Beware of The Dream Killer. Watch Out For Ones When You Say That God Has Called You To Something And They Say How You Are Going To Do That. The Word Of God Is A Dream Fulfiller

Mark 4: 18-19 – 20. Beyond your imagination, above what you are asking because He is not limited, The Word Of God Is A Dream Fulfiller. Nourish your dream with the word of God.  Feed that dream with nutrient which is God’ word, you are nurturing and cultivating. When you get into God’s presence you get to see the depth of it.  God is looking for you to seek Him out, feed on the word of God, One idea that can bring you out of all the lack into wealth.

Mark 29: 3-4 All things are possible to him who believe. Don’t let people kill your dream, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, the Hope of glory, tactics set by Satan, the spirit of offense and someone killing your dream. It’s time we start standing up publicly for God. WATCH THIS: People that you think you can trust with your visions, people you think you can trust with your dreams will often try to kill your dream and vandalize your visions. You thought they would be there to support you, but the devil will use them to destroy your dreams.

Joseph had a dream, now this is important. A dream happens in the unconscious mind but it affects your behavior and they will affect your behavior to the point that you operate a certain way without even thinking about it. You had a dream, vision of doing or being something and because this was down inside of you; you operated in a way to obtain that dream or vision and never really gave it much thought. You just did what had to be done because it was your behavior or has become your character. Example:- You wanted to get good grades so you operated in a way to obtain that, you studied because you had a dream, other people would say let’s to this or let’s do that and you studied, it became your character and people said they won’t do that because your dream had affected the way you acted.

When you make up in your mind that I am going to walk in my dreams and the desires and the visions that God has giving me, that is when the enemy looks to see who he may devour, that is the point where it seems like all hell has broken loose. When you began to walk in what you know that God has for you that is when. If he began to walk in the dreams and the Visions that God has giving him he will be a success. See it is not until you make up in your mind that you are going to live out your dream that is when the enemy comes in like a flood. See you can have a dream but it is when you plan to live out that dream, is when the enemy tries to destroy it. 

The devil doesn’t want you to be successful in fulfilling your destiny, the expected end that God has for you.

Joseph had a dream and he told that dream to his brothers. That is when the enemy stepped in. You can’t tell everyone your dreams, even the ones that you think are the closet to you because everyone will not be excited about your dream.

See Joseph brothers already disliked him because he was his father’s favorite. Watch This:- because of favor, the favor of God on your life, the enemy doesn’t like you. Understand that Lucifer’s role in heaven was the chief cherub angel he was responsible for leading the praise in heaven. Because of his pride he was kicked out of heaven and lost his position. We are created to worship and praise God, when we do that it reminds the devil of what he lost and he tries to destroy or purpose which is to praise God as he once did. PURPOSE!!!!!!

Joseph’s brothers disliked him because he had the favor of their father. Not only that; but his father made him a coat of many colors. Understand that this coat was a mark that said the father approved and accepted Joseph. WATCH THIS: when we have been filled with the Holy Ghost it is a mark that says we are approved and accepted of God. This makes the adversary upset because he is not accepted and approved of God.

Even though they didn’t like him it was not until Joseph had a dream when the enemy thought that now I got to destroy him. Genesis 37:19-20 says “And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams”. His brothers said here comes that dreamer lets slay him and see what will become of his dream.

Everything could be just fine in your relationship with someone a brother or a sister or a close relative, and sometimes even your own spouse. Than all of a sudden they just turn left. Things began to fall apart. The devil will use the ones that are close to you to he can kill your dream, Kill your future, and kill your desire, and your ambitions.

But I am here to tell you today to watch out for dream killers. Watch Out For Ones When You Say That God Has Called You To Something And They Say How You Are Going To Do That. Watch out for the dream killer. Watch out for the one that you share your ambitions with. And they laugh in your face. Watch out for dream killers. Watch out for the ones that cannot see your vision. Watch out for the ones that do not support you. Watch out for the one, that when you say you are going back to get that degree. They say you are too old. Or you are just not smart enough. Watch out for dream killer.

Because what the enemy does he tries to stop you from progressing. If you are not doing the will of God, if you are not walking in your gift and your talent; you cannot progress on what God may have for you to do. I don’t care what kind of job you have it just will not satisfy you, I don’t care what you have. If you are not `living your dreams you have faced some dream killers somewhere down the line.

WATCH THIS: people don’t have to be the only dream killers, emotions can be dream killers, attitudes can be dream killers. What do you mean J.P. So-n-so hurt my feelings and I’m not going back there anymore. That’s a dream killer; remember the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations.

Beware of The Dream Killer. Spirit of offense is to kill the mighty works of God, get offended every time somebody open their mouth you will never see  dreams fulfilled guard your heart against the spirit of offense, recognize or perceive offense is a trap of the devil to steal your dream. The cares of this world will try to come in and steal your dream. You have to know whose voice you are going to listen, to the devil will tell you there is never an opportune time to step out. He didn’t know where he was going he just knew who was calling him. You can’t let the pressures of this life and world to get you off of your dream. Faith staggers are not at the promise of God, don’t question God, His promise is to stagger not, trying to figure out when God is going to do it, don’t think that it is up to you alone to fulfill your dream, God is able to perform it. Abraham was the Father of Faith, he considered not, don’t react to what you see. The Word of God is eternal, you have to consider this; we want to change lives, one soul at a time through the Word of God. Jesus became a man to feel what you feel, He felt what you felt. He was offended daily, but Jesus knew His destiny.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

  

That Is Why God Often Comes In The Back Door, Pouring Out His Spirit In Unexpected Places And Working Through Unlikely Vessels. It's Because The Front Door Is Often Closed.

Sometime we just have to do a self evaluation of our spiritual walk and where we stand. Sometimes we need to go back to the table and make an assessment of where we stand with God. Do we really thirst and hunger after His righteousness?  Do we run around telling people, I have helped others and done good, I go to church, but do you hunger and thirst for righteousness, where is Christ in your life?

For many years, the question has been asked, "Why is it that we don't see revival?" The answer remains, "Because we are willing to live without it.”God fills the hungry and satisfies the thirsty (Ps. 107:9).The rain falls on the dry land, and the fire falls on the sacrifice placed on the altar (Is. 44:3; 1 Kings 18). These are consistent biblical principles. And so, when we get to the point that we cannot live any longer without divine visitation and our hearts are ready to burst with longing for His glorious presence, we can be sure that the answer is near.

It is the exact opposite with those who are filled and satisfied with other things. That Is Why God Often Comes In The Back Door, Pouring Out His Spirit In Unexpected Places And Working Through Unlikely Vessels. It's Because The Front Door Is Often Closed. That's why Jesus was born in the manger. There was no room in the inn. That's why He rebuked the church of Laodicea. The believers there said, "I am rich, and have stored up goods, and have need of nothing." They did not realize that they were "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17).

Doesn't that describe so many of us in the church of America today? Truth be told, our great abundance has been a blessing and a curse. It has been a blessing because most of us don't live in grinding poverty and many of us have a surplus to help those suffering around the world. But our great abundance has also been a curse. We are so filled with other things—with sports and entertainment and possessions and activities and carnality—that there is little room for God in our lives. The distractions are endless and the love for other things crowds out our love for God.

How hungry are we? How deeply do we yearn for God's kingdom to come to our nation? How desperate are we to see a divine visitation rock our country, our city, our church, our home, ourselves? These questions may not be relevant to you, but they are certainly relevant to me. Do I really hunger and thirst for righteousness? What drives me and motivates me and energizes me? If you could watch my life for a 24-hour period, what would you determine mattered to me the most?

I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on you (or on myself), but I am trying to ignite something deep within—a spark for more of God's presence, a spark of spiritual longing, a spark of passion and desperation. God will pour out His Spirit on those who are truly desperate for Him! Let me give you a simple analogy.

Imagine that you are going away for a one-week retreat to meet with God. You are staying alone in a cabin where there is no TV, Internet access, or cell phone service, so you don't even bring your phone or laptop. How many hours per day do you think you will read the Word and pray? How much quality time will you have with God?

Now imagine that identical scenario except with one slight difference: There is a giant-screen TV with cable access to all your favorite channels, plus a massive archive of your favorite movies and TV shows. And there is high-speed Internet access and unlimited, free cell phone service for texting and calls. And did I mention the cabin has the most amazing sound system built into the entertainment room?

Do you think you might find less time for the Word and prayer? Do you think you might be just a bit distracted?

That is a picture of our lives today as 21st century Americans. In the words of Jesus, "the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it proves unfruitful" (Mark 4:19). To give just one example, consider the power of the god of sports.

Not only does it consume our time, but it dominates our emotions. When our home football team loses dramatically in the last second of a game we are devastated for days, our hearts torn with disappointment. And when we lose because the refs blow a call, our passion for justice is stirred. We cry out with one voice, "This is not right!"

But we are hardly brokenhearted and devastated over the fact that millions of Americans are lost and without God, that we have been in steady moral and spiritual decline, that our nation leads the world in the exportation of pornography, that we still slaughter one million babies in the womb every year, and that we have more single-parent homes than almost any developed nation on the planet.

As for our passion for justice, the refs blowing a call troubles us more than the epidemic of human trafficking in our nation. Or do we even realize that cities like Atlanta, Seattle, San Diego and Charlotte are hotbeds for the trafficking of minors?

I am trying to serve as a faithful physician, analyzing our symptoms and providing a diagnosis of our condition with a view toward regaining our health. For the real issue is not so much the state of the nation but the state of our individual hearts, and one coal burning bright can set the other coals a blaze. Is there anything stopping us from seeking God in private, asking Him to light a fresh fire in our heart, crying out to Him to bring you back to your first love, supplicating Him to glorify Jesus afresh in your eyes? Is there anything more important than this? Wherever you are, however far you have fallen and however great your own needs, our God will not refuse your cry.

Isaiah 57:15 says, "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. “Let’s take our Father at His Word, determining to ask and seek and knock until the answer comes. We cannot live any longer without a fresh visitation from on high. We should say "Lord, start the work in me!"

Blessings

J.P. Olson

When Was The Last Time Did You Hear God Speak? This Is Why So Many People Cannot Find Direction From The Lord.They’re Too Busy Trying To Get Man’s Approval. Man’s Opinion. Man’s Wisdom.

When Was The Last Time Did You Hear God Speak? When God Speaks One Thing We Must Realize. When God Speaks It Won’t Be In The Form Of Man. It Won’t Be In The Form Of Man’s Opinion.  It Won’t Be In The Form Of Man’s Intelligence. It Won’t Be In The Form Of Man’s Understanding. It Won’t Look Like Man. It Won’t Sound Like Man. It Won’t Feel Like Man. And It Won’t Be Man. It Will Be God!!! God doesn't require a job interview. He doesn't hire and fire like most bosses, because He's more our Dad than our Boss. He doesn't look at financial gain or loss. He's not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need.

This Is Why So Many People Cannot Find Direction From The Lord.  They’re Too Busy Trying To Get.... Man’s Approval. Man’s Opinion. Man’s Wisdom. With All Of Man’s Wisdom, with all of man’s understanding, with all of man’s intellect, it cannot give the peace of mind that the Holy Spirit gives. Your whole world may be falling down around you. You may be facing a test that is life shattering. You may be looking into the face of death himself, but if you can get into a place where the voice of God can be heard. The Holy Spirit is a Promise, Comforter, Teacher and Guide. “It will lead you unto all truth”

When God speaks something is going to change!!! He spoke to the Void of darkness in creation and light and life sprang forth!!! He spoke to the frogs in Pharaoh’s river and they plagued his house. He spoke to valley of dry bones and they came to life again. He spoke to the blind and they began to see. He spoke to the dumb and he began to speak. He spoke to the leper and he was made clean. He spoke to Lazarus and he rose from the dead. He spoke to the storm and it was made calm.

And He is speaking to you today. We need to let God’s word into our lives. God’s word is like the sweet manna in the desert. It’s the cool water to the parched lips. Hosea 4:6 ...  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Who’s people? God’s People! People who should be living a blessed life! People who should be feeling the power of God in their life! They are reduced to poverty because they could not hear God’s word! I wonder what blessing would flow in our lives if we would only hear from God. This is why the Holy Spirit is so important to the believer.

Does it bother us that we can’t hear from God? Do we weep for lack of His voice?  Do we cry out in the darkness ...”Who art thou Lord”? Does it bother us when we can’t hear Him? “OH that I might know HIM!!!” “OH that I could hear Him speak to this church”. “OH that His word would go forth” “We go down to our knees, or we go down to oblivion.”

I’m fully persuaded God allows a lot of the stuff we endure to come our way, because it sends us running right back to the prayer room! At least in trouble God gets to hear our voice! But should this really be the only time God hears from us? When we're in trouble? And He's the last lifeline left? Prayer Will: Get you in, Get you Out, Get You Through. Never underestimate the power of prayer. "If you can believe, you can achieve".

Blessings

J.P. Olson

  

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

You Will Either Stretch or Shrink Depending On What You're In. Move From Where You Are and Move Towards Where You Need To Be.

So How Big Is Your Thinking? For instance, are you looking to attain a job or begin a career? Are you looking to sing a song or sign a recording contract? Are you looking to work for a company or start one? Are you looking to lease a car or own one? Are you looking for an apartment to rent or a house to own? Are you looking to just get started, or do you already see the finished project?

Listen: Edison had to install electric lights for free in an office building before anyone even came to look at them. The first sewing machine invented was destroyed by a mob in France. Morse waited for ten years before the world showed any interest in his telegraph. And when the idea of traveling by railroad was introduced, people scoffed because it was widely believed that traveling at thirty miles per hour stopped blood circulation in the human body.

In other words, YOU are no exception! It will be just as hard for you as it has been for anyone else, but the level of Belief you have in your Beliefs is what makes the difference! All you have to do is maintain your faith, even in the midst of failure and fear, believing that God is still able to produce what He promised! Which means you need to ask yourself a few questions: Will I still hold on when the contract doesn’t come through? When the mortgage is not approved? When the idea breaks down? When the plans go south? When the direction is changed? When my favorites walk out? Will I still Hold On To What I Believe God is Able to Do?

So what are you waiting for? Believe God and Launch Out Into the Deep! BIGGER, BETTER, AND GREATER IS WAITING FOR YOU TO ARRIVE! Remember: The size of your faith and your vision determines the outcome of your idea! So stretch yourself and reach your greatest  potential! Ronald E. Osborn said, “Undertake something difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try something beyond what you have already mastered, you’ll never grow.” Therefore, Get out of your Comfort Zone and Stretch yourself into uncommon, unknown, unfamiliar territory! Walk where you’ve never walked, go where you’ve never gone, try what you’ve never tried! You never know the unforeseen blessing you may finally discover!

I had a great friend Dr. S. Ross say something to me 8 years ago that I still hold dear today! She said “just because you’re a preacher or evangelist doesn’t mean you hang around only preachers or evangelists. You’ll never grow or stretch beyond the circle you surround yourself with. Instead befriend veterinarians, doctors, lawyers, politicians, athletes, sanitation workers, bank tellers, chefs and cooks, this way your growth, potential and opportunities for open doors will always be limitless.”

Now, anyone who really knows me knows I am a “Parable /Teacher”. I’ve evangelized and taught on everything from trees, ants, spiders, conies, and rock badgers, to eagles, termites, donkeys, gerbils, heifers, and snakes, to sewage, ice, storms, birds, ticks, planes, football, and even the one word “AND”! 

And the only reason I’m able to do what I do and do it effectively is because I broadened my circle! I learned to talk with NON-PREACHERS! That’s what sharpened my skills and gifts for teaching! Talking to different people from different walks of life, different backgrounds, upbringing, employment etc… It’s what Jesus did! He talked to the blind, lame, deaf, mute, adulterous, thieves, trees, wind, waves and even the dead!  Why should we do any different?!

And with that as a thought, perhaps your stunted growth is because you’re planting good seeds in a bad ground! You cannot plant fear and expect faith to grow! You need to stretch yourself and go in deep waters to get a big catch! Consider this: your promotion, mortgage approval, career, new job, degree, car, business…may all be in the Deep…But You’re Too Surface To Get It! So, are you really willing to pass all that up just because you’re afraid to go where you’ve never gone and try what you’ve never tried?!

Don’t Allow Your Limits to Limit You! Broaden Your Circle So You Can Embrace Bigger, Better, and Greater! Look at it this way: If you haven’t gained what you desired yet…what have you got to lose?! So Go for it! Launch Out! Remember This: You attain in direct proportion to what you attempt, which is why Jesus said to His disciples: “Launch out into the deep”.

Look at this translation:

“…Now GO out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” (NLT)

The word “Go” in its simplest form means “To Move To Or From a Place” And that’s what you need to do if you are going to get what you’ve never gotten before! You’re going to have to Move From Where You Are and Move Towards Where You Need To Be! You Can’t Get It Standing Still or Staying Where You Are! Your Destiny Is Not On The Shore, It’s Out In The Deep, So Get Up Off Your Hind Parts and GO! Move Out Into the Deep!

KEY: Only take what you need into the deep! They took the BOAT! Make sure you only take what and dare I say WHO is Essential to Your Catch! Don’t take family because you assume that they’re family so they must go! That is not always the case! Sometimes Family Will Sink Your Boat the Fastest! Don’t take all your friends because all your friends are not there to help you catch or clean the fish…they just want to fry it up and eat your spoils! So be careful! In the words of my Professor…You Only Need What You Need! Don’t attempt to take extra!

In case you don’t know “Need” is defined as “Something Required Because It Is Essential or Very Important” And “Essential” means “Absolutely Necessary”! So Whether It Is a Person, Place or Thing, You Only Need What You Need! So Make Sure You Are Deep In Prayer, Faith, Word of God, Wisdom, And a Good Surrounding of People! 

You Will Either Stretch or Shrink Depending On What You’re In! So Get Off the Shore, Get Out of the Surface and Launch Out Into the Deep…Taking Only What and Who Are Absolutely Essential! THEN OPEN YOUR ARMS WIDE TO EMBRACE BIGGER, BETTER AND GREATER!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

  

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

“What Is Your Appetite Costing You?” Watch Out For The Esau-Syndrome: Trading Away God’s Lifelong Gift In Order To Satisfy a Short-Term Appetite.

Esau had the right to inherit everything of his father’s, but he traded his prosperity for a plate of food! And before you get on Esau to railroad him, let’s self-exam first, shall we? What have you forfeited of your Father’s blessings and inheritance, because you traded it for a plate of food? Did you allow one more drink, one more smoke, one more hit, one more affair, one more night, one more slip, one more lie? What did you trade in the moment, assuming you would have another moment? I don’t care what the offer is, if it causes you to miss out on what God has purposely laid up for you, then the only thing that should come out of your mouth is, “No Deal!” You have too much to lose on a bad trade! I don’t know about you, but there is nothing the devil or this world has to offer that would be deemed a fair or even trade of the Family of God’s Blessings and Inheritance! So the next time temptation rears its ugly head like it did with Eve and the Serpent, don’t hold a long conversation, just simply say, “No Deal! I can’t afford to trade my Father’s Inheritance to me!”

Don’t think it can't happen to you? Just listen to another person, who stepped out of line and lost it all in just one brief moment. “That was stupid!” Samuel said. “You didn’t obey the Lord your God. If you had obeyed Him, someone from your family would always have been king of Israel. But no, you disobeyed, and so the Lord won’t choose anyone else from your family to be king. In fact, He has already chosen the one He wants to be the next leader of His people.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14 CEV). Can you imagine, once again, having it all, then giving it all away with just one foolish act? And sadly, in Saul’s case, his foolish act didn’t just affect him, but no one else from his entire lineage would be able to be king. Even if they did absolutely nothing wrong, the family as a whole suffered from Saul’s moment of impulsiveness and disobedience. Let that also be a lesson for you, you have wives, sons and daughters, and the last thing you want to do is put your whole family in a position of loss, because you couldn’t find a way to say “No Deal!” Don’t give away your Father’s blessings and inheritance!

Don’t Let This Happen to You! Yes, repentance gives you the opportunity to turn, but sometimes, you miss your turn! So whatever you’re in today, if it would cause you to lose what you’ve found in God, turn now, while you still have time left! You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing – but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.” (MSG) The word “impulsive” is defined as “doing things or tending to do things suddenly and without careful thought; done suddenly and without planning; to be rash, quick or hasty.” Sounds just like Esau! “…and Esau said to Jacob, “Please, let me have a QUICK swallow of that red stuff there, because I am exhausted and famished.”  What’s important to know is this, Esau was not in the dark about his birthright and inheritance. He knew at a young age, because they are informed of it at a young age. And yet, even knowing what he would be trading (and ultimately losing), he did it anyway. Likewise, you already know the blessings God desires to give you, you know that because reading your bible tells you that. So you are in no position to say “Oops, I didn’t know.” Yes, you did, and you went on and did that anyway.

Be careful about picking up the “…Esau-Syndrome, of trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite…” You already know what you’ve gained, and therefore, what you stand to lose, so when the opportunity of trade comes up, turn it down fast! Don’t allow your impulsive flesh to cause you to miss out on your inheritance. That's the ugly secret about sin. It looks like it will get us through something. It will benefit us in some way, and like Esau, maybe our bad choices do give us some short-term benefit. That deceit, that giving in to the pressure, that compromise of your integrity, that drink, that sexual sin, or cutting corners to get ahead or get accepted. Something appears in front of you that looks like it might meet a need, it might relieve the pain or help you get ahead. And you only mean for it to be just a little while, maybe just this once.  

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Someone Has Said, When We Get To Heaven We’ll Find A Lot Of Unopened Packages With Our Name On Them Because We Did Not Claim Them Through Prayer.

Hearing and knowing God's Word and then going and doing according to His Word will result in many answers to our prayers.""I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers them. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I breathe!"" Psalm 116:1

Praying an Effective Prayer.

All we have to do, as God’s people, called by His name, is to obey the Set Requirements:

1. Humble Ourselves;

2. Pray;

3. Seek His Face; and

4. Turn From Our Wicked Ways

...

THEN...AFTER THAT...God Promises to Hear From Heaven; Forgive Sin and Heal the Land! God knows our tendency to forget His blessings and go our own way. And often times we get so caught up in what God did that we act as though He can’t and won’t do anything else. But God has so much more in store. But in order for Him to release it, there are some conditions that have to be met. And these conditions still remain today. God said:

1. “If MY PEOPLE, who are called by MY NAME. We must turn from self promotion to God promotion. God makes it clear from the start, you are “.MY PEOPLE...” and you are called by ...MY NAME.” Somehow we’ve managed to high jack God’s Church from Him! We’ve made all the programs, protocols, banquets, anniversaries, services, and the like about US...NOT HIM! But the 2 very important requirements for us to always remember is that “IT’S NOT ABOUT US OR OUR NAME! The first thing we need to get back to is FOCUS! And not on US, but on HIM!

2. “Will HUMBLE THEMSELVES and pray. We must turn from self reliance to God reliance. I love the fact that Humility comes BEFORE Prayer! In fact, I believe we would pray much differently and effectively if we entered prayer in Humility first!

3. “And Seek MY FACE. We must turn from self direction to God direction. But when did we get so caught up in His Hand that we forgot about His Face? Before we enter prayer with our long to do list for God, all of the blessings we need bestowed, the miracles we need performed, the debts we need cancelled, the sickness we need healed, how about we try instead to enter in prayer with Worship?! NOT entering in hoping that God makes it Worth our While! The word “Worship” is defined as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity; great admiration or devotion. Listen, while so many are waiting for the Lord to hand them Prosperity from His Hand, Prosperity comes from His Face!

4. Remember: Seek HIS FACE “And TURN from their wicked ways.” We must turn from self indulgence to self-examination. I love the word “Turn” because it’s defined as “to move into a different position, especially so as to face or move in the opposite direction.”Today is your day to make a Turn for the better! And after all of that what happens next? Well, the Bible says: “THEN”! ...THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land! ” I love the word "Then” because it's defined as "After This or After That "! So after WE, THE CHURCH, fulfill the preconditions of God......THEN Happens! The turnaround this country needs is dependent on if and when we make the decision to turn back to God! The change doesn’t happen when unbelievers turn to God, but GOD said, “IF MY PEOPLE...CALLED BY MY NAME.” Birthing a significant, effective, change for the better has always begun with GOD’S PEOPLE. 

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. THEN there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4 NKJV) And things were NEVER the same. If there is going to be a National turn around, it has to begin with “MY PEOPLE...CALLED BY MY NAME.” And when you look at the 3-fold blessing that God will bestow it makes you wonder what are we waiting for?

Spending time developing our own personal relationship with the Lord is a valuable investment of our time. God has made it possible for us to communicate with Him through our prayers. He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. Therefore, the more we pray and read His Word, the deeper our relationship with Him will be.

A simple guide to help us be more effective in our communication with God can be remembered by the acronym ACTS.

·

Adoration.

This means we worship God for Who He is rather than just for what He does. In adoration we verbalize our worship, praise, honor, and exaltation of God. Many of the Psalms help us focus on the attributes of God, such as His loving kindness, His mercy, His majesty, and many other attributes. Adoration is expressing our love for Him through our words.

·

Confession.

As we begin our prayer with worshipful adoration of God, the Holy Spirit will often reveal any sin in our life that needs to be confessed. To confess means "to agree with."In other words, I agree with God concerning my sin that it is sin. I also agree with God that the blood of Jesus Christ has paid for that sin. This leads me to thank Him for His forgiveness.

·

Thanksgiving.

Giving thanks expresses faith, and faith pleases God. In giving thanks we are verbally expressing our gratefulness and appreciation for what God does. Thanksgiving is a way of telling God," I trust You."It is the opposite of whining and becoming bitter.

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Supplication. Supplication is telling God our requests. We can pray for everything that concerns our lives, as well as for the needs of others. ACTS helps our prayers stay focused on God's priorities for us."Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Philippians 4:6. "When I make a request to God, how can I pray with confidence?"

Four key words answer this question.

1. Abiding is the key to successful praying. In John 15:7 Jesus states, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you."Colossians 3:16 says "Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you."

2. Ask. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7, 8,"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened." Someone has said, when we get to heaven we’ll find a lot of unopened packages with our name on them because we did not claim them through prayer.

3. Believe. In Matthew 21:22 we read, "Everything you ask in prayer, believing you shall receive."Faith, which is an attitude of believing, pleases God.

4. Receive. If you are abiding in Christ, and if you have asked, believing, get ready to receive the answer. In other words, when you pray for rain, carry an umbrella. John 16:24 says, "Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be made full."

All we have to do, as God’s people, called by His name, is to obey the Set Requirements:

1. Humble Ourselves;

2. Pray;

3. Seek His Face; and

4. Turn From Our Wicked Ways

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THEN...AFTER THAT...God Promises to Hear From Heaven; Forgive Sin and Heal the Land! I reiterate, CHURCH, what are we waiting for?

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

I Decree Today That I Will No Longer Stumble Over My Struggles, Cry Over My Crisis, Or Have A Tantrum Over My Trials.When My Faith Comes Out Of The Furnace It Will Be On Fire Instead Of In Ashes!

FAITH DECREE: I Decree Today That I Will No Longer Stumble Over My Struggles, Cry Over My Crisis, Or Have A Tantrum Over My Trials. There is no test given to me that my God hasn’t already provided the answers to pass.  This Time, When My Faith Comes Out Of The Furnace It Will Be On Fire Instead Of In Ashes! In Jesus Name I Decree it to be so. Amen. So It Is and So Shall It Be!               

Remember: Trials Turn What You’ve Learned, Into What You Live!

Sometimes Trials are God’s way of taking our hands off of things that aren’t secure and putting them on the only thing that is…HIMSELF

 “God speaks through Trials…Listen.” (Elissa Gabrielle)

“There are some of your graces which would never be discovered if it were not for your Trials.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

Today I will share not only my thoughts on this question of “why so many struggle with lack of faith” but with some notable women and men of God and their beliefs. So why do many people struggle with a lack of faith?

The main reason why so many Christians struggle with a lack of faith is that we follow our perceptions of what is true rather than what we know to be true by faith.

“Christianity is a faith-based religion. It is based on faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. God has provided us with His Word, the Holy Bible, as a testimony of His faithfulness to His people all throughout history. In its bare essentials, Christianity is faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ claimed to be the promised Messiah and the Son of God. His life was one of perfect righteousness according to the revealed Law of God, His death was an atoning sacrifice for the sins of His people, and He was raised to life three days after His death. When we place our faith and trust in Christ alone for our salvation, God takes our sin and places it on the cross of Christ and awards us, by grace, with the perfect righteousness of Christ. That, in a nutshell, is the Christian message. As Christians, we are called to believe this message and live in light of it.”

“There are many reasons for this phenomenon among Christians. The main reason we struggle with faith is that we don’t truly know the God in whom we profess to have faith. In our daily lives, we don’t trust complete strangers. The more intimately we know someone and the more time we have had to see him “in action,” the more likely we are to believe what he says. But, if God is essentially a stranger to us, we are less likely to believe what He has said in His Word. The only cure for this is to spend more time in God’s Word getting to know Him”

“The world, the flesh, and the devil often distract us. By “the world” is meant the accepted “wisdom” of the unbelieving world and the culture in which we find ourselves. For those of us living in Europe and North America, that dominant worldview is naturalism, materialism, skepticism, and atheism. “The flesh,” refers to our sinful nature that still clings to Christians and with which we struggle on a daily basis. “The devil” refers to Satan and his horde of evil spirits who excite and entice us through the world and our senses. These things all afflict us and cause us to struggle with faith.”  Sylvia King

That is why Christians need to be constantly reminded of what Christ has done for us and what our response should be. The apostle Paul says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Our faith is built up as we have the gospel continually preached to us. Our churches need to be built on the solid preaching of the Word and the regular observance of the ordinances. Instead, too many churches spend their time, energy, and resources on the creation of “programs” that neither feed the sheep nor draw a clear distinction between godliness and ungodliness.

Consider the example of the Israelites in the Old Testament. God had performed great miracles in rescuing His chosen people from slavery in Egypt—the Ten Plagues, the pillar of smoke and fire, and the crossing of the Red Sea. God brings His people to the foot of Mount Sinai; gives them the Law and makes a covenant with them. No sooner does He do this than the people begin to grumble and lose faith. With Moses gone up on the mountain, the people convince Aaron, Moses’ brother, to construct an idol (against God’s clear prohibition) for them to worship (Exodus 32:1–6). They were no longer walking by faith, but by sight. Despite all the clear miracles God did in their redemption, they lost faith and began to go on their perception.

In conclusion, we need to heed the example of the disciple Thomas. When Thomas heard the stories of the resurrection, he wouldn’t believe them until he saw Jesus with his own two eyes. Jesus accommodated Thomas’ lack of faith by making an appearance to him and allowing him to see and touch Him. Thomas responds in worship, and Jesus says to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Many skeptics today echo Thomas’ sentiment: “Unless I see Jesus face to face, I will not believe!” We must not behave as the unbelievers do. We need to continually keep in mind Paul’s exhortation to walk by faith rather than sight. We learn in the book of Hebrews that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) because faith is believing the Word of God and acting upon it; not responding to our perceptions.  

“To be steadfast and unmovable is to be spiritually grounded. A steadfast person knows what he believes and cannot be “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching” (Ephesians 4:14). An unmovable person can hear false teaching, engage doubters, and defend truth without it shaking his own faith. In his other epistle to Corinth, Paul expresses his concern for this church: “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Even believers who had been personally taught by the apostle Paul were victims of deception. How much more vulnerable are we?”

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com