God Wants Today To Be The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life, Not Just Another Day Of What Your Life Has Already Been Up To Until Now. This Can Be Page One Of A Whole New Volume Or Just Another Page Of The Same Old Story. Either Way, Your Choice!

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Isaiah 43:18-19, “Do not remember the things that have happened before. Do not think about the things of the past. See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening now. Will you not know about it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (NLV)

I have been to my fair share of amusement parks both as a child and as an adult. And honestly, I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the rides. However, I must admit, I am not a fan of the roller coaster! Oh, I’ll watch you on it, and will scream when you scream, and will laugh myself silly, but I will do every bit of that on the ground! You see, my rides on roller coasters are very few and really far in between! But there is this particular amusement park that I visited many years ago, and they had two roller coasters side by side and two lines to get to them. Over on one line was a sign that said, “Forward.” Over on the other line, a sign said – yeah, you guessed it – “Backward.” Either way, it was your choice. You could ride looking forward or looking backward. But you had to pick one!

The older I get, the more I realize there are two lines in life as well, and two cars you can ride in. One says, “Forward” and the other says, “Backward.” Either one you pick, it will be your choice. Frankly, I don’t want to ride looking back at where I’ve already been. No, I’d rather ride looking ahead to where I’m going. I hope you do, too.

And that’s what God wants for you. Don’t believe it? Just listen to the Bible: Isaiah 43:18-19, here’s what it says, “Do not remember the things that have happened before. Do not think about the things of the past. See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening now. Will you not know about it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (NLV)

God Wants Today To Be The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life, Not Just Another Day Of What Your Life Has Already Been Up Until Now. This Can Be Page One Of A Whole New Volume Or Just Another Page Of The Same Old Story. Either Way, The Choice Will Always Be Yours To Make.

Maybe you’ve been riding too long looking backward. You keep rehearsing and reliving the hurt of your past, your failures, the painful losses you’ve experienced, and the regrets over what you’ve done or what you should have done or what was done to you. But that’s the past, and none of it can be changed. But if you don’t move beyond the pain, the anger, the bitterness, the self-pity, the grief, and the self-condemnation – if you keep dwelling on that, you’ll miss the part of your life that can be changed – the future.

Think about it: If you choose the roller coaster ride where you’re facing backwards, all you’ll ever see is where you’ve already been. And haven’t you been facing that way long enough? Every time you tell a story it’s always past tense, because instead of your past being a reference, you’ve allowed it to become a residence; my dear; that is not the purpose of your past. You are not to live in the prison of your past confined to all the people, places and things that didn’t go right. Living like that is wrong! You are at the amusement park, enjoying the ride, but with no new attractions to see, because you continue to deliberately choose to face the wrong way. All you see is “been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” All you see is what they said and what they did and what you didn’t accomplish. But that was then, this is now! And what does God say about Now? “…See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening NOW…” (NLV)

Just imagine what you’re missing because you’re facing the wrong way?! You see, when you ride the roller coaster ride and you’re facing forward, there is always something new to see! Whether you go up or down, and in life you will experience both, still you will see it in a new view. Imagine going low, but the anticipation and expectation of what you’ll see when you come up again! You’ll always be in constant excitement of what is next! Not, “oh, I saw that already, or I knew that was coming.”

One of God’s great representatives, Paul, said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christ-like] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching FORWARD to what lies ahead, I press on TOWARD the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the UPWARD call of God in Christ Jesus.” (AMP)

People of God, it’s time we stop facing BACKWARD, and instead start facing FORWARD, as we press TOWARD, the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the UPWARD call of God in Christ Jesus!

No more back peddling, no more staring in the rear-view mirror as if we can go back and undo what we’ve done or what’s been done to us. No, today is the day that we stop hesitating, stop procrastinating, stop remaining stuck and stagnant. Today is the day we move Forward, Toward and Upward! Today is the day we change direction and face the right way!

We don’t need faith for what has happened already, we need faith for what is about to happen. We have to prepare for what God is going to do, not what He has already done!

Stop treating your life like a hamster on a wheel, constantly moving, but going nowhere but in circles!

This means you have to do quite a bit of self-examination. You need to test the people, places and things in your life and see what needs to be restored and what needs to be replaced! It’s time for new, not just the same old, that you keep slapping patches on in hopes it will ‘this time’ hold itself together.

Jesus is the Lord of new beginnings, of fresh starts, of clean slates. You need to come to Him and let Him release you from being tied to the people who’ve hurt you, by getting His grace to forgive them. You need to ask His help to begin to define your life, not by what has happened, but by what’s going to happen; what can happen because of Jesus in your life. Yes, it is Jesus alone that still makes the difference!

Think about it: The lame walked because of Him; the deaf heard because of Him; the blind was able to see because of Him; the adulterous were forgiven because of Him; a 12 year old girl was brought back to life because of Him; the woman with the issue of blood was healed because of Him; the four friends were able to get their friend delivered off that mat because of Him! The testimonies are endless regarding the change that Jesus makes in the lives of people! And if you dare to allow Him to help you get past your past, He can do some wondrous things in your life too! But you can’t stay stuck in the same place! You can’t keep turning backwards. You have to move forward. You have to change direction. You have to do something different.

Can you imagine if the woman at the well stayed there; can you imagine if Lazarus would’ve ignored Jesus call; can you imagine if Mary said, ‘sorry God, but this is just too outrageous for me to be a part of’; can you imagine if Ruth said, ‘nope, I’m going back to what’s familiar’; can you imagine if Abraham said, ‘leave my family and go somewhere without a destination in mind, I don’t think so?’; can you imagine if Esther said, ‘oh well, at least I made it to the palace, hope the rest of y’all survive somehow’; can you imagine if Deborah said, ‘Barack I don’t have to go with you so I’m not’; Can you imagine if Gideon didn’t listen to God but kept all the useless people he had with him? All of these people had to do something unfamiliar, uncommon, and uncomfortable to see something new and different. And my friend you will have to be put in the very same position!

Yes, that means you may have to work on an auxiliary you never have before; yes, that means you’ll have to finally go back to school and finish your education; yes, that means you may have to accept that, that particular friendship and relationship has run their course; yes, that means you may have to take a job in a field you know nothing about; yes, that means you may have to take this next journey alone; yes, that means you may have to break out the box by reshaping your inner-circle; In other words, you can’t expect to see something new if you keep staring at something old. You can’t expect to experience something new when you keep hanging around something old.

You have to force yourself to face the challenge of doing new things, so you don’t die with the same ole, same ole.

“Do not remember the things that have happened before. Do not think about the things of the past. See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening NOW. Will you not know about it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (NLV)

Your new thing is trying to happen NOW, but do you see it? No! Do you know it? No! Because the old has your undivided attention! And the most expensive thing in the world is paying attention to people who don’t value you! Enough is enough!

God is trying to do such remarkable things that you’ve never seen or heard before, and you’re missing out on all of it because your eyes have a distorted vision of the past only, and no insight of the future that can’t wait to be revealed!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” (MSG)

As hard as your past may have been, it is but small potatoes compared to the coming good times! There’s so much greater ahead of you if only you’d stop focusing behind you!

Listen, if that bad relationship was enough to take you out you wouldn’t be alive today. Maybe the reason you haven’t seen the right person for you is because all you can see is the person who was wrong for you! Forgive them, forgive you, and face forward! You have no idea what and who you’re missing out on! Stop reliving, stop rehearsing and stop rehashing. Your life is a great ride, and you’ll enjoy it a lot more if you’ll face the right way! Stop complaining about your former church, you haven’t been there in years! Focus on where you are now, and where you’re on your way to, it’s a much more exciting view! Stop retelling the stories of coworkers that betrayed you in 1990, you do know it is 2020 right? Yes, dad left (when you were 6) and if you’re not careful, you’ll be 60 and still telling the story of when he was supposed to come back with your bag of chips and never did. Yes, that person broke your heart, and believe it or not, but your heart is still beating! Who knew someone could break your heart and still not stop your pulse?! They picked them over you for the promotion. I get it, you’re more qualified. But at the end of the day, you still have a job, a paycheck, and you can still pay your bills, you my friend are still ahead of the game!

I’ll even go so far as to tell you to stop talking down to yourself and about yourself. Very few of us are the same size we were in high school, and guess what? We're still here, so what exactly do we have to complain about? If you don’t like your weight, change your eating habits, diet, go to the gym or go see your doctor. But don’t keep taking out the family photos from 1970 to compare yourself to who you are in 2020!

The dog you loved when you were 10 is dead. You do know you can get another dog right?

Are you getting this? You don’t have to stay stuck, you don’t have to be complacent, and you don’t have to live in your comfort zone or the past. You are free to change, to move and to do something different and new, so do it! Don’t let yet another year come and go and you find yourself at December 31, 2020 with the same old story of what you’re going to do different in 2021!

No! Today is your day to change position and direction! We’re not going over that old history any longer!

Listen, when you can start your story and anybody can finish it at the drop of a hat, it’s been told too often! Enough! Take a pen, get a new book, and start a new chapter! Preferably, one no one has heard of before! Let people see things in your life now and wonder when did you do that, when did you go there, when did you finish that? Instead of, ‘yeah, I remember you told me, quite a few times before.’

No more settling for what you SAW, it’s time to SEE!

Get out of your Past, into your Present and preparing for your Future! You’ve been focusing behind you long enough, today, decide to Face Forward and enjoy a Better Ride with a Better View of the Better Things Coming Just for You!

“If you think your best days are behind you, they are. If you think your best days are ahead of you, they are.” (Jon Gordon)

“Don’t fall in love with what God did for you yesterday.” (Bishop T.D. Jakes)

 “You’ll never see all the awesome things ahead of you if you keep looking at all the bad things behind you. Sometimes you just have to turn around and give a little smile, throw the match and burn that bridge! Live, learn and don’t look back!”

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

https://jpolsonmusic.com

Now This Is Where Many Of Us Mess Up And Get Messy! Like The Israelites. We’ll Try It; Take Some; Taste It; Sample It; Exam It, Believe It, And Even Eventually Accept It…But What We Fail To Do Is To Ask God What To Do About It And With It!

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Joshua 9:14-15, “So the men [of Israel] took some of their own provisions [and offered them in friendship], and [FOOLISHLY] did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant (treaty) with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation [of Israel] swore an oath to them.” (AMP)

Consider the example in Joshua 9:14-15. The Jews have been winning one victory after another over the Canaanites as they took possession of the Promised Land that God was giving them. Now, they are about to come upon Gibeon, one of the royal cities of Canaan. The Gibeonites have heard about the fall of the other cities the Jews have gone against. They know they're going down next unless they can trick God's people somehow into making a peace treaty with them, which seems unlikely in light of the fact that God's Orders are to remove every tribe from the land and Not to coexist with them!

But the Gibeonites are shrewd. They sent a delegation to see Joshua, with donkeys loaded with cracked wineskins and worn-out sacks. They wore patched sandals and old clothes, and they carried dry and moldy bread with them. The whole scam was to make it LOOK LIKE they were from far away and that they had come on a long journey. Here's how Joshua and his men decided what to do with these Gibeonites, "The Israelites sampled their provisions (so they made sure the bread was really dry and moldy) BUT THEY DID NOT INQUIRE OF THE LORD. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath." (NIV)

Do you know, within days, the Jews learned that the Gibeonites were not from far away; in fact, they were from close by. But because they had been tricked into this treaty, they could not, by honor, remove them as God had originally commanded. As a result, the hands of the Jews were tied for years to come, and the treaty sparked a major battle with other armies. How did this mess happen? They decided based on what SEEMED right to them, but they made the fatal mistake so many of us have made so many times before –THEY DIDN’T CHECK WITH HEAVEN...THEY DIDN'T CHECK WITH GOD! And so, they blew it! And so, do we!

Listen to the text in varying translation:

“The Israelites TRIED some of the food, BUT THEY DID NOT ASK THE LORD IF HE WANTED THEM TO MAKE A TREATY.” (CEV).

 “So, the Israelites EXAMINED their food, BUT THEY DID NOT CONSULT THE LORD.” (NLT).
Now, This Is Where Many Of Us Mess Up And Get Messy! Like The Israelites, We’ll Try It; Take Some; Taste It; Sample It; Exam It, Believe It, And Even Eventually Accept It…But What We Fail To Do Is To Ask God What To Do About It And With It! The Israelites (like many of us) were cautious, they checked out what was presented to them; however, the final decision was not theirs to make (and not ours either)!

“The Israelites took some of their supplies, BUT THEY DIDN’T ASK FOR ANY DECISION FROM THE LORD.” (CEB)

And can we be honest? We Get in the Worst Predicaments Because We Forget God Knows Best!

The decision was the Lord’s to make! They were to consult Him. And even with the decisions He allows us to be a part of, we are still to consult the Lord! And it is not because they did not know any better, so they do not even have that as a justifiable excuse and neither do we!

James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom [TO GUIDE HIM THROUGH A DECISION OR CIRCUMSTANCE], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.” (AMP) When God Himself is telling you to use His Wisdom, only a Fool would refuse!

God Is There to Help, Not to Hinder Us! But He is not rudely forcing Himself on us either! But He is laid out for us the safest way to travel if only we would adhere to it! Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart AND DO NOT RELY ON YOUR OWN INSIGHT OR UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and HE will make your paths straight and smooth [REMOVING OBSTACLES THAT BLOCK YOUR WAY].” (AMP) Do you realize just how smooth this journey of ours could be if only we would humble ourselves enough to follow His lead? We would not even have to worry about the bumps in the road along the way because He promises to “…remove obstacles that block our way.” But no, we insist on doing things our own way! And what is the result of that decision?

Proverbs 16:25, “There’s a way that looks harmless enough; look again – it leads straight to hell.” (MSG) Surely that is the destination you were hoping to reach, right?

Don’t You See, We’re Much Like The Israelites, As Soon As Something (Or Someone) Appears To Be Alright; Appears To Check Out; Appears To Be On The Up-And-Up, We Jump Head Long Into A Mess With Eyes Wide Open! All We Know Is That It “…Looks Harmless Enough…” but so does he or she (until you get married to their $100,000.00 debt); so does that church (but little do you know they’re only concerned with the prosperity of your pockets and not the prosperity of your soul); so does that business (until you find out the under-handed methods they use to keep it afloat)!

What am I saying? Ask God Before You Decide It or Are They Really the Answers You Were Looking For! This could literally save your very life!

Think of all the divorces that could have been avoided had the individuals sought the Lord FIRST! When our children messed up, imagine how quickly they could have cleaned up, if we FIRST helped them God’s way instead of ours! The many soul ties that would never have tangled up your peace of mind if only you had sought the Lord’s decision in the matter, FIRST! How many broken hearts that would not have needed years to mend, if only we sought the Lord FIRST? Many of us would not have to start over (for the 20th time, just this week) if only we had sought the Lord FIRST! So much unnecessary pain, so many unnecessary complications and difficulties and conflicts, and all because of our failure to seek God's direction FIRST!  And in this day and time of read your horoscope; find your inner-self; reach for a higher power; let them read your palm; check out the tarot cards; let the soothsayers soothe you; (You Need to Know to Seek God FIRST!)

Isaiah 8:19-22, “When people tell you, “Try out the fortunetellers. Consult the spiritualists. Why not tap into the spirit-world, get in touch with the dead?” Tell them, “NO, WE’RE GOING TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES.” People who try the other ways get nowhere – a dead end! Frustrated and famished, they try one thing after another. When nothing works out, they get angry, cursing first this god and then that one, looking this way and that, up, down, and sideways – and seeing nothing, a blank wall, an empty hole. They end up in the dark with nothing.” (MSG)

And why would anyone want to waste time on such Foolishness when you have direct access to the Wisdom of God? That is Who you seek…FIRST! When you are wondering which direction and what to do, seek God FIRST! Jeremiah 33:3, “This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: “Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” (MSG) With that as your best option, how could you choose anything different? You do not have to figure out life on your own (and thank God, because clearly, WE are not good at decision making on our own)! And who cares, since we can simply call to our Father and He will answer His children with marvelous things that we do not have to keep digging to find on our own!

However, truth is, we neglect to check with God for many reasons. We're in too big of a hurry, we're feeling pressured by other people, we compromise for the sake of convenience, or we just plain know how we want it to be and we stubbornly blaze ahead with our own will. Sometimes, we may even be doing God's thing, but it is not God's time, or it is not God's way. Which is why it is so vital that we "lean not on our own understanding," which can only see part of the picture. When you consult with the Lord, you are getting direction from the only One who can see the whole picture. That is why counsel before decisions is so important! Proverbs 15:22, “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.” (MSG)

Do I dare ask how much money you would not have lost if you sought God FIRST? How much of your integrity, dignity, and character would still be intact if you sought the Lord FIRST? How many mistakes and missteps could you have avoided if only you asked if this or they were in His Will for your life? Maybe you wouldn’t have lost the job, the house, the car, the career, the ministry or church, if only you would have asked God for His Guidance, before deciding to Go Your Own Way…Only to Have Crashed Over the Cliff Where He Already Had Warning Signs in Place!

And LEADERS, this is dangerous for us as well, listen to the text again in closing: “JOSHUA AND THE OTHER LEADERS finally believed them. They did not bother to ask the Lord but went ahead and signed a peace treaty…” (TLB).

Leadership Means We are Responsible for Everyone On Board, Whether We Sail Safely, or Sink Fatally. Which is why we (above all people) ought to use the Wisdom God has made available to us to lead people according to His Word, Way and Will…and NOT That of Our Own! Because in the end, these LEADERS decided (WITHOUT GOD) that affected the WHOLE CONGREGATION. And if we dare make the wrong decision, the Body of Christ is damaged. Because you cannot hurt your pinky and the rest of your hand does not know what happened. And in the Body of Christ, whatever we do in the Body, affects the whole body. So, let us start today by asking the Lord to lead and guide us in the way we should go, not in the way we want to go. Let us ask the Lord for His decision, His Word, His Will, His Way, and His Timing.

Why? Because we can avoid a lot of problems and a lot of pain if only, we will instinctively check with God FIRST. Let us decide today to stop making messy decisions!
Isaiah 43:18-21 “This is what God says…Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’M ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING BRAND-NEW. It is bursting out! Don’t you see it?” (MSG)  If something is to be New, let Him do it instead of you attempting to experiment with it! Let God change it; alter it; move it; or send it…not you trying to make things (you want but may not need) to happen!

SEEK GOD FIRST! Wait on the Lords’ Timing and Direction and You will Never Be Steered Off Course.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

Never Allow The Immaturity Of Your Company To Compromise The Growth Of Your Calling! Only Take Those Who Are Essential To The Promise And Promotion Of Your Next Season. Jealous And Envious Folks Are Non-Essentials;

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Ruth 1:14, “Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah KISSED her mother-in-law [GOODBYE]…” (AMP)

"Sometimes The People You Wanted As Part Of Your Whole Story Are Only Meant To Be One Chapter." (Author Unknown)

Ruth told Naomi “where you go I will go.” And to be honest, you can spend your life anywhere with anybody doing anything, then suddenly meet someone and sense that there is a connection between you. It comes so natural that they become a part of your life, attached as permanently as your hand is attached to your arm. It’s what made Elisha quit farming and follow Elijah, an eccentric prophet; it’s why Timothy hung out with Paul, an old man soon to be executed. You know intuitively, “I won’t reach my destiny without you in my life.” Looking back you realize if you hadn’t met that certain person, or taken that phone call, added that Facebook friend, or read that email, you wouldn’t be where you are today. Truth is; so many people in our lives have played such major roles in helping us to become the greater person we’ve become, that it’s hard to even fathom life without them. It’s what kept Ruth attached to Naomi, even at the most miserable of times; in spite of death, loss, famine, and the struggle to begin again, Ruth stayed. And man did her decision pay off! She meets and marries Boaz and produces a great seed in Obed. Naomi is provided for and gets a fresh start at life. She can finally leave the “Mara” (bitterness) feelings behind her; a new and great day has indeed come, all because Ruth remained. And it doesn’t make Ruth good or bad, it’s just that her Character was not finished in the Role it would play in Naomi’s Story.

On the other hand, “Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye”. Now Orpah’s leaving didn’t make her a bad person; it just meant her role in the story was over. Likewise, we need to learn how to recognize when somebody’s part in our story is over; otherwise we’ll kill ourselves constantly trying to raise the dead.

David pleaded with God for his newborn baby’s life. 2 Samuel 12:16-17, “David therefore appealed to God for the child [to be healed]; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.  The elders of his household stood by him [in the night] to lift him up from the ground, but he was unwilling [to get up] and would not eat food with them.” (AMP). But, when the child died, he had to accept that there was nothing more he could do, so he, “…got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself [with olive oil], changed his clothes, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came [back] to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate.” (12:20 AMP).

I can tell you from experience, one of the greatest things you can do for your body, soul, spirit, heart, emotions and peace of mind, is to acknowledge when something in your life is over! I learned that if God means you to have it, He’ll give it to you.  Psalm 84:11 declares, “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (NLT). If you’re supposed to get it, God will give it to you! James 1:17 confirms; “But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God...” (TLB) The Message Bible says it like this: “So, my very dear friends don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.”  If it was good for you, perfect for you, desirable for you, or beneficial for you, God would have given it to you! If He hasn’t, trust His decision. He’s a Father who will always do what is in His children’s best interest.

So, if you’ve tried to make it work and it hasn’t, accept His will in the matter. Never beg anyone to stay with you against their will, be it a relationship, friendship, or business/ministry partner. Their leaving is no accident; it just means God has something bigger, better and greater in store for you (and possibly them too), so trust Him and move forward!

Sometimes, like it or not, people will leave your life. And there will also be times when you’ll have to make the decision to leave theirs. Listen to this:

Genesis 13:1, “So Abram left Egypt…and Lot was still with him…” (MSG).
Then read Genesis 13:14-17, “After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, “Open your eyes look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I’m giving it all to you.” (MSG) Did you read the good news I read? “AFTER LOT SEPARATED FROM HIM…” then the Bible says, “…GOD SAID TO ABRAM…” After Lot left, God spoke to Abram some of the most awesome promises in Scripture. Literally, nowhere could Abram turn, and not bump into a blessing! North, South, East, and West…Abram Would Be Prosperous! BUT, God only spoke this, AFTER LOT LEFT!

I know it’s hard when the person you love leaves, but sometimes in order for God to give you what He’s had on reserve for you, you have to release them first! Sometimes that will be a family member, a friend, a business associate, a ministry colleague. Sometimes the length of time together will be decades, years, months, weeks, days, or even mere hours, minutes and seconds.  But when God says it’s time to let go, Let Them Go! Will it be easy? Absolutely not! Will it be impossible? Absolutely not! It will hurt, you may cry, you’ll experience regret, but you will continue to live on.

What’s Coming Is Better Than What’s Been. That’s something I need you to hold on to. God’s best for you is not behind you, but before you. However, if you keep holding onto your past, you’ll never be able to grab a hold of the great future God has in store for you.
More people will come, and yes, more people will leave as well. Your life is the ink in God's pen, He’s writing a beautiful story, full of drama, action, suspense, comedy, romance, and the like. But you have to remember that it’s His pen, His story, His characters. You have to learn to be okay with the characters He brings to life, and the ones He allows to die off.

In closing, my favorite time of year is autumn. I love everything about it! The weather is perfect, the scenery is beautiful, the clothing shifts and has such warm colors, the scents change to more apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa. It’s my absolute favorite season! But there’s more to it than that for me. You see autumn is also a time when things change, get fickle, and fall off! Therefore, in your Fall seasons in life, you better prepare yourself to let some shady, fickle folks fall!

And don’t complain when they fall off either! Fall is the season in which things, and people, are supposed to fall off! Can we keep it simple? When leaves fall, we rake ‘em up, put ‘em in a bag, tie it up, and sit it out for the garbage. We do not, however, attempt to pick ‘em up, and put ‘em back on the tree! See, when folks start falling off, you need to rake ‘em, bag ‘em, tie ‘em and put ‘em out for the garbage! See, the reason you keep failing your fall exam is because you keep trying to pick ‘em up and put ‘em back!  The key to passing the test is, in the fall, let ‘em fall!

There are two animals that possess a characteristic I love. And that’s Cats and Dogs. They do something fairly regular, that I’ve learned to do fairly regular myself, they shed. Now, the word “shed” means “to allow to fall off; to discard; to get rid of; to take and cast off”. Its Old English Origin means to, 'separate or divide'.

See, cats and dogs don’t shed, and attempt to put back on, what fell off! And neither should you! You need to get serious enough about your purpose and accept the fact that anyone that fell down, wasn’t strong enough to hold you up in the first place; anyone that separated, wasn’t faithful enough to remain in covenant; and anyone that divided was subtracted because they couldn’t add or multiply anything worthwhile to your life anyhow! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall!

Proverbs 30:25 says: “…they prepare their meat in the summer…” Don’t miss it: They gather in the summer, they drop things that are not a necessity in the fall, so they have what they need, their meat, in the winter! Let me help you, the reason you have nothing in your hands in the winter, is because you gathered everybody in the summer, but you didn’t let none of them non-essential folks go in the fall! And now, in the dead of winter, you have no meat in your hands, cause you still trying to hold up those you should’ve let down! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall!

You're suffering because you’re trying to carry junk food into a winter that requires Meat! The Bible says, “…they prepare their MEAT in the summer.” Listen to me real good, your next season Requires MEAT! In the words of the Apostle Paul, “But strong MEAT belongeth to them that are of full age…” (Hebrews 5:14). Your next level is a level of maturity and growth, a level of tenacity and stamina, a level where your childish things have been put away! A level of blessings and promise, a level of break-through’s and victory! But only MEAT is strong enough to sustain you at such a level! Might I give you some valuable advice worthy to be followed?

Before your next Promotion get rid of those still wearing Pampers! Before your next Degree get rid of those still Drooling! Before your next Baptism get rid of those still wearing Bibs! Before your next Calling get rid of those still Crying in Cribs! Before your next Revelation get rid of those still shaking Rattles! Before your next Touch get rid of those still Teething, because this next level Requires Those That Can Chew and Digest MEAT! Only MEAT is strong enough to sustain you in the season of winter! Therefore, you’ve got to let some folks go! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall! Why? Cause my destiny is at stake; my calling is on the line; my purpose is trying to press through; my vision is getting clearer and I’m in the 9^th month of birthing what’s in my belly! I can’t risk going without in the winter because I didn’t forfeit in the fall! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall!

Never Allow The Immaturity Of Your Company To Compromise The Growth Of Your Calling! And Be Bold Enough To Tell Them The Truth! It’s Because Of Where I’m Going That I Can’t Take Non-Essentials With Me. See, when it came time for the sacrifice, it was only between Abraham and Isaac, he told the servants to stay where they were! What’s about to take place don’t involve you! And you need to do the same! Only Take Those Who Are Essential To The Process, Provision, Promise And Promotion Of Your Next Season! No Non-Essentials Allowed!

Well then, just for clarity, who are the non-essentials I can’t take with me? Glad you asked! You can’t take folks still fighting over he said she said nonsense. You can’t take folks still sucking their teeth, rolling their eyes, pointing their fingers and folding their arms! You can’t take folks who still get provoked into foolishness! You can’t take folks still cussing, crying and complaining! You can’t take folks who fight more than they fast, play more than they pray and worry more than they worship! 

Jealous and envious folks are non-essentials; gossipers and back-biters are non-essentials; lazy sluggards are non-essentials; prayerless, faithless, powerless, wordless folks are non-essentials! Look around today at the company you keep and ask yourself a vital question: Are they non-essentials? Because if they’re non-essentials they can’t go where you’re going!

Remind yourself: I can only take essential folks because they’re strong enough to handle the winter! They know how to stay on fire when the winds are blowing, the temps are dropping, the rain is freezing and no matter where you go, it’s bitter cold everywhere! You see, winter folks know how to struggle and endure; how to get provision in poverty; how to cry and not quit; how to pause and not give up; how to take a break and not breakdown! Winter folks can handle when it gets dreary, lonely and cold, without becoming desperate, bitter and weak! That’s why they’re essential! You can only take essential folks who understand that your purpose is coming with provision, but it’s coming in the winter! So prepare yourself to let ‘em fall, in the fall!  

Don’t get upset when your Orpah kisses you and says goodbye. It’s her time and season to leave. And you can’t get what’s rightfully yours from God, until she’s left. Make today the day you Kiss and Say Goodbye to your Orpah! The summer will come to a close, then fall will fastly approach and winter will be on its heels! So, begin your spring cleaning TODAY!  Make sure you make every necessary change in each of the right seasons.

“Some People Are Going To Leave, But That’s Not The End Of Your Story. That’s The End Of Their Part In Your Story.” (Author Unknown)
"Sometimes you have to accept that people's part in your story is over." (Author Unknown)
"The best part about your story is that the next page is blank and you get to write it." (Chris Butler)

"When people want to go, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean that they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over." (Author Unknown)
"I'm the author of my story and I'm not finished writing yet." (Author Unknown)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org