When my sister and dear friend Laurie Riggs shared this scripture this morning, I was inspired by the Lord to comment on it.

“Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me (Jesus)” Matthew 11:4-6.

Yes, the offense always comes when the real deal shows up and we begin doing what Jesus said do… Sometimes, we can’t get our mind wrapped around something that happens that is not natural to us I think our carnal mind has to have a natural explanation because we start looking for the natural solution immediately rather than believing…. That is why Jesus said “unless you have faith as a little child you will not enter the Kingdom”.. (Matthew 18:3).

Whenever we see signs,wonders,and miracles, it offends our carnal mind because it doesn’t fit into our box or religious box at times.. It truly upsets our normal paradigms so to speak. But in this coming move of God we are getting ready to see the “Greater Works” so I sense the Lord speaking that we will have to enlarge our thinking and be very discerning because if we are confined to our natural thinking and reasoning in this hour we could miss the visitation of our God!! We must become like little children in our faith but very much like grown ups in our discernment. Even though the coming of the Messiah was predicted by their prophets for hundreds of years the Jews for the most part missed their day of visitation because they did not believe and Jesus said “If you can not believe me at least believe the works…” (John 14:11).

You see, the greater works are coming in this day and hour but if you are offended when they come forth, you will reject the one that they are coming through as a messenger of Jesus Christ and then you may not see what He is truly doing in the earth! We must discern the Spirit of the matter and not judge things in the flesh.. Jesus could not do mighty works among them in His home town because they were too familiar with Him in the flesh.. They knew His family and had seen Him grow up and so when they saw Him being raised up and doing the miracles that He was doing their minds were offended.. They could not accept the fact that this was the Messiah….

Right now, God is raising up His manifest sons and daughters in the earth who will do the greatest miracles that the world has ever seen.. (See Romans 8). These men and women will arise and heal the sick,raise the dead, prophesy to the elements,speak to mountains, move in signs and wonders that will offend the carnal mind and provoke them to rage, such as the Pharisees of Jesus day… Will you be the one with the childlike faith,or will you be the one persecuting those that move in this kind of power?

A separation is happening.. Will you harden your heart like Pharaoh did when Moses said “Let my people go to be free to worship me in the dessert” (Exodus 7:16) or will you be one that stands before the Red Sea saying “Stand still and see the salvation of God?” (Exodus 14:13) I don’t know about you but I want to see the visitation of my God in this season!.. I want to be one who “sees” the Kingdom with my childlike faith! Let’s be like Anna in the temple when she saw the baby Jesus,she recognized who He was, she had prepared her thinking and her Spirit by spending all of her time in intercession. Are we fellowshipping with Him enough that we will know the difference between His works and the enemies? If not, it is time to get to know Him better. There is so much coming upon this earth…. Will we know who our true brothers and sisters are? Awaken church! Will you miss your day of visitation?

“And John summoned to him a certain two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, Are You He Who is to come, or shall we [continue to] look for another?
So the men came to Jesus and said, John the Baptist sent us to You to ask, Are You the One Who is to come, or shall we [continue to] look for another?
In that very hour Jesus was healing many [people] of sicknesses and distressing bodily plagues and evil spirits, and to many who were blind He gave a free, gracious, joy-giving gift of sight.
So He replied to them, Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news (the Gospel) preached to them.
And blessed (happy — with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, apart from outward conditions — (and to be envied) is he who takes no offense in Me and who is not hurt or resentful or annoyed or repelled or made to stumble [whatever may occur]” Luke 7:19-23.

– by Jo Ellen Stevens Arise Shine!

Jo Ellen Stevens of TCIC Ministries is a Prophetic speaker, author, worshiper and intercessor. She has ministered with her husband for 23 years and was a worship leader at the Assembly of God for many years. She is an ordained minister (Restoration Ministries) and works with Restoration Ministries in their Ministry Rooms doing prophetic worship with her husband. She has taught many bible studies and have led many intercessory prayer groups.