Author Archive Scovia Salvatory

Answer: Let us return to the Scriptures…

Acts 5:16 –

“Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.”

In the Bible, the word “to be offended” or “to be vexed” (in Swahili, kuudhiwa or kuudhi) carries more than one meaning.

1. “To Be Offended” — A Feeling of Displeasure or Anger

The first meaning is the emotional sense of being displeased, angered, or provoked — a reaction of indignation toward wrongdoing or injustice.
A good example of this is found in the account of Saul’s persecution of the Church and his encounter with the risen Lord.

Acts 9:3–6 –

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked.
‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’”

Here we see that Saul’s violent acts against believers were a direct offense against the Lord Himself.
Christ identifies Himself with His Church — meaning, to harm His followers is to harm Him (cf. Matthew 25:40).

Similarly, the Jews were said to have “offended” or “persecuted” Jesus because He healed on the Sabbath — acts that exposed their hardness of heart.

John 5:14–17 –

“Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.’
The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute Him.
In His defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.’”

2. “To Be Tormented” — The Sense of Suffering or Affliction

However, not every occurrence of “to offend” or “to be vexed” in Scripture means emotional displeasure.
In some contexts, it means to be afflicted, tormented, or oppressed.

In Acts 5:16, the word “tormented” (translated from the Greek ochleō, meaning to trouble, harass, or oppress) refers to those suffering under the bondage of evil spirits.

“Crowds gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.”

Thus, in this passage, to be vexed means to be oppressed or tormented by demonic forces.
Christ’s power, working through the apostles, liberated those oppressed by Satan, fulfilling what Jesus Himself had declared in Luke 4:18:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because He has anointed Me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free.”

A similar expression is found in Revelation 12:13, where Satan, symbolized as the dragon, “persecutes” the woman (a symbol of God’s people):

“When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.”

Here again, to persecute or to vex signifies to inflict suffering and persecution.

3. The Blessedness of Being Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake

Finally, in Matthew 5:10–12, Jesus uses the same concept of being persecuted or vexed — but this time, as a mark of blessedness for His followers:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you,
and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Conclusion and Reflection

Ask yourself:

Are you being afflicted or persecuted for righteousness’ sake, or for wrongdoing?

If your suffering is for Christ, then take heart — your reward is great in heaven (1 Peter 4:13–14).
But if your afflictions are the result of sin or disobedience, repent today, and receive Jesus Christ, who alone can deliver you from every torment and bring you into His peace.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28

May the Lord bless you richly.

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Do You Know Another Reason Why God Destroyed the World in the Days of Noah?

Genesis 6:12–13 (ESV)

“And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’”

Do you see that?
One of the key reasons God sent the flood was because “people had corrupted their way upon the earth.”

Your path (or way) in life matters deeply—both to you and to God.
When your path becomes corrupted—whether by your own choices or by the influence of others—your purpose and existence lose meaning before God.

Each Person Has a Unique Path

Every person has a distinct journey in life. Your path is not the same as someone else’s.
But regardless of how different our paths may be, the end of every righteous path should lead to:

• Peace,

• Joy,

• Rest,

• Victory,

• Reverence for God, and ultimately,

• Eternal life.

However, when a person loses direction—walking in the desires of the flesh, sin, rebellion, and disobedience—the end is destruction and judgment.
Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Good News

The good news is this: No matter how lost or corrupted your path has become, as long as you are alive, you can still make it right before death or before God’s judgment comes.

A great example from the Bible is King Jotham.

2 Chronicles 27:6–9 (ESV)

“So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God.
Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.”

Notice: Jotham’s strength and success came because he prepared and established his ways before the Lord.

HOW DO WE MAKE OUR PATHS RIGHT BEFORE GOD?

1. By Obeying the Word of God

Psalm 119:9 (ESV)

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

The Word of God (the Bible) is our light and guide.
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

If you want direction in life, you’ll find it in Scripture.
The Bible clearly explains how to walk both spiritually and practically in this world.
Anyone who reads it with revelation will not lose direction, because within it are divine principles for peace, joy, patience, victory, success, and most importantly, eternal life.

Those who ignore or reject the Word of God place themselves in danger—their path will surely be destroyed.

Jeremiah 26:13 (ESV)

“Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you.”

Do you desire peace in your life?
Then read and obey the Word of God.
When Scripture says “do not do this”, obey.
When it says “do this”, obey.
As you do, your path to peace, joy, and success will become straight—and ultimately, you will walk in eternal life.

Jeremiah 7:3 (ESV)

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.”

May the Lord help us to walk rightly before Him.

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Answer: Let us reflect…

Genesis 6:11–13
“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.’”

From a general understanding, oppression (or injustice) is the act of denying someone their rightful due. For example, if money has been entrusted to you and you refuse to return it while having the ability, that is oppression. Similarly, if someone has a right to receive a service or help from you and you withhold it for personal reasons, you are committing injustice. In this sense, oppression is a sin.

However, in the Bible, the meaning of oppression extends far beyond merely denying someone their rights. It includes violence, tyranny, evil, and rebellion.

So, when the word “oppression” is mentioned in Scripture, it carries a broader meaning than what we might commonly understand today. For example, in Genesis 6:11–13, oppression refers to all acts of violence, tyranny, rebellion, and the denial of justice to others. This was the reason God judged the first world with the flood.

Genesis 6:11–13 (NIV):
“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.’”

Other passages mentioning oppression include:

• Psalm 55:9–11 – God sees and acts against the violence of the wicked.

• Psalm 82:2 – God judges unjust rulers.

• Psalm 119:78, 134 – Upholding justice for the oppressed is a biblical mandate.

• Romans 2:8 – God’s judgment awaits those who practice unrighteousness.

• Revelation 22:11 – There will come a time when the wicked persist in their oppression.

Have you received Jesus? Or are you still wandering in the oppression of this world? Remember, Scripture says the first world was destroyed by water, but the present world is reserved for fire, for the same sins that corrupted the first world (the time of Noah) still persist.

2 Peter 3:6–7
“By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. But the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”

The Lord Jesus, the Righteous Judge (Psalm 45:7), is coming!

Maranatha!

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