This morning while enjoying a quick breakfast at McDonalds with my wife, I clearly heard a couple words in my spirit, so clearly that I looked up to see who had spoken to me.  Those words were “GO JOHN”  Initially that kind of puzzled me because we have many people named “John” on our ministry’s mailing list, although one particular John came to mind immediately, who I called and left a message for.  But even if your name isn’t John, this message can be for you. 
    The Lord showed me there is a twofold meaning here, and I’ll address them both.  My friend John has been believing God for his healing for some time now, and the Lord was encouraging Him, GO, John!  It turns out, unknown to me, that John had, at that moment, given an offering into our ministry.  It sure didn’t take the Lord long to acknowledge that offering, either!  Don’t you know, whenever the Lord moves on someone to sow an offering that He is setting them up for a harvest, because the Lord is always looking to bless us.  I wanted to share that portion first, to encourage you if the Lord is asking you to do something, whatever it is, there is always a blessing right behind the act of obedience. Always!
   Now, moving on to the second part: when I punched “go John” into my electronic Bible, it came up with Matthew 11:4, and I’ll start there and continue.
Mat 11:4  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
Mat 11:5  The blind receive their 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.
Mat 11:6  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

   Why did Jesus say Go and show John AGAIN?  Because, remember, when John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan, he said of Jesus, in John chapter one:
Joh 1:28  These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh 1:30  This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:31  And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Joh 1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

   You see, John KNEW Jesus was the Christ, yet when he was sitting in prison, the devil began to work on John’s mind, and he began to doubt, “to be offended”.  Now pay attention, I’m going somewhere here.  Many people gladly receive prayer for healing or whatever else they need, and continue believing for a while, but after things don’t move along quickly as they think they should, they become offended at the Word, doubting, if you will, the promises of God.  That’s what happened to John, and Jesus told his disciples to go to John and remind him of what he had once believed with all his heart, to encourage him: GO, JOHN!! Will the devil try to work on YOUR mind, too?  Do bears live in the woods?  We need to be reminded of the integrity of God’s Word so we don’t let it slip away.  That way, when WE face trials, we will not bail out on God, but stand our ground.
    Some of you have become offended, for lack of a better word.  The words “Christian” and “offended” don’t belong in the same sentence, but, I’m not a grammar teacher, just a reporter of the truth.  I call ‘em as I see ‘em, and as the Holy Spirit reveals things to me, I try to teach them in a way that will benefit everyone.  You know, we can learn from others’ misnakes xxxx////mistakes.  In fact, the Lord would as soon not have us repeat the mistakes others have made, so He put examples in His Word, whereby we may be instructed, and the Bible says in Job 5:17, Happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.  In Proverbs 3:13 it says, Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.  Do you want to be happy?  Then don’t doubt God!  Sometimes trials come to us by which the devil tries to get us to doubt God’s Word.  Actually, his purpose is to get us offended at and separated from God by whatever way he can pull it off.  Our job is to steadfastly resist the devil in every area of our lives.  Offense can keep you out of all the promises of God, and if you don’t believe me, just get offended at God or someone else, and see how quickly your blessings dry up.
    Jesus couldn’t (not wouldn’t) heal many people in His own village because they were offended at Him. They could have had God’s blessing, but missed it. Let’s read about it:
Mar 6:1  And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
Mar 6:2  And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Mar 6:3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Mar 6:4  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Mar 6:6  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
    We can’t blame God if our blessings dry up into thin air.  Every time it can be traced back to our disobedience or unbelief, for if we are where we should be with God, then we will overcome every time, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
    Again, I know that’s not what people want to hear, but God wants us to hear the truth and respond accordingly.  In this age of “bless me, bless me”, there is still a part we must do, and that is to be still before God and receive instruction from Him, to exalt Him for who He is, the Almighty, and to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Oh, and don’t forget that other part, to love our neighbor as ourselves.
   For those of you who are experiencing the awesome love of God in your lives, I don’t need to explain.  For those of you who aren’t, well, I can’t explain, you must simply experience it for yourself.  And you can do that RIGHT NOW!!  So what are you waiting for?