End Times - Mathew 24:10 - Offended, betrayed and hated

We have to follow the steps to prepare our way to heaven. Life is very short and we can’t change that so we have to seize all opportunities from it in order to prepare for the next life, eternal life.  When I was young, I used to tell my parents I wanted to die when I was 250 years old.  My father told me, it’s not up to you because whenever the Master of life says, “it is finished for you”, you can’t change it.

Without preparation, we won’t see you in the Kingdom of God.  When I was 7 years old I lost my friend who was my neighbour and my father said, “see even children can die”.  I was offended, why does God kill children, He should first take the old first.  I believed children shouldn’t die.

Mathew 24:10, many will be offended and betray one another and hate one another.  Our life is based on this.  We think on these three things every day, offended, betrayed and hatred.  Sometimes in your life, maybe several times, people have offended you.  How do you feel when you are offended?  Do you feel angry, disappointed, and feel that you should never come close to them anymore, do you feel humiliated and do you hate them?

“Many will be offended”. To be offended is natural.  Recently I was offended.  I was leaving China coming back to New Zealand.  At the airport, I asked the lady at that counter, “can I sit at A?” and I was told yes.  When I boarded the plane, the seat that I was given wasn’t an A (isle seat) but I had to sit in the middle which meant I disturbed people when I went to the toilet.  During the night, it was time to go to toilet and I asked the lady next to me, “can I pass?” and the lady became annoyed and in my heart I felt bad.  Later I had to go to the toilet again and that time the lady said, “is that the way you live in Africa?” 

Those who made this airplane made it specifically for you Aussies and Kiwis.  It’s not my fault the seats are so jammed in.  I came back and the guy next to me said, “don’t worry, I know you are offended but take it easy”.  Sometimes when we don’t understand we can easily offend people.  When we don’t put ourselves in other’s shoes, we can offend.  Your appearance can push me to talk negatively about you and offend you.

Most of the time when we offend it is based on what we see, hear or think.  90% of the time we are wrong and are even worse than the person we are offending.  It’s also hard to go back and ask for forgiveness.  When was the last time you offended someone?  Sometimes we don’t know we have offended.  In the heart of the other, it boils up and they consider it over and over again and it may take weeks or even years to get over.

Christian’s talk about “stumbling block”.  When you offend someone, they feel like you are not worthy to be a friend.  To be offended is hard.  You can be strong physically or mentally but when you are offended you lose your peace.  That is the time that sin comes in because you will react or even overreact.

Now God, our Lord is giving us signs of the time.  People will offend us.  What should we do when we are offended?  We need to remember it is just a test to see how strong you are in patience and how much you love yourself and others.  Take a deep breath and let life move on and forgive them otherwise you will put yourself in the position where you will think negatively about the person and talk about them behind their back.  You might spread the news all over the place so others will defend you and that is gossip.  Then you are killing your soul. 

“People will start to betray each other”.  Has that happened to you?  They go out and talk and betray you.  Once when I was in primary school, I was extremely naughty.  You know the glue for fixing tyre punctures, it is very strong.  I took the glue to class and I applied glue to the chair of the teacher.  Per the culture of our school, all the students stand up when the teacher walks in and boys must bow down in front of the teacher.  I didn’t like to bow down so I applied the glue on the chair.  I watched while others bowed down. She sat down and talked and after a few minutes she tried to stand up but the chair was stuck to her.  The whole class was laughing and I felt so good to do something naughty.  When she pulled herself off the chair, she was offended and very angry.

In Africa, at that time, your teacher could smack you and if you tell your parents that you were smacked by the teacher, your parents will add more smacking.  Each student had to go in front of the class and she smacked each child’s calves.  The children would cry, “it’s not me”.  Some children started to lie because of the pain.  Most of the children started crying before to be beaten. When it was my friend’s turn, he told on me.  I lied and said, “no, it’s not me”.  Then my friend gave the empty glue tube to the teacher.  I was beaten like a snake all over my body.  I left the classroom and ran outside and smashed the windows of the classroom with stones.

I was betrayed, I got angry and smashed the windows.  My headmaster called my parents.  When my father looked at me, I knew I had to confess, “I smashed the windows because the teacher beat me”.  When I explained why, my father used his hands to slap me and then kicked me in front of the children and stepped away, “you have to repent”.  Not sorry but repent.  Repentance means I will never do this again.  I was crying and repenting but that was not the end of the story.

At home, for almost a week, I was punished because I had offended my dad by abusing the school.  His reputation was lowered and then he had to fix all the windows.  I put myself, my father and my family name in trouble.  That is the fruit of someone betraying me.  When you are betrayed, how do you react?  How do you feel?  You feel like killing that person.  When you have that feeling, you are sinning.  Those will not enter the Kingdom of God.

“People will hate one another”.  This is common.  People will hate you just because of who you are or because you don’t look like them or for no reason.  In Africa, many will ask you, “where are you from?”  If I am from a different part of Africa there will automatically be a big block.  People will hate you just because you are from a different tribe.  What did you pay to God to be born the way you are?  Nothing.

The first language in Kenya is English and for Kenyans, if you don’t speak English it means you didn’t go to school and they minimise you.  Once when I was in Kenya, I went to see the Minister of Affairs and he said, “I can’t speak to you because you are illiterate”.  I said, “No I am here to talk to you.  I just need an interpreter”.  Then with the interpreter, the Minister was surprised that I could talk the way I did.

The Bible says that hatred is at the same level as murder.

Those three words from verse 10, what can we learn from them?  How do I offend myself?  How often do you offend yourself?  Secondly how often do I betray myself, my body and my soul?  When you see the betrayal, repent.  Maybe we used to lie or steal or other things that are not good to our souls, that is to hate ourselves, offend ourselves and betray ourselves.  How often do I offend, betray or hate God? 

Do you remember the taste of water?  You can tell its water by tasting it.  But can you taste it when you offend yourself?  When you do such actions, you move forward but God is reminding us that as a sign of the end of the time that people will betray, hate and offend each other.  Salvation is personal.  Inside us is three parts, body, heart and soul.  My body can offend my soul and body.  Most of the time we defend ourselves because we want to please our body.

Oscar was sick on Friday night and he felt pain in his chest at 1am and decided it could wait.  In the morning after all had left the house, he became very sick.  He didn’t know who to call.  He ended up in hospital where he spent the whole day.  Sometimes our bodies feel strong and we think that things can’t shake us.  In the Kingdom of God, there is no being strong because we are all weak.  Through our weaknesses, God gives us strength because He recognises we are weak.

Oscar went through many tests and discovered he had many problems but he was shocked because he didn’t know it.  How many things are wrong in my heart, in my life?  That’s why the doctor of doctors is Jesus and we need to go to Jesus for a medical check-up, “forgive me Jesus for things I don’t even know”.  That is what God is wanting to hear from you every single day and when you do that, you are a friend of God.  If you have offended anyone, fix the problem, “I’m sorry, forgive me”.

After this life, you will live in the Kingdom of God.  If you say that you can never ask for forgiveness then you will choose the path to hell.  Many people swear using the word hell.  Hell exists, it is not a myth.  Think about the hell.  Do you want to spend eternity there?  I will not wish it for any person.  Your destiny is the Kingdom of God which is heaven.  Prepare yourself, God loves you.