over here, that's why I'm looking this way. Proverbs 18 and 19, okay? Um, and we're just gonna walk it out in the word because I don't want you to think I'm making this up, right? So the Bible said, Proverbs 18:19, a brother offended— and the Hebrew word for offended here is pasha, is pasha, and pasha means a brother who is, uh, rebelling, or who has been transgressed against, rebelled against, revolted against, attacked. All right, so a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. Oh my God, and a strong city is a city that, that's got the right weaponry, the manpower, army— oh my God— and the population to really defend itself and have victory. But the Bible says it's harder to win someone who we have offended than it is a strong city. Now watch this: and their contentions are like bars of a castle. In other words, that offended person is going to throw up a wall and not going to receive anything you have to say. So we got to make sure that if we're trying to reach people, that we don't offend them in the process. And listen, I'm telling you, I've won some battles right here because I used to be— listen to me, listen, God— I used to be terrible right here. I would, you know, because I had a venom against certain things, and then I didn't— then too, I didn't know how to channel my apostolic aggression adequately and properly. So what I end up doing was I would aggressively go at the juggler of homosexuals, lesbians, whoremongers, and I would— I mean, I would go with such a strong— I would go hard against those particular sins. I would go hard against the whoremonger because one, at the time I was really given that offense right there is because I was a whoremonger myself at the time. Come on, church. All right, so here we go. You know, people don't like, like me because I'm transparent, but at the time I was a big hoe, big hoe. All right, and at the end of the day, I would go at hoes so hard because I was trying to get me free too. So I was being— what I, what I should have been doing in private, I was offending others by going at their sin so hard. And then I would go at the homosexual— I never been gay, never been— now I can't be a lesbian, not a woman, but never been homosexual. But I just had a venom because I just felt like that was just so terrible, and I would go hard. But you know what? I would never, never win those groups to God. But now that I've learned how to move in compassion with lesbians, homosexuals, hoes, You know, now that I learned that, I win more hoes, lesbians, homosexuals to God than anybody. And if you offended by me saying ho, I'm sorry. That's— listen, come on, man. Come on. I just made a religious demon real mad. Come on, get over it. I just talked in part 6 about being offended by truth. Let it go, right? That's just the truth. So, but I've seen more of those categories, one to Christ, because now I've exercised compassion in how I approach the situation. Now, some people are reprobates, they need authority. So I say things sometimes with a greater level of authority when I'm addressing a demon, not the person. But if I'm dealing with people, humans who are struggling here I can't offend them in any way if I want to win them, right? Because those bars, that wall they put up, it's really a waste of time right now. I don't need you trying to share Christ with someone that you don't— you don't offend it. They're not going to hear you. They're not going to listen. You know, there are some people that, you know, they have just bought into a philosophy, even, even though I'm totally a different person than I used to be because I'm delivered from a lot of things, man. I thank God. That's how I know you could be saved, a preacher and a leader, and have demons. And that's why when I see this out here, I see a lot of these people out here preaching, they got massive followings, and I deserved— boy, they full of demons, and they need to get on the altar, and they need to purge. They need some deliverance. Glory to God. And I've been over many toilets and purged over in many church services getting free, because at the end of the day, these demons are real. And so I've been delivered from stuff, but there are some people that'll hold you hostage to it. But you can't be offended by that. You just got to keep it moving and let them continue to walk in their misconception, because it's them that's missing the new you. All right. Oh my God, let me keep moving, man. Let me moment. So let's go to 2 Corinthians. So we got to work hard then, right, to not give offense. Somebody type in the comments right now, don't be offensive, and put an exclamation point. If you got one of them red exclamation points on your keyboard, put it on there, because I need people to realize, as children of God, not only do we not need to take offense, but we don't need to give offense to people. You know, at the end of the day, um, you, you can know somebody is lying or somebody is not being totally honest with you. There's a way you can strive to not be offensive to handle that. You can handle that in wisdom. Let me keep moving because I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 6, cuz I feel like teaching the word, y'all. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Uh, 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 3. Glory to God. Don't be offended. Somebody offended because I said I used to be a hoe. I was a hoe, man. I was in the church a hoe. Glory to God. I'm telling you, because there was a generational curse and I inherited it on this— glory to God. And I'm telling you right now, God had to deliver me from that thing. And I prayed that thing on my sons. I got sons that's in my generation. I had to pray that thing on them and stop it with me. Because at the end of the day, that's a powerful thing, man. Glory to God. It had me bound, and I had to be careful again not to give offense to people because I was trying to get free from something I didn't know how to get free from until I came to clear knowledge I had a demon. And my spiritual father made me aware of that demon and what I needed to do. And I thank God for that. I thank God for that. 2 Corinthians 6, watch this. 3, it says, giving no offense. There's that word again, offense. Uh, proskope, proskope, uh, P-R-O-S-K-O-P, proskope. Watch this, that, that word in Greek means to do something which causes someone else to stumble. Oh my God, causing someone else to stumble. So as believers, even in our effort to help We cannot be so mean-spirited that as we try to help, we don't cause them to stumble. That's proskope in Greek. Watch this, we don't lead them to sin more. You know, there's some mean-spirited people, after listening to them talk, sometimes I want to do what I was doing more because of the way it was being presented. Oh my God, are y'all listening to me? Oh my God, oh my God. I wanted to sin more. Listen, that I'm not— we cannot give people an occasion to sin because we're presenting things wrong. We got to be honest. We got to keep it all the way, 1000 at all times. That's why I'm telling you, I was a hoe, period. But you're looking at a delivered man. I had some issues. I had some demons that God had delivered. And I understand that even that lifestyle could have caused others to stumble if they were aware of it. I needed to get free. And you know what? I got a 12-year-old son. I love my son, and ain't nothing nobody could do to make me get my son back. That I, I had an affair with my CFO of our church in Jackson at the time, and I'm not proud of the affair. I, I'm— but I, I want to get my son back. I know he's from God. He brings me a lot of joy, a lot of breath of fresh air. That's my dude. But if he could have came another way, it would have been much better. But what God did, that thing was offensive to people because I was married. First, it was offensive to my wife, right? And it was offensive to my church. We had a growing church of ministers and people, young people. We had a great house, man. Destiny Place was a great church, man. And at the end of the day, that thing brought up— as in, any of my former members of Destiny Place in Jackson, any of my former leaders who were connected to us apostolically, let me say this openly to you today from the bottom of my heart, man. I repent. I am so sorry, and I've said it before. I've said it to you immediately after it happened, but let me say it again because I don't want you walking around here offended at something I did. My son, 12, at something I did 12 years ago. Because trust me, if you thought you needed me 12 years ago, I'm a whole nother dude right now. And if you thought I was anointed then, I'm a whole nother person right now. You need this Michael more than you needed that one. So let me help you let that go. Alex is good. He 12. Everybody done moved on. So what I need you to do is get that offense out of your heart. I'm sorry that I got a woman pregnant while I was married. Please forgive me. That was 12 12 years ago. Please forgive me. Oh God, the bloggers hate me because I tell on myself. They can't write about me because I tell on myself. Oh, they hate me. And it's good, I'm glad, because, because I'm transparent, man. Listen, forgive me, right? Let— 12 years ago, this is no secret, I had a baby, Alexander Michael Woods, out of wedlock, who's my dude, my ace. Glory to my baby boy. He the baby of my children. At the end of the day, the act was offensive. So please have mercy on your boy. I messed up. I told you I was messed up. I had some issues and I needed deliverance. And I'm thankful to God today that he has set me free. So let me keep moving. Oh my God. But so that's why I needed the Holy Spirit to get in on this live, because I knew some stuff stuff was gonna flow today, because ain't none of this planned. Let me read. Given no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed. Oh, oh, oh. So we got to make sure that we strive not to give offense, not just in our lifestyle, which I just repented of something in my lifestyle that I know was wrong, right? That I know was wrong, that I know brought offense. Have mercy, y'all. Have mercy, my former members of the Destiny Place. I love y'all, always have, never will stop. But I know ministry was blamed. But on the flip side of that, you got to make sure you're not giving offense even in your approach to do good. Good. Come on, man, your approach to do good and you're offended. Lord have mercy. And you're offending people when you're talking to them. Let's go to— let's look at this. Let's go back a chapter to 1 Corinthians, just one chapter, and let's look at, uh, chapter 10 and verses 32 and 33. Let's, let's do that. Let's do that. I'm walking the Bible today. Hallelujah. Verses 32 and 33. Let's read this. Give none offense. There it is again. That's that same word again, but this one is aprokapos. It is really an adjective that which means don't give somebody something to strike against. Don't give them a reason to say you can't tell them nothing. Oh, he said don't do that. He said neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor the church of God. Oh my God. Even as I please all men and all things, not seeking my own profit but for the profit of many, that they may be saved. Oh my God. So rather than giving offense, these two verses, what they're telling us, y'all, is we gotta strive, work hard to really like the Jews, the Gentiles, the church, is to accommodate ourselves to the opinions and interests of other people. Now, as I continue to teach today, stay with me. I'm gonna talk a lot about adapting in great length, but first I need you to realize this: there's a balance in everything. Ah, type that on the screen, y'all. There's a balance in everything. Uh, Proverbs 14, let's go there. Proverbs 14. Holy Ghost is teaching us today, man. Proverbs 14. Hallelujah! Glory! Glory to God! Proverbs 14. Yeah, I love this, I love this. Verse number 6, the Bible says, scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not, but knowledge is easy unto him that understands. So again, we got to look for balance, right? We have to make sure that we're not scorning, seeking to control people with our words. You ain't gonna never find wisdom in that because it ain't none according to scripture. But knowledge is easy to him that understands. Ends. So if you bring it in the spirit of love, the spirit of peace— see, okay, here we go. When you don't have balance in this area, watch this, you're operating witchcraft because you're trying to control the person you're talking to, their emotions, by the way you're saying it. They get convicted because of your controlling, mean-spirited way of giving it. And then what ends up happening if you don't have balance even on the receiving end, you can— oh boy, you become a subject to this witchcraft. And so as a person, let me give you the balance to this. As a person who is presenting something to help someone, let's do it in balance. And let's not be so— I can't say this, I might offend them because You got to be balanced because again, like I said earlier, sometimes certain things need to be said certain ways for certain people. You got to be led of the Spirit because here's what you don't want, is to be controlled by people. Now I'm gonna talk about adapting again later, but you don't want to find yourself in a position where you're so afraid to speak boldly because don't get it twisted I strive not to give offense, but I'm gonna still speak with boldness because that's what the Holy Spirit requires. That's the balance. And there's a difference in being manipulative, mean-spirited, controlling, versus speaking the truth in love. And here's what I know: if we're living according to the law of love— here we go— there are many things we can choose not to do even though we would like to do especially if it prevents others from being offended. We got to make the choice not to do it. I better not say that, and I better not say it that way, but you got to balance it, right? You got to choose to follow peace. Go to Colossians. Let's go to Colossians. Ah, Lord have mercy, the Holy Ghost is teaching us. Colossians 3, verse 15. Y'all stay with me. Colossians 3:15. And let peace— watch this— rule your hearts. That's the easiest way to find balance, is to be bold, and to be bold with peace. Let the peace of God rule your hearts, to which also you are called in one body, and be ye thankful. So this is how This is how we keep peace. Come on, church. Oh boy, we got to make sure that we open ourselves up to rulership in this area. Control, control by peace, so that we can be one body, so we're not fighting, so that we're not at each other's throat. We got to follow peace. Are y'all hearing this? So if you want to follow peace, you know if you say things a certain way, people not going to receive them. I was in a, uh, conversation last night where, you know, you got to understand, I, I was dealing with some things with a couple other people and to people I actually care about. All right, and, uh, you cannot have effective communication if it's not peaceful communication. If you're speaking loudly, if you're aggressive in your tone, that's not going to be received because— watch this— noise breeds noise. If I come at you with noise. Your response is to pop off back at me with noise. But the Bible says soft answer turns the way around. And as I was talking with them last night, I began to navigate the conversation towards softness. And as I did that, we were seeing progress. We were actually communicating. The, the group was communicating because because we were making soft exchanges around the subject. And I was trying to find resolve for these two individuals because at the end of the day, if you communicate with tension, you're only going to breed more tension because again, noise breeds noise. If I come at you talking noise, talking aggressive, talking loud, You coming— but something in you wants to come back and pop off that way. So here's what you got to do. You gotta be led by wisdom. So even as an apostle and in my ministry, uh, 31 years of full-time ministry, thank God, right? I've been to 4 continents, for real. I've been to 42 states, God knows how many cities because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for it, right? But here's an example. Um, if I travel to a third world nation, right, or a poverty-stricken country— and I have gone to several— I don't need to put on my best custom-made suit, my best shoes, and to wear, uh, bling around my neck and diamonds and all of this this because that could be offensive to that demographic. So I have to use wisdom. I don't want them looking at me being in my very best and they're at their very worst. I want to create a balance where they can receive, right? Or watch this, if I'm around somebody— be led by wisdom, I'm just trying to give you some examples— who has had had coronavirus, right? And they've had this thing, they've been quarantined for 14 days. They have had all the symptoms, uh, and they just have had it bad. I don't need to give my testimony of how it tried— it came on me, but I prayed and received immediate healing, because I don't want them to feel bad that they went through their symptoms. I need to be compassionate and communicate to them in a way that God can heal and share my testimony in a way where they can understand the healing power of God. So here's reality: when you learn my wisdom, you understand you don't have to give your opinion about everything, and you don't have to be in every conversation. You have to voice what you— oh my God, because sometimes what you have to say may be offensive So if you're striving to follow wisdom, to follow peace, and to keep the offense out so you don't offend nobody, sometimes it's best to bow out gracefully. You know, I do this because I have a really strong personality. You can't tell, right? I got a strong— you probably could tell that dude's something else. That's why before I got, you know, okay, let me keep moving, let me keep moving, let me keep moving. All right, I, I won't even go there. I got to teach. I won't meddle. All right, watch So I don't give my opinion when I'm around people, especially who also have a strong personality. I often bow out gracefully, and I already know that opinionated people are hard to handle my strong personality. So because— and I know that can become something totally that I don't need it to become, and really what they don't need it to become— so that nobody gets offended, I just bow out gracefully and let them have the floor. And you know, when I do that, the Holy Spirit always makes opportunity for truth to be spoken in love in a way that it can be humbly received even by the other strong opinionated personality. So you got to learn about gracefully sometime, right? Look, you can't be led So if you really striving not to give offense, here's a very important point, guys. You cannot be led by other people's convictions, but you have to be led by the Holy Spirit regarding when you exercise the liberty to speak boldly and when to adapt to their desires. And something— again, here's the balance. Sometimes you got to speak boldly, and sometimes you got to adapt to their desires to win them. So let's talk about that. All right, let's— yeah, yeah, because this one really hard for me. Bowing out gracefully ain't always been easy. Oh boy, my mouth. I've learned to use my mouth for some good things now. Glory to God. But my mouth have gotten me in a lot of trouble in the past. Let's sit here, think about it. But when I learned to yield and adapt— so let's talk a little about, because this is one of the keys to not giving offense and really striving. You got to learn this side of the balance to— you're not weak. It's because that's what I thought. If I yield to this, I'm being weak, man. I know I'm gonna voice my opinion. I'm gonna let them know who I am. No, shorty, you gotta learn to yield and adapt even when strong attacks come against you. What's this, 2021? So about 7 years years ago, I guess. Some major attack came against me online. It was very public, and large percentage of what was wrote, what was shared, the things that were being said, uh, the truth was not there at all. But then there were some things in there where the truth was embellished, and then there's some things that was true. And so, but, and I understood that the person that was responsible for this, and even the people that shared it and got it out and all the stuff that came against me, I was angry. Uh, that Southwest SWATs West End, Michael Rose up, all right? And I wanted to fight, I wanted to shoot. Yeah, I want to do all that. I was mad. because how dare you do that to me! But I had to realize too, again, there was elements of truth there, right? And many of you probably read that article. I had 28,000 followers on my public Facebook page at the time that article was released. My followers on my public Facebook page now, it's like 8,600, and we're fighting to recover so that we can reach the people we're supposed to reach, right? Had about 29,000 followers on Instagram. Instagram dropped all the way down to under 2,000. People just start leaving. Crazy, right? This personal Facebook page, if you're watching on the personal Facebook page, was at the max of 5,000. It dropped down half, 50%, to 2,500 or less. So people left I had doors. I mean, I was traveling. I mean, I've been traveling full-time for 31 years. So I had a full schedule of doors. When that article came out, my livelihood— because 90% of my dominant income, hear me, come— was coming from the road. And my whole livelihood was down. I was hurt, man. I got hit hard. And the Holy Spirit said, yield, adapt, and shut up. That's just how he said it to me. He said, don't you dare retaliate. He said, if you never would have been involved with this in the first place, you wouldn't be going through it. So what I need you to do, yield, adapt, and shut up. And if you do that, oh my God, he said you're gonna grow and you're gonna increase. After this, he said— and then he said to me, like Job's friend said to him in Job 42, he said, after this you're gonna live. So some of y'all read that article, and it's fine, all right? I'm telling you, I'm a free dude, man. I'm free. Glory to God. Shabbat. And he who the Son sets free is free indeed. All right, listen to me. He said, yeah, adapt, shut up, you're gonna grow. But after this you're going to live, you're going to profit, and I'm going to give you double for your trouble. He said— and he took me to the word— he said, for your shame. Lord, I thank you. He said, for your shame. Shiba, I'm sorry. I thank God for his grace and mercy. I just— I'm telling you right now, He said, for your shame you shall receive double. Oh my God, for your shame you shall receive double. And when I tell you, for that shame, for what I went through, because I yielded, adapted, and shut up, I've received the double spirit spiritually. Hallelujah! Quadruple spiritually. Glory to God! I've received the quadruple double emotionally, psychologically, relationally. I've received the double quadruple from God financially because I yielded, I adapted, and I shut love. Somebody said, no, you come against me, I'm going to fight. That's immature. See, at this point in the message, we're going to discover who's really mature. Come on, YouTubers, podcasters, Facebookers, we're going to discover who's really mature. Let's go to Ecclesiastes 10:4. Whoa, God help us, Jesus. God help us. I hope y'all learning something today. Glory to God. Ecclesiastes 10:4: If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not your place, for yielding pacifieth great offense. That's a— this work, this, this thing is so deep So if the spirit of the ruler— let's talk about that a minute. The spirit of the ruler, the word ruler there is mashal, right, in this text. And it means if the spirit of those mashal that have dominion, authority, that have a voice— come on— and if it rises against you, if it's exercising dominion and it's changing things about your life like I just testified He said, don't leave your place. In other words, do not attack, because if you yield— come on, church— and stand still, you will pacify. Pacify, which is yanach in Hebrew. Yeah, Y-A-N-A-C-H, yanach in Hebrew. You will pacify. Oh, we— you will settle down. Oh my God. You will repose. Watch this, you make a deposit. Yanak means you make a deposit for the future. God have mercy. You will make a deposit in the offense that will— oh my God, that will yield a great harvest for the future. So watch this, every attack does not deserve your response. Every time you feel stimulated to give offense, or to— watch this— return offense for offense because you took offense to something. Sometimes you could be robbing yourself of the blessing that the offense is going to bring to you because you didn't yield. Oh, and you know what, the person that wrote that particular article circle. I honestly cared a great deal about that person. And so it was important too, while it was attacking me and other people that thought they needed to defend me, they were writing things trying to retaliate and things of that nature. I never said a word because it was important to me because I did care about her, that whatever hurt she was feeling, that she would be able to get healed. And if that was her way of doing that. I'm stepping off, right? And I'm— even though I wanted to, I'm stepping off because this human being is broken. She's hurt because of something that happened between she and I. So if this is her way of getting healed, I'm not gonna yield offense for offense. Come on, man. See, allowing others to have their way and remaining calm. Hear me, when conflict comes, this is a way, certainly now, that you're going to ward off it. So you got to learn sometime, one, let people have their way, man. Yeah, and remain calm while the conflict is coming at you. This makes sure that God Almighty that you will not give offense. This striving right here, because you want to fight, man. You want to choke, you want to cuss, you want to shoot, but you can't do it. Watch this. Staying calm will always put a quick end to anger. So you gotta learn— watch this— when you're stimulated with the thing, I always say that there is a space between stimulus and response. So when you're stimulated with that thing that offends you, go to the space. Oh my God, friends. Oh my God, friends. I hope y'all still with me, live or by replay. I need you to share this. Come on, y'all, you gotta learn. See, when you are stimulated by this thing, go to the space in the middle. Yeah, yeah. And think about everything before you respond, and choose not to respond in a way that will bring offense or to make the fire bigger than it already is. You gotta study to be quiet. Oh God, it pacifieth. Yanak in Hebrew— offense is when you learn to Listen, the only sign— I want you to remember this, you remember none of them— the only sign— yeah, I like that— that you're really walking in love is to purposely avoid giving offense. Let that marinate for— let that marinate for a minute. Because love is spiritual warfare. I love it. And we can't really love with offense in our heart. That's why I'm telling you, you got to walk in love and avoid offense and strive not to give it. And so you got to purposely avoid it even when you have the opportunity to get where there's a stimulation of something that you could give offense back. Go to the space before you respond, right? And talk to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, and respond as he leads. And do it in love. Oh my God. Again, I told you, this for grown folk right here. This ain't for no baby Christians. Baby Christians won't get this. This is for grown folks, this is for the mature. And watch this, stop taking offense on things. You got to— balance works on that end too. Let me just hit that real quick. From something that was given in love or something that wasn't even meant for you. See, some of you so addicted to this thing right here and you're on social media. Let me just give you a quick sign to know you're addicted to social media. If the first thing you check in the morning when you get up is social media, and the last thing you check before you go to bed is social media, yeah, you're addicted, right? Some of you so addicted, and all you read is timelines, okay? And some— somebody could say something, and because you're immature and you walk in offense, because immature people walk in offense, right? That had nothing to do with you, and you read it because you probably need to wear the shoe anyway and get yourself together, because if the shoe fits, wear it. But you got offended, and then you write a rebuttal, and then you're too weak to really pick up the phone and say, I saw this, did— were you talking about me? I mean, if you just really want to know, instead of now starting a social media war over something that wasn't even about you, right? Come on, man. Again, this is for grown folks. Let's go to Matthew 18. I got to get out here, I've been talking way too long. Matthew 18. 18 and 19. Come on, Bible. Matthew 18 and 19. The Bible says, glory to God, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. 18:19. Again I say unto you, that if, if, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. God, I thank you for the victory now. Listen, if two agree, that shows maturity for us to be able to agree, right? And when we agree maturely, God gives us what we ask for. Many unanswered prayers are not answered because two people are not, or, or society or the body is not mature enough to agree. I really believe God didn't bring COVID-19, and God knows I'm praying every day that he destroy it though, because he allowed it. He let it happen. He could have stopped it, right? But he let it happen. I believe one of the reasons was to put pressure on our agreement, to bring us to a placement where we agree with each other, to make people have to isolate and work together outside of normal conditions and operate in a level of agreement and maturity so that the world can see it. And when that happens, it positions us for answered prayer. That's what the Bible say. If two of you agree touching anything, any issue that arise— see, this ain't just about stuff. But if you can come around an issue that you disagree on, the Bible said God will give you what you ask for. So what does that mean? I gotta strive to live in peace. Let's go to Romans. Let's go to Romans 12 and verse number 18. Y'all still with me? Hope you're learning something, whether you're live or by replay or watching this podcast. I'm telling you, I'm working on you in the word today. We sat down at this table today to work on you in the word. Glory to God. I want you to get I want you to get healed. I want you to get whole. I want you to strive not to be offensive. So we gotta— in order to do this, we gotta strive to live in peace. Romans 12, verse 18. Let's look at that. If it be possible, if it be— if there it is, if, if, if, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably Let me get closer to the mic. With all men. Oh, if it be possible. So if you told me you got the Holy Ghost, first of all, it is possible. There is no if. It's possible. You just gotta choose that possibility and make that a plausible action that you walk out daily. So if you full of the Holy Ghost with your tongue talking yourself, your jerking self. Glory to God. He said, after you get through jerking and talking in tongues, I need you to live peaceably. Erenuo in Greek, peaceably. He said, I need you to cultivate harmony. That's what erenuo means. I need you to be at peace. Every opportunity needs to be one to make peace with with all men. I can't be saying and offended and mad at everybody and always running around giving offense. Y'all like the Bible? I do, I do. That's Romans 12:18. Back up a couple of verses. 12:16, he said, be of the same mind toward one another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Woo! He said, but be not wise to your own conceits. Wait a minute, be of the same mind toward one another. That's agreement, right? Mind not high things, but condescend to men of lower state. In other words, he said— he's saying readily adjust yourself to people and things. This helps us to live in peace. It helps us to live in harmony. We got to always be on ready. I just— somebody say, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm Be ready to adjust to people and things. This is going to help us live in harmony. I got a friend, I won't call his name. I won't call his name. But when I lived in Mississippi, I love this dude, man. But every time I got in this dude's car, it was literally offensive. Car's nasty. Chicken bones in the back seat. Old bread, Coke cans. I mean, just nasty carpet, dirty. And you know, every time I got in, I really was offended. Until one day the Lord said, I need you to get yourself together because there's something you got to give this man. And you're not giving it to him. You're not sharing with him what he needs to hear because you're offended by how he takes care of this vehicle. So you need to let that go. One, so you can minister to him effectively, and two, you can take him to the car wash, help him clean out his car. So that was the way I got free from the offense. We went somewhere one day and, you know, And then another thing I could have just did is drove myself, but I rode with him because he was always out and about. I'd be doing something, he said, "I'm finna swing by your house, let's go through this woods." I would jump in the car with him. Now watch this. One day I got in the car, the Holy Spirit said, "Tell him you want to do something for him, take him to the car wash." I said, "Brother, I want to do something for you, man." I just called that dude's name. I said, "I won't call his name." I said, "Listen, maybe you didn't hear it, maybe you didn't hear it, maybe you didn't hear it." I said, "Man, I want to do something for you," right? Right? He cleans his car up now, if any of you heard his name, okay? But don't be offended, man. You know your car was nasty, boy, and you know this happened, right? So I got in the car and I said, "Man of God, I want to do something for you today. I want to take you to wash this car." He's all, "No, man, I'm good. I'm good. I'm good, man." I said, "No, this car needs washing. I'm going to do it. I'm going to take care of it. Let's go." First thing we're going We're going to car wash. So what place I get my car washed, man, they clean the car up, man. He was so very happy about how clean that car was. And, uh, I, I don't really think that he understood the impact it had on him because that set a bar that every time subsequent to that moment I got in the car car, and the car was clean, and I was free. Hallelujah! To share with him the things that God had put in my life for him. Oh my God. But before, I was so offended, like, dude, I was— okay, okay, I'm gonna let it go. It's— he's a better— he's better now. Glory to God. Ephesians 5, let's go there. Ephesians 5:22. To. Again, we're going to see who truly mature. You got to yield and adapt. Oh God, eh, my Seattle. Ephesians 5, this one gonna be a doozy right here. Yeah, Lord, thank you, Holy Ghost. I know where you're taking us, Jesus. Ephesians 5:22. I'm teaching better than y'all saying amen. The Bible says wives, wives, wives Uh-oh. Submit yourselves, or be subject unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. Let me read it in the Amplified. Wives, submit, or be subject to your husbands. Be submissive and adapt yourself as a service to the Lord. Oh boy. So watch this. That says, first of all, submitting to authority is one way not to give offense. Listen, ladies, single ladies or married ladies, if you got a husband or want a husband, you need to have somebody in your life that you can respect enough to submit to their authority. Because if you are not willing to submit, especially you prophetess and you apostle Ladies, come on, man. Why? You want to be a wife, you got to respect godly authority. So that means you got to respect this man enough to be submissive to him, or otherwise you're going to give offense to him. And if he's not on the level of ministry you are and he's your husband, watch this, you still got to submit to his authority. Uh-oh. 'Cause you ain't Apostle such-and-such at the house, sis. Prophetess such-and-such don't matter at the house. The order and authority in your life is God and then your husband. Not— watch this— and your husband, you got to submit to him, but you got to submit to someone that is following God. And that submission, you got to look at it as a service to God. Watch this, man. So many anointed ladies out there are single, and there's some people that said, no, they're single because they're lesbian. I don't believe that. I believe that they're wise enough to wait on the person they can actually submit to, and some of them just has not found that. Because— and so rather than being out of will of the will of God and not being able to do it as a service to God, they wait. Don't— listen, ladies, don't push the down button on the elevator just to have a pair of pants. There are a lot of single ladies out there, you think you're operating at 70% joy, but I want to tell you something. It's some married people looking at you saying, if I can just get rid of this dud, I'll be all right and be single again. But at the end of the day, you better rejoice in the fact that of your singlehood and continue to work on you and be the best woman that you could possibly be so that you can draw to you that authority, that leader that you need. A woman needs a leader in her life. So I am a leader. I don't even know. Yeah, man. Yes, sis. Come on, sis. You need a leader. You need a leader. I don't care how strong you are in the spirit. Come on now. I don't care how much Bible you know. You need somebody to know just as much or more. You need someone that can influence your life spiritually, naturally, emotionally, financially, and you gotta learn how to submit. Oh boy. And if you submit to authority, it is the best way not to give offense. Guess what? You people that work jobs, you employees, your boss won't be offended at you when you submit and do your job. Oh, oh, oh boy, I gotta go. I've been teaching too long, yo. Oh boy, y'all still with me? Y'all still with me? Y'all love me? I've been teaching an hour and 23 minutes and y'all ain't said a word. I got to get out of here. Listen, I gotta go. So submission means you go to work and you do your job. You're not on Facebook. You're not on Instagram, you're not on YouTube while you're at work and not doing your job. Come on, come on. That's submitting, that's staying focused. And you won't offend authority when you're submissive. Submission is not a bad word, especially when it's in the right context, when you're submissive to the right person. Let's go to Matthew 5:9. Let's keep moving. Matthew 5:9. I got to get out here. Hallelujah. Matthew 5, verse 9, you'll find these words. The Bible said, blessed are the peacemakers, for they are called sons of God. I ain't through, I'm just gonna stop right there. Wait a minute. Blessed. Let's break this whole text down. Blessed are the peacemakers. Makarios in Greek. Watch this. Blessed here is not just happy or fortunate. Makarios means that you've been stamped with an indwelt quality of deity. You are now an extension of heaven. That's why the scriptures say you're blessed, makarios, to be a blessing. You should be an extension of heaven. Would you believe me if I told you that as a human being, your human capital should be so high that you never were meant to be separated from heaven. It was God's original intent to keep you one with heaven. And so being truly blessed— I hope you said I'm blessed, hashtag blessed— you ain't blessed, bro or sis, just because you got a Bentley, just because you got a Rolls-Royce. Now that's tangible, and many times what you got is a beast. Deal, right? Show me the title, then we're gonna talk blessing. Show me. I'm working on right now paying off this house that we're in because we're about to put a— oh my God, thanks be to God— a cash offer on a $1.7 million house. But we're gonna pay this one off first. So at the end of the day, we showing deeds and mortgages, mortgage deeds and titles to cars. Because at the end of the day, that's what the blessing is, or no man nothing. Being an extension of heaven, not being separated from God's resources. Oh boy, I just went somewhere. So you're not blessed just because you got a bunch of stuff and a bunch of bills you paying every month because you got it all on credit. Come on, and you swimming in debt. No, you're blessed because Makarios is an indwelt colony. Because you live your life as an extension of heaven. I dare somebody type in the— oh my God— in the comments below, I am blessed. Oh God, I love that, man. I am blessed. Come on, type, I am an extension of heaven. Listen, you're made in the image and likeness of God. God would come down and fellowship with Adam. Because watch this, Earth never was intended to be a separate place than heaven. Earth was an extension of heaven. It was a colony of the kingdom of heaven. And God would— whoo— he would dwell between colonies and fellowship with Adam and fellowship in heaven. He, he lived in the entire universe. At the end of the day, none of this was supposed to be separate. Sin Sin separated us. Sin, harmisia in Greek, to come short, to miss the mark, to live beneath the blessing. But blessed are the peacemakers. The peacemakers. Let's break it down. Blessed are the peacemakers. Oh God, let's go here. Blessed are the peacemakers. Oh my God. Eren Apios. Oh my God, those that love peace. So to strive to not give offense, you got to be a peacemaker. You got to love peace. And that's an extension of heaven because God loves peace. And so we can live under the manifest blessing of God when we are expressing the peace of God. Yes, God, I hear you. That he downloads into our deity through the blessing, and we can create peaceful opportunities for people to have fellowship with God outside of religion because we're peacemakers and we're blessed. He said, for they are called the sons of God. The sons of God, the children of God, the huois in Greek. Oh my God. The offspring of God. Watch this, the mature offspring. That, that's what— whoo, that's what Huos is, the mature offspring of God that's ready for blessings. Lord have mercy. I got to get out of here, y'all. I got some work I got to get to, but I love y'all, man. Oh my, I've been talking an hour and 30 minutes today. Listen, I pray you were blessed. Let's pray. Let's pray, let's pray. Glory to God. Let's pray, let's pray some of this out loud, right? So that the blessing— glory to God— that we're praying about today can take root in your life. Say this with me. Say, Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, say, I am not offended. Say, I have victory over offense. Say, in the name of Jesus, I am forgiving. I am a peacemaker. My heart is pure, and I will strive not to give offense. Say, in Jesus' name. Come on, hallelujah! I believe that if I move in agreement and follow peace and follow wisdom with all men. I can ask what I will and it will be done for me. So Father, even as we have confessed out of my mouth, I decree and declare today that for your people, they will be peacemakers. I release the anointing of a peacemaker. I release the strength to yield and adapt. Some people can't do it, but to not retaliate to everything but to the ability to yield and adapt. I release the anointing now in the mighty name of Jesus. Do it, God, and I bless you for it. In Jesus' name I pray, amen and amen. I love you guys, man. Listen, if you're still with us, get that $31 seed in the ground. The month of March is going to be a month filled with blessing. Every chance you get, sow $31 up and above your tithe and offering. March is going to be a money month. March money, March money. And I decree for every person that moves in obedience that God will increase you more and more and And that $31 seed will yield great harvest for you in the month of March. You can give by texting the word RADA to 77977. You can also give— glory be to God, thank you Jesus, I love you Father— via Cash App. Use the words RADA Church on Cash App. And you can visit our website, radachurch.com. .com/donate to give your offering. I love y'all. Y'all be blessed. Heaven smile on you is my prayer. Peace.