AGREE to DISAGREE?

I may have offended a friend yesterday.

Now, before I know for sure - I want to clarify all the things I know I won't be able to explain, no matter whether she is offended or not.

Because we may just have to "agree to disagree."  

Although, that compromise would not be on the subject matter - the topic that may have initiated the offense - but rather, we may have to "agree to disagree" on who was offended!

You see...

I am a pastor.  I was called by God to be a pastor and did not choose this vocation for myself.  I may not have actually even chosen to be a Christian 31 years ago! Wow...

But what I did choose, from the moment I accepted Christ and instantly knew that the Spirit of the Lord was alive within me, was to "never flake on Jesus and to commit to knowing who He is."

Six months after becoming Born Again, I was already teaching youth groups as an assistant to the Youth Director... and I did NOT grow up in the church as many leaders today did!

I have been teaching, writing, speaking about and learning about the Word of God and Jesus Christ ever since... non-stop.  That means over 25 years of ministry, with...

• A Bachelors Degree in Religious Studies
• A Masters in Theology
• And a Ph.D in progress on the Word of God's Power

I know the Word of God (and keep learning more) and I LOVE the Word of God!  
I know what I'm doing (and keep learning more) and I LOVE what I do!

But I don't do it because of my love for the word of God.  It's all about the people of God!

• And I CANNOT STAND to see God's people living life beat down by an enemy we've been given the power to overcome! But God says stand and see salvation anyway.
• And I CANNOT UNDERSTAND how God's people can say they believe the Word, but don't know what the Word really says!  But God tells me to tell them anyway.
• And I CANNOT BELIEVE it when God's people will still refuse to believe the word of God even when you show them what it says! And God tells me to show them anyway.
• And I CANNOT TAKE it when God's people blame God (or give God credit) for all the funky stuff that the enemy causes in their lives! God says explain it anyway.
• And I CANNOT KEEP QUIET when God's people misunderstand the word of God because they've learned to compare it to their experiences. God says say it anyway.
• And I CANNOT DO anything when God's people are given the solutions to their problems but reject them because they cannot see God in them. He says give them the solutions anyway.
• And I CANNOT HELP but try to empower the lives of God's people with the truths of God's word any way I can.  God says teach them anyway.
• And I CANNOT SIT BY and watch God's people reject the truth of God's word because they are comforted by the lies of the world. But God says comfort them anyway.

Hence the offense... 

People don't like it when you challenge their comfort zone!  People don't feel good when you tell them that what makes them feel good is a lie.  And people get offended when you tell them that what they feel empowered by is powered by someone other than God.

And it doesn't matter how many letters, symbols, degrees or years you have behind you.

What matters is, God says love His people anyway - any way you can.

And so if my friend is offended - I can agree with why.  And I can also disagree with why.

And maybe I could be offended and she might agree with why, or she might disagree with why.  Either way, we will have to agree or agree to disagree!

But I won't be offended...  I CANNOT! I would be a hypocrite if I did!  And I pray she isn't either.  Because offense more than anything else will keep God's people from receiving His best. 

Matthew 13:57-58 "And they were offended in Jesus. But He said unto them, 'A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.'  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

Praying for YOUR Power, Love and Peace - 
~Pastor D