The Suspension of the Miraculous

I have often wondered why the mainstream church doesn't witness the amount of Miracles in the life of our congregations as was witnessed in the first century church found in the Book of Acts. We can come up with all types of legitimate explanations: lack of faith, lack of order, lack of obedience, lack of spiritual power. And to a certain extent, all of these things are contributing factors to why we don't witness on a regular basis Miracles, Signs and Wonders in the mainstream American church. But I'd like to suggest another reason today as well, and that is the Spirit of Offense. When the people of God or a community of faith displays or indulges in a Spirit of Offense, then what you experience is The Suspension of the Miraculous.

To be Offended means to experience insult, displeasure, anger or resentment in response to something or someone. Many people carry with them a Spirit of Offense. This means that they are "easily" insulted or angered by the actions or attitudes of others. We generally describe a person like this as one who "wears their heart on their sleeves" or is like "super-sensitive". However, a Spirit of Offense isn't always marked by these characteristics. A lot of times, when people have been hurt, if those wounds have not been healed and they aren't operating in a spirit of forgiveness, they can find themselves subject to a Spirit of Offense. It's not like they're "trying" to be overly sensitive; but because of previous wounds, (emotionally, psychologically, relationally) that haven't been fully addressed and resolved, then they tend to get Offended more easily and more often than others. This is not of God. And the reason this is something that the church needs to deal with is because the Spirit of Offense Suspends the Activity of God, particularly the Supernatural and the Miraculous.

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus had gone to his hometown to minister. The Bible says that the people were "offended in Him" and as a result, "He did not many mighty works there". What was the source of their Offense? Jesus was a "hometown boy", and they just couldn't believe that someone who they had grown up with and knew His family, could actually be this Great. Saints, one of the biggest problems in the church, particularly in the ministry, is the spirit of Equalizing. When people aren't secure in themselves then it's hard for them to appreciate and embrace you when how God is using you is "greater" than how He's using them. This is one example of a Spirit of Offense, and it needs to be cast out of the church. We will not be in a position corporately, as the Body of Christ, to receive a Supernatural Move of God if we're always in "comparison mode". Learn to embrace and secure who and where you are, and praise God for that. And be honest. Some of us are experiencing "mediocre ministries" because of poor decisions we've made and the exercise of unbelief (Matthew 13). Saints, let us ask God to deliver us from any bitterness, or resentment, or insecurity that is fostering and nurturing within us a Spirit of Offense. If not, we too will experience The Suspension of the Miraculous.