Sticks and Stones

Stick and stones will break your bones

But names will never hurt you.

Well that was a HUGE lie—names hurt: 4 eyes, stupid, loser, fat-so—names hurt far more than some stick.

Luke 17:1-4

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. ² It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

An unforgiven offense stops everything God is doing. He sent us to heal the broken hearted so destroy anything in your life that will halt what He has called you to do.

Sticks—offense, gr: scandalon or trap stick literally the stick that holds the trap up—the one with the string attached.

An offense is a trap, something done to you, that violates you, it captivates you, an unforgiven offense shackles you and chains you. Woe to the one from whom it comes. Many words say more in sound/tone than their meaning. WOE.

Stone—a millstone weighted 60-100K. It represents a stone of judgment. IT will take you do to judgment. Better to get the stone.

Names are far worse than sticks and stones. They cause bondages.

Father: hate,, bitterness, tenseness, abandonment, rejections.

Sitting in McDonalds recently a family came and sat at the table beside me. There was a cute little 10 year old, her 13 year old sister and her dad plus the grandparents. They were just coming from the airport and a very long flight. He criticized her hair, her clothes, the way she sat, just over and over—never when anyone else was around—just when it was them at the table or walking around. Nothing critical was said to the older one. Which one were you? How does it affect your relationship with God?

Offenses bend you out of shape.

Building block to the temple the Lord is building within your life. Canto—bend bow or twist. You cannot put up straight walls, a level floor, plum walls with canto building blocks.

Jesus holds all the keys, he opens doors no man can close and sets the captives free.

How many times do you hear that someone forgives but cannot stand the person? They forgive but do not want to ever be around them again. Forgive but wipe them out of their life. You have to wipe the debt out of you heart.

Offenses should be as far as the east is from the west. Blot out the sins.

Jesus is our example. He forgives your sins and then tells you he never wants to see you again? No, he unlocks your prison cell. He tells us to forgive and be forgiven. Or does he tell us he will make us pay? No he said he would go to hell instead.

Matthew 18:21-35  (NIV)

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Jesus releases, forgives and forgets. When we do the same it sets captives free, beings healing, a restoration of vision and creates an acceptable day of the Lord.

Over and over again we see people in the Bible repent for others. God honors that. Do you see a situation where someone is stuck? Bent out of shape? In bondage? Shackled to their past? Get them before the throne so they can be set free. Forgive them so there is a freedom in the spiritual realm.

That is what is it all about—intercession is setting the captives free and protecting the ones who are free so they do not become entangled again in the yoke of bondage.

Who can you help today? Do you need to start with you?