“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” Matthew 18:7.
And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:5-6.
Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God. 1 Corinthians 10:32.
Today the LORD (יהוה) God says:
Do not abandon My ways and My church because of the behavior of one of My followers. Scandal will come but woe to the one through whom it comes! Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:5-6.
Walk in a manner worthy of your calling. Do not give scandal to the church. Remember that you are My ambassador of reconciliation to the world. I am reconciling the world to Myself through the church, the Body of My Son, and just as I was in Christ reconciling the world to Myself not counting their trespasses against them, so to I am now in you, His Body, doing the same. I am the same yesterday, today and forever. And, of course, so is Jesus.
My purpose does not change. My Covenant is established forever. I desire that all people be saved and come to know the truth. That is why I sent Jesus as one like you—to save you and lead you to all truth. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And I know well the plans I have purposed for you, plans for your shalom (perfect wholeness and goodness in every area of your life) and NOT evil, to give you a future (your inheritance is beautiful indeed) and a hope (cord—the lifeline drawing you back into Myself). That is reconciliation—drawing you back into oneness with Me and one another.
I call you to Oneness with Me and one another. If you are backbiting, arguing, complaining against one another, and drawing each other into sin, and I mean even in the church, you are dividing and mutilating the Body.
Scandal. Judas gave scandal. My Son said it would have been better for him if he had not been born. I had wonderful plans for Judas but he let the devil enter his heart and divided himself from the disciples, he stole from them out of the common money bag and criticized those who showed devotion to Jesus. Peter also gave scandal when he denied Christ but he repented and went on to proclaim Jesus from the housetops! David gave scandal to his sons and to the people who looked at him as a man leading them in godly ways but he repented and showed himself faithful in coming back from that fall. Adam gave scandal and one of his sons murdered the other. He did not repent but blamed others and Me for his sin.
If you should fall into the devil’s trap and give scandal to others and you return to Me, I can take care of that but it shakes the faith of others and if they are not strong in Me, they also will give up and stray away. When the shepherd is struck down it scatters the sheep and they each run off in their own way. When the kings of Israel went astray to other gods and committed high treason against Me, the majority of the people followed them and left Me for idols. It destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and almost destroyed Judah except that I kept he lamp there burning to give a lamp to the house of David since I had made covenant with him that a descendant of his would be on his throne forever. 2 Chronicles 21:7. And of course that was Jesus, but I was faithful to My promise to David and held the people together and returned them from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Always be conscious that you are representing Me. If David had had that mindset Bathsheba never would have been a downfall for him. If Peter had remembered that, he never would have denied My Son. If Adam had remembered that he was My representative to guard and cultivate the garden, he never would have tolerated the presence therein of the evil that slithered in.
If you are representing Me, what are you representing? I am love. You are representing love. I so loved the world I gave My only begotten Son that none should perish but that all men would be saved and have eternal life. He did not come to condemn but to save. And that should be your mission too. He did not condone sin; He came to take it away. He told the woman caught in adultery that He did not condemn her but He told her to now go and avoid sin. She was now His ambassador. Like the Samaritan woman at the well. She went from adultery to evangelist and brought a whole town to Jesus.
And how does love walk? Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, love does not act unbecomingly, it is not rude, it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Does that describe you? If not, you need to take time to step aside with Me each day to get filled with My Word and with My Spirit. If you are filled with Me, you are filled with love and love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Love does not give in and give up. The fruit of love is goodness, and you conquer evil with good.
Don’t give scandal. “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:32. Others are seeing you as the church and as My representative when you profess that you are a believer and they want to see the love and goodness in you that they are so hungry for. They want to see the peace in you that they so long for. They may not know it but they are starving for My Word, for My Word is life to those who find it and health to all their flesh.
Do not give scandal to yourself either. That may surprise you, but it is true. Many of you are giving scandal to yourself. That was the worst of David’s fall into sin, he wrote later, “my sin is before me always.” He had done something he never would have thought he could do. He let himself down and it ruined his joy which he had been so full of before. He finally became so weak he just remained in bed and he died at the age of seventy which was nowhere near the age of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, and others who were My servants. Edify yourself. Be careful where you put your eyes and what you allow yourself to listen to on social media and other places. Watch over what websites and chats you visit or partake in. Guard your heart. Protect yourself. Fear only the one who can cast you in hell, and you know who that is? It is not Me, it is not the devil, it is YOU, so be careful how you live. I want you whole, healthy, happy, and strong in Me. Never give in to the devil because then he can steal, kill, and destroy you by scandal to yourself and others, for once you have given in to him, he will accuse you of your sin unceasingly. He is the accuser of the brethren.
So how do you avoid all these pitfalls and places of scandal? First of all, you keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith, which just means you keep your eyes on My Word, for He is My Word. Moses knew the importance of this and told the entire nation of Israel to write My Word on their doorposts and put it up in their homes, to keep it on their foreheads and wrists, to recite it, speak it, read it, ponder it day and night, to instill My Word in their children and to keep it in their mouths and in their hearts. Solomon told you to write the Word on the tablet of your heart.
And you keep yourself from saying things stout against My Word. Agree with Me. Listen to My Word in the audio Bible, keep praise and worship music going in your home, create an atmosphere of glory. My servant Paul understood this and never permitted himself the slightest bit of leeway. He kept watch on his thoughts and his actions in constant vigil. “But I discipline my body and keep it under control (doulagógeó: to enslave, bring into subjection, make it your slave), lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27.
And Paul wrote advice from My Spirit to you, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), proving what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, redeeming and making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” Ephesians 5:1-20.
I once told My prophet Jeremiah: “If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me. If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them.” Jeremiah 15:19.
And the opposite of scandalizing yourself is to edify yourself. And how do you do that? Go to My Word and find out. You edify yourself by praying in the Spirit. There is a reason I tell you to pray without ceasing. Prayer will form a fortress around you that the devil cannot cross. Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41. Watch and pray, this will keep you from falling into temptation and sin because prayer knits our hearts together in fellowship. A weak prayer life means a dominant flesh. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give constant thanks and you will not stumble or cause others to do so. But let Me show you how to edify yourself, that is, build yourself up by building up your spirit man, and also how to edify others. “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:4. Speaking, praying, singing in tongues will build you up and fill you with My Spirit. And if you ask for interpretation, it will illumine much deep revelation to you. For you speak to Me in mysteries when you speak in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:2. And they way you edify others is to prophesy. And the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10. “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” 1 Corinthians 14:2-3. Prophesying is speaking My Word over others to illumine a situation in their life with guidance from My Word, comfort from My Word, and exhortation from My Word. It is a gift of the Spirit but you can all prophesy by merely reading out My Word that matches the situation. Speaking My promises of healing over one who is ill, for example. Or sharing My Words of exhortation with someone headed in a wrong direction that needs correction from My Word. Prophesy does not tear down it builds up a new and stable structure where there was corruption and weakness. Tongues used as a prayer language strengthens you and allows My Spirit to pray in you and reveal mysteries to your inner man that then work out in prophecy.
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:1. But never neglect to pray in the Spirit. Paul was powerful at keeping himself from giving any kind of scandal and he wrote, “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.” 1 Corinthians 14:18. And Paul was faithful to the calling on which I had sent him to the Gentiles and the Jews “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.” Acts 26:17-18. He fought the good fight and finished his race. Today he is enjoying the glory of Heaven knowing that he lived a life of integrity, beauty, and love. And you can too. My grace is sufficient for you but watch yourself and be careful how you walk in the world. Walk in the Spirit and you will not give in to the desires of the flesh.
Keep Me always on your mind, and you will be kind. When your eyes are on Me, I make your paths straight and free and you will never stumble. Do not mix the vile with the pure and your way will be sure.
I love you. I have given you all you need for life and godliness already in Christ. Grow in your knowledge of Him and My grace will perfect you and bring you jubilant before Me as I sing over you, “Well done My good and faithful servant, child, spouse and friend!” Be a prophet to the nations, not a stumbling block, but start with yourself and your family. I will promote you from there.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 1:20-21.