Greetings everyone and welcome to today’s edition of …
Learn & Grow with Jesus Every Day
Today’s Topic is: The Inevitability of Offenses
Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Bible Reading: Luke 17:1-3 NIV
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.
Discussion Question: What are the common or subtle ways by which we can cause others to stumble?
It was on Wednesday, September 27, 2017, we woke up to the headline news on NYTimes – “Hugh Hefner, Who Built the Playboy Empire and Embodied It, Dies at 91.” On reading that news, the first thought that crossed my mind was, “I sincerely hope Mr. Hefner made peace with his Maker…” But then again, I asked myself, what does God do with such a man who through his work, for a better part of more than half a century, maybe found liable for millions of broken marriages, broken homes, and shattered lives all over the world, in the courts of Heaven? What does God do with such a man whose work may be the reason uncountable souls are paying the price of eternal damnation? It was mind-boggling, to say the least, and I said again, and again, I pray Mr. Hefner made peace with God before appearing in His Eternal Court Room. God alone has the prerogative of mercy, and I prayed Mr. Hefner’s soul found mercy before The Judge of Heaven and Earth.
Jesus is clear - Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. Today, things that cause people to stumble abound. They are in our airwaves, on the internet, social media, on billboards, in our schools, classrooms, offices, barbing shops, eateries, and even in our homes and our children’s bedrooms - everywhere. People and companies who produce and promote these offensive materials and content are in the hundreds of millions. People who have allowed their consciences to be darkened, desensitized, and blinded by money, influence, and fame. They have all conveniently forgotten that a day will come, and the headline will be the news of their demise, and they would stand before their God and Maker and give an account of their lives on earth.
Have you ever asked yourself, is there anything that I am doing, involved in, promoting, advocating, evangelizing that may be causing others to stumble? Am I causing others to stumble by peddling misinformation or falsehood that are inflicting emotional pain, and distress on others? Am I destroying marriages, breaking families, and ending loving relationships by my actions? Am I a party to anyone’s misfortune or adversity in life or the afterlife? Am I an agent of darkness perpetuating wickedness, pain, suffering, depression, and moral decadence?
Jesus has made Himself abundantly clear in Luke 17:2-3 - 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.
People, watch yourselves indeed. A word is enough for the wise.
Stay uplifted in Christ always and live cheerfully every day.
Leader Chinedu Nicholas Obodo for Exolom Fellowship, Maryland, USA. Find us at exolom.com