God Will Always Put Your Potential on A Pedestal! He Will Always Lift Up What You Will Be, Not What You Have Been! The Devil’s Not Intimidated by Your Caterpillar Stage. But What Intimidates Him Is Your Butterfly Stage.

“Then I [Jeremiah] went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Said the LORD; Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:3-6)

If You Are Asking Today, “Why Am I Going Through All That I’m Going Through?” The Answer Is: You are “In the Hand of The Potter!”  

Knowing that alone helps, especially when you are on the wheel and everything in your life seems to be spinning and spiraling completely out of control! I use the word “seems”, because your life is not spinning and spiraling completely out of control. All You Need to Do Is Look Under the Table and See Whose Foot Is on The Wheel! “…Behold, He (The Potter) wrought a work ON THE WHEELS” Many of us have seen wheels spin on bikes, motorcycles, cars, trains, and the like, and when those wheels get to spinning, if you stare at them long enough it can make you dizzy! The speed is swift as it goes around and around in circles! And sometimes as believers that is how our lives feel when God has His foot on the potter’s wheel! Everything feels like it is spinning completely out of control, but the potter has been doing this far too long to not know how to control the speed of the spin! And God, likewise, has not loss control of your life even when the marriage, kids, family, job, finances, health, business, and church all seem to be spinning at 200 MPH in all different directions at the exact same time! But Be Encouraged, The Potter’s Foot Knows How to Handle the Speed of The Wheel!

“…behold, He (The Potter) Wrought a work on the wheels” Now the word “Wrought” means “Beaten Out or Shaped by Hammering.” This may hurt you, but it will eventually help you, listen, the pain you THINK is the devil, is Really Just the Potter Reshaping You! Think About It, If the Enemy Had Been in Control of Your Situation, He would Have Thrown You Off the Wheel A Long Time Ago! But He Cannot, Because the Potter Controls the Process, The Wheels and The Wrought! And all this time you have been giving the devil credit for a work he did not do! The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy you, not work on you for the better! Yes, the hammering hurts, it is painful, it is difficult, it is uncomfortable, but it is God’s process! And most important, the Hammer is in the Hand of God! This should serve as great encouragement to you that no hurt, harm, or hindrance will come of it. He is simply shaping you to become the masterpiece He already designed you to be! Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” (AMP) That is what all the hammering is about! It is transforming us, renewing us, and making us ready to be used by God for good works as His workmanship, His own Master Work, His own Work of Art! And you really thought the devil was behind all that goodness?! Absolutely not! Stop adding skills to the devil’s resume for work he could not and did not do!

But Listen to What the Devil Would Have You Focus On: “… And the vessel that he made of clay was MARRED in the hand of the potter…” The devil does not want you to focus on the Masterpiece God is creating you to be, he wants you to focus on the fact that you have become Marred in the Potter’s Hand! But what he does not know, however, is that God is Monitoring Your Every Move! Now, I know how messed up you think you are because you have been “Marred” but understand that when something is “Marred” it is defined as “to Harm the Appearance or Quality of.” And let us be honest, the devil is not trying to simply Harm You, Or Harm Your Appearance, Or Harm Your Quality, he is trying to DESTROY YOU! Which is why the Bible forewarns us: “The Thief’s Purpose Is to Steal, Kill and Destroy…” (John 10:10 Tlb). Therefore, If It Were the Devil’s Foot on The Wheel, You Would Be Dead by Now! But since he cannot kill you, he tries to distract you by getting you to focus on stuff that matters to you, but does not matter to God, stuff like your marring, your mess up, your mistakes, and especially your past! But beloved, before you go and lose heart, know this, you are simply “Marred” and Fortunately, God is Not Intimated by Your “Marring”. He is not intimidated by the clay regardless of where He finds it or how flawed and out of shape it is. Truth is: We Seriously Give Our Past Way Too Much Power Because God Is Not at All Intimidated by It or What It Has Caused Us to Look Like! He is not intimidated by our past promiscuity, addictions, mess-ups, screw-ups, or mistakes. He is not intimidated by our ex-friends, lovers, or spouses. He is committed to working on us until we become what He wants or better yet, “As Seemed Good to the Potter…”  

Listen: I do not care what you have done, who you did it with, how long you did it or where, no man has the right or authority to hold you captive by your past, neither the devil, not even you! Your “Marring” did not mess you up for all eternity! There is no accidental mistake, or deliberate bad decision that you have ever made (or will make) that the Potter cannot make over into what seems Good to Him! You still have use, you still have value, you still have worth and you still have purpose! So, let nothing and no one (not even YOU) allow your past to make you believe that you have no future! The Word of God still holds true for you, regardless to your past: “This is God’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the FUTURE you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11 MSG). In the words of my pastor, you need to start saying daily to yourself: “I See Myself in The Future and Things Look So Much Better. I’m Expecting A Miracle, And My Miracle Is Expecting Me!” (Bishop James R. Chambers). So, you see if God Himself is not hindered by your Past, why should you be? “He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12 TLB). Therefore, marred vessels, keep moving forward, “Marred” and all! God can still make you the light of the world, no matter how dark your past was! God Still Uses Cracked Pots!

Listen: A water bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the mistress’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master’s house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?” “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your mistress’s house. Because of my flaws, you must do all this work, and you do not get full value from your efforts,” the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old, cracked pot, and in her compassion, she said, “As we return to the mistress’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old, cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wildflowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? “That is because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you have watered them. “For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my mistress’s table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not have this beauty to grace her house.”

Moral of the story: Just as the water bearer knew of the flaw in the cracked pot, God knows about our flaws too. The water bearer continued to use the cracked pot, knowing full well of its flaws, and God uses us just the same, even with full knowledge of our every flaw! It is US who focus on our flaws more than we focus on fulfilling our purpose in God.

For example, Benjamin felt small; Gideon felt insignificant; Moses felt his speech hindered him from being God’s mouthpiece, and yet God used each of them in a big way, flaws, and all, and He is using you the same way! God never asks for our perfection, just our availability. The question is, are we willing to give God our flaws that He may use them to bring Himself Glory?

Think about the above story, the perfect pot delivered a pail full of water. And that is what it was designed to do. But the cracked pot was designed to deliver water AND purposed to water the seeds that the water bearer would sow along the journey. So, the mistress house received from the cracked pot, water, and flowers for her home. God can do more with your imperfections than He can with your false views and attempts of perfection. Just ask God to use you, available, cracked you. I promise you will be amazed by the harvest that is produced in the lives of others because you gave God your cracked water pot to use!

To take it further, bear in mind: John 1:12 “As many as received Him, to them gave the power TO BECOME the sons of God.” Always Remember: The Battle Is Over Who and What You are Becoming! Regardless of what you have been up until now, God Sees in You the Potential to Become! And what are you to become? “…a vessel unto honor and sanctified for the master’s use and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21). Listen: When You See Cannot in Yourself, GOD SEES A “CAN”. When You See Will not in Yourself, GOD SEES A “WILL”. When You See Do not in Yourself, GOD SEES A “DO” When You See Shouldn’t in Yourself, GOD SEES A “SHOULD”.

God Will Always Put Your Potential on A Pedestal!

In Other Words, He Will Always Lift Up What You Will Be, Not What You Have Been!

Cracks and all, you are still becoming “…a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

Highlight for yourself from John 1:12, “to them gave The Power TO BECOME…” That is what the devil is after to destroy, WHAT YOU WILL BECOME! Do not let him do it! Do not let the devil distract or discourage you! Stay focused on what God Said no matter what the devil would want you to see! You are Becoming a wonderful, useful, cracked vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for your master’s use, for He is preparing you for every good work! Do not lose sight of the big picture stay focused on what you are becoming! 

In a Nutshell: The Devil’s Not Intimidated by Your Caterpillar Stage, Because You are on The Ground, Low, At His Level, Defeated, And Struggling to Crawl By. But What Intimidates Him Is Your Butterfly Stage Because You Then Possess the Ability to Fly, To Soar, To Excel, And to Reach Altitudes He Cannot Reach! You see, some snakes can sliver through trees, but when it reaches a certain height, it can reach no further. But the Butterfly Is not Limited to Where the Tree Top Stops! And Neither Are You! That is why you cannot get distracted from what you are becoming! Children of God, it is time for you to soar, but if you keep allowing your past, the devil, discouragement, and low self-worth to hinder you, you will remain in a cocoon with undeveloped wings that were designed and destined to soar! You were never meant to stay on this level! The cocoon is only for a time; then you break out of it fully developed and soar to new heights!

“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hind’s feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!” (Habakkuk 3:19 AMP)

You Were Made for High Places, So Stop Settling for Low Positions!

Notice also, that even though the vessel was “Marred”, It Was Still in The Potter’s Hand! God Never Throws Us Away, Nor Is His Plan for Us Thwarted Because We Have a Flaw of Struggle in Certain Areas! Understand that whether you are being lifted from the mud, turned on the wheel or made over again, Always You Are in His Hand, and Always Will Be! “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall Never Perish, Neither Shall Any Man Pluck Them Out of My Hand.” (John 10:28) So, Be Encouraged: You Are in The Potter’s Hands, And His Hands Never Stop Working!” “But Jesus said, “My Father Has Never Stopped Working…” (John 5:17 CEV) Therefore, even if you continue to mar in the master’s hand, which you will if you are still flesh and blood, but the good news is, that can’t hinder the Hand of God on your life! From birth to death and everything in between, God never stops working on you and your life! So even when you make more mistakes, and even deliberate sinful choices, God never stops working on you! Do not let the devil, your past, or yourself make you believe anything different! There is nothing about you or your life or your past that is powerful enough to Hinder the Hand of God’s Work!

I found yet another little nugget too! Did you know the word “Smith” in “Silversmith” comes from the Old English word “Smite”? Well, in case you did not know, Silversmiths are very Accomplished Smiters! AND SO IS GOD! You see the word “Smite” is defined as “Striking a Firm Blow”. In other words, God Knows the Weight of the Hammer and the Force of the Blow Required to Produce in You Christ-Like Character! And absolutely no one yanks the hammer out of His hand and says, “Go easy on that silver; you’ve pounded it enough!” No, He Buffets the Metal Until He’s Finished with It! And when you “Buffet” something, it means you “Strike It Repeatedly and Violently”. In other words, there is a Determination on the part of the Silversmith to Beat the Silver into the Design He Envisioned It to Be! And He Will Beat It Until It Conforms to What He has Constructed in His Mind! He Will Beat It Until the Blueprint Comes Off the Pages and Stands Before Him Fully Erected! He Will Beat It Until He Sees with His Eyes What He Saw in His Thoughts! And the Same Goes for You!  

Too often we forget He’s Our Heavenly FATHER! And unlike today, Daddies of old did not spare the rod, nor spoil the child! So, keep in mind: He’s Your God, but He’s Also Your FATHER! “But do not, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; A Father’s Delight Is Behind All of This.” (Proverbs 3:12 MSG); “For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.” (Hebrews 12:6 AMP)

Please Understand that Your God Will Bless You, But Never Forget, Your Father Will Buffet You Too!

In the end, God Alone Knows Exactly What You are to Look Like. He Was the One that Gathered All Your Materials BEFORE Time! “BEFORE I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. BEFORE you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations—That’s What I Had in Mind for You” (Jeremiah 1:5 MSG). Before You Began, He Already Knew How You Would End! So, Stop Fretting! He Already Knows How Fabulous Your Finished Product Looks!

I know the Blows come Fast and Hard, and it seems like they will never end, but you must Trust that God Knows What He’s Doing! 

However, sadly enough, I wish I could tell you that after the Hammering and Buffeting is Done, you are Finished, BUT…then there must be POLISHING!  And when you “Polish” something you “Make It Smooth and Shiny by Continuously Rubbing It!” And the Best of Silversmiths will tell you that they Keep Polishing Until They Can See Their Face in The Finished Product! So, When Will God Stop Polishing You? When He Sees His Nature and His Likeness Reflected in You! In other words, when He looks at you, He ought to see, Integrity, Faithfulness, Dedication, Power, Consecration, Diligence, Obedience, Honor, Loyalty, Leadership, Commitment, and the like. He ought to see “…the Fruit of the Spirit…Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Simply put, He’s Done When He Looks at You and Sees Himself! 

And if we are all to be Real Honest, God Is No-Where Near Finished Smiting, Buffeting or Polishing Any Of Us! Jesus said, “My Father Never Stops Working.” Therefore, you need to understand that: The Pounding You Feel Does Not Suggest God’s Distance, It Proves His Nearness! So, Stop Attributing Everything to the Devil! 

Lastly, after a lifetime of walking with God, Joshua said, “Not a Word Failed of Any Good Thing Which the Lord Had Spoken…All Came to Pass.” (Joshua 21:45 NKJV). 

Understand that Whatever God Has Spoken Over Your Life, He’s Not Stopping Until He Sees It “All Come to Pass”! And If That Takes Smiting, Buffeting and Polishing…He’s Committed to Doing Whatever It Takes, For However Long It Takes and No Matter How Painful It Will Be…” Not A Word Failed of Any Good Thing Which the Lord Had Spoken. All Came to Pass!” He’s Still Working on You Because All That He Has Spoken Has Yet to Manifest in Your Life. And He Has to Keep His Word! So, Endure the Wheel, the Spinning, the Hammering, the Smiting, the Buffeting, and the Polishing! In the End It Will Be Worth It to Possess All God Has Promised You! God is the Greatest of Silversmiths. Trust Him as you imagine what you are going to look like When He has All Done. In the meantime, remember: The Potters Hands Are Not Finished Molding You Yet! So, do not Be Discouraged in The Process, You Will Produce Something Great After This Is All Over!  

You are becoming a vessel of honor in the master’s Hand and for the master’s use, cracks, flaws, imperfections, and all. So, do not hate the process, because you are going to love the product!

As Painful as This Is, Be Encouraged My Friend You May Have Been Marred, but Now You are Being Molded and Made into a Masterpiece Cracked Vessel of Honor for the master’s Use and Glory!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

Keep Your Vision in View in the Spirit, No Matter What You See in the Natural That is Attempting to Block You! Which Is Why I Encourage You: There Is Far More Here Than Meets The Eye.

 1 Kings 18:42-44, “…Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees. Then he said to his young servant, “On your feet now! LOOK toward the sea.” He went, LOOKED, and reported back, “I DON'T SEE A THING.” “KEEP LOOKING,” said Elijah, “seven times if necessary. And sure enough, the seventh time he said, “OH YES, A CLOUD! But very small, no bigger than someone’s hand, rising out of the sea.” “Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, ‘Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.’” (MSG)

One of my friends that I admire, is my friend Pastor Charles who must have a million and one great memories of ministering in South Africa. He is there so much in fact I cannot wait for him to finally inform us all that he is relocating! This last time he traveled there, he had the tremendous opportunity of reaching some lost young people and their parents, and even trained some youth leaders on how to reach young people as well. His schedule was extremely intense, but their Field Director and Pastor Charles managed to sneak away for a couple of hours in a wild game park. And the Lord of all those African creatures was good to them, because He allowed them to see zebras and rhinos and hippos and lions, and many more of God’s African best, and none of which desired to eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack!

However, his most unforgettable moment began when their driver said, “Whoa, that’s fresh! Keep your eyes open for an elephant.” Her “that’s fresh “, referred to a broken branch she saw in the middle of the little road they were on. Now, the staff member he was with as well as himself were a little skeptical, but not for long. As they rounded a bend, There He Was – a big old elephant lumbering down the road ahead of them! They followed behind him for a while and then they watched with ringside seats as he stepped off into a pond, watered himself and sprayed himself. Pastor Charles said it was amazing!

But what caught my attention, as well as watered my mustard seed faith so it could grow to new heights, was the part about when his driver saw just a LITTLE SIGN (of a broken branch) and knew that something BIG was coming up next!

Now, God may very well be doing something BIG on the trail just ahead of you too! Oh, you cannot see it yet, but it is important to be able to see even the LITTLE signs of “God’s something BIG” on the way! After all, that’s part of what our faith is all about!

Hebrews 11:1 says, “What is faith? It is the CONFIDENT ASSURANCE that something we want IS GOING TO HAPPEN. It is the CERTAINTY that what we hope for IS WAITING FOR US, EVEN THOUGH WE CANNOT SEE IT UP AHEAD.” (TLB). The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Now faith is the ASSURANCE (TITLE DEED, CONFIRMATION) of things hoped for (DIVINELY GUARANTEED), and the evidence of things not seen [the CONVICTION OF THEIR REALITY – faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” (AMP)

And that is exactly how you need to start living today, by faith! A faith that has confident assurance that what we want is going to happen! Living with a certainty faith knowing that the promises of God are waiting for us! Living by faith in such a way that we know the promises of God to us are Assured; our faith is the Title Deed; it is the Confirmation that our promises are Divinely Guaranteed! And All We Have to Do is Have a Faith That Has a Conviction so Strong That it Acts as if What We are Waiting for Has Already Become a Reality! Nothing about that includes unbelief; doubting; wavering; impatience; worry; fear; anxiety; nervousness; or panic! Therefore, keep your eyes of faith focused on what God said until you see it manifest itself in your life!

Jeremiah 33:3, “‘Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you [AND EVEN SHOW YOU] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’” (AMP) Do not allow a LITTLE fear and impatience to cause you to lose focus, because any minute now, God is about to SHOW you something BIG!

Pastor Charles’s driver saw a LITTLE broken branch as EVIDENCE that a BIG elephant was about to appear. Imagine if we walked by faith like that, what would we believe God for, ask God for, and expect with confidence that God is able to do?! Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is ABLE to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,” (AMP) Just a LITTLE sign showing that something BIG was about to make a grand appearance, and all they had to do was KEEP LOOKING for it!

Which brings us to Elijah. Elijah had prayed that God would show His power in Israel by sending a three-year drought. In 1 Kings 18, beginning in verse 42, we see why the Bible presents him as a man whose prayer was “powerful and effective “: (James 5:16-18, in the Message Bible reads, “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it would not rain, and it did not – not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.” MSG). Now, we have already chatted a bit about why our FAITH is so important, but now let us also be reminded that so is our PRAYER LIFE! Your Prayer Life is a Lifestyle, not a Lifeline only used for when you are in trouble and need God to get you out of what you got yourself into! Elijah prayed hard! When is the last time your prayers could be described like that? He prayed so hard and consistent for the rain to stop that it did; then he prayed the same for it to start back then it did. When is the last time your prayer life yielded results like that?! Believing God by faith is wonderful, but you have got to continue your communication through prayer with God even before your something BIG comes to pass! You must make sure that God hears from you consistently! We already know that there is nothing too hard for our God, so clearly the problem is not with God, but the problem just may be that we do not pray hard enough! Selah…

So, now Elijah’s praying for the drought to end. The Bible says, “Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. ‘Go and LOOK toward the sea,’ he told his servant. And he went up and LOOKED. ‘There is nothing there,’ he said. Seven times Elijah said, ‘Go back.’ The seventh time the servant reported, ‘A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.’ So, Elijah said, ‘Go and tell Ahab (the king), ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” (vss. 42-44) It had not rained for three years, but Elijah saw that little cloud as EVIDENCE that, “It’s Coming!” Do you have enough faith in God to see a LITTLE sign and know that something BIG is coming?! Elijah did not need to see the rain, he saw the sign, the evidence found in a LITTLE cloud no bigger than a man’s fist, and yet he spoke by faith, “…Hitch up your chariot and go down BEFORE THE RAIN STOPS YOU.” Not only did he know it would rain, but he knew the down pour of rain would be BIG enough to stop a chariot! Do you have faith in God like that?

The Message Bible reads, “… Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees. Then he said to his young servant, “On your feet now! LOOK toward the sea.” He went, LOOKED, and reported back, “I DON'T SEE A THING.” “KEEP LOOKING,” said Elijah, “seven times if necessary. “And sure enough, the seventh time he said, “Oh yes, a cloud! But VERY SMALL, no bigger than someone’s hand, rising out of the sea.” “Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, ‘Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.’ “Things happened fast! The sky grew black with wind-driven clouds, and then a huge cloudburst of rain, with Ahab hightailing it in his chariot for Jezreel. And God strengthened Elijah mightily. Pulling up his robe and tying it around his waist, Elijah ran in front of Ahab’s chariot until they reached Jezreel.” (MSG) It may have been a three year wait, but once God answers prayer, “…THINGS CAN HAPPEN FAST…”! I need you to believe that wholeheartedly!

Elijah kind of reminds me of Pastor Charles’s guide and driver there in that African game park. His eyes are wide open, LOOKING for and expecting some early sign of the major work God was about to do. Pastor Charles saw a LITTLE BRANCH, but the one with the trained eye said, “GET READY FOR AN ELEPHANT!”

Elijah’s servant saw a LITTLE CLOUD, but Elijah, with his trained eye for God at work, said, “GET READY FOR A DELUGE!” The word ‘deluge’ is defined as: ‘A SEVERE FLOOD OR VERY HEAVY FALL OF RAIN; A GREAT QUANTITY OF SOMETHING ARRIVING AT THE SAME TIME; TO OVERWHELM.’ Its Old French Origin, from Latin ‘diluvium’, from ‘diluere’ literally means ‘TO WASH AWAY!’ In other words, when the flood comes it will wipe out of its path everything that was there before it came. Anything DRY will be replaced with a DOWNFALL! And likewise, it will happen just like that for you! When your ‘deluge’ of expected and well anticipated blessings comes, it will remove the discouragement, the fear, the lack, want and need, it will wipe away the tears and replace them with a smile! All your sadness will have to flee as you will have to make way for your unspeakable joy to arrive! After all, if you have prayed for this; if you have waited and expected this; if you have walked by faith waiting for this to manifest itself; shouldn’t it arrive in a BIG way?! Blessings That Will Literally Chase You Down; Run You Over; and Overwhelm Your Entire Life Are on The Way and All You Have to Do is Keep Your Faith and Prayers Intact! Note: GET READY IT’S ABOUT TO RAIN! The Next BIG Blessing Coming into Your Life is Going to Be a Deluge! It is Going to be VERY HEAVY, OF GREAT QUANTITY, ARRIVING AT THE SAME TIME TO OVERWHELM YOU! I Reiterate, Get Ready!

“God is Getting You Ready for What He’s Already Got Ready for You!” (Bishop James R. Chambers)

You must have faith! You must SEE beyond what you SEE! You must look for the LITTLE sign, before you see the BIG showing! Which means you will have to look past the bank accounts, bills, tuition, mortgage, loans, car insurance, debt, health crisis, marriage, and parental crisis, struggling church, loneliness, hurt, despair, rejection, abandonment…you cannot focus on that stuff because if you do, you will miss seeing your LITTLE sign of something BIG! So, you will also have to get out of your own feelings. Do not allow your emotions to cause you to have a distorted view of the great things God is about to make happen just for you! Shift your focus from anger, depression, rage, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, and the need to seek revenge. All those things act as a cataract and glaucoma, blocking and blinding you from seeing the LITTLE signs of something BIG!

So often, we are so focused on the BIG “elephant” we are praying for, that we miss the LITTLE branch in the road signaling us that it is about to appear! We want that BIG thing from God – sometimes so much, that we miss the LITTLE things He is doing on the way to the BIG thing. Great faith includes the ability to look for and recognize the trail of God in your life; to be able to track the signs of what God is doing.

Isaiah 43:16-21, “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I am about to do something brand-new. It is bursting out! DON’T YOU SEE IT?” (MSG) Saints, If You Do Not See It Yet, KEEPING LOOKING UNTIL YOU SEE IT!

Habakkuk 2:2-3, “And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what is coming. It aches for the coming – it can hardly wait! And it does not lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It is on its way. It will come right on time.” (MSG)

That is your encouragement for today, Walk by Faith, Wait and Watch! It will happen, right on time! The problem for us though occurs when we have been walking by faith so long the soles of our faith feet are worn; we have waited so long, we are trying to hold on to that last grain of sand in the hourglass; and we have watched so long, that our eyes need a 3-month supply of Visine, they are so tired! And still I say, Walk, Wait and Watch!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “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)

You Are Not Giving Up! Keep Your Vision in View in the Spirit, No Matter What You See in the Natural That is Attempting to Block You! What is coming is so much BIGGER and BETTER than what has been!

Which is why I encourage you to open your eyes today for the wonderful things God is already doing around you – the little cloud that will enlarge your faith to expect the big rain, the little buds that will fuel your faith to expect the glory of spring after the winter has ended…even if the weather remains cold. You see, no matter what the weather forecast predicts, it cannot change the fact that a season has changed! Look at it like this: one year, we had snow in March and snow in April, and still that could not change the fact that the season had changed! Winter’s attempts to hold on can only hold on but so long, like it or not, the season has changed! You see, March 20th, was officially Spring. But if you had looked at the weather reports, there was still more snow to come in that Spring. But did that stop Spring from appearing on the calendar as the New Season? Absolutely Not! And there is nothing going on in your life that can hinder the change of season in your life either! God can move in your life even with the eviction or foreclosure notice and layoff looming overhead! He can never be hindered by the elements He created and controls.

“So, even when it looks like nothing is happening, remember, God is Still at Work!” (Bishop James R. Chambers).

He is orchestrating things in your favor, so you have nothing to fear! Your Season of LITTLE Has Passed, you are Now in the Season of BIG!

A lot of times we are unnecessarily discouraged and disheartened because we do not see the tracks of God that are all over our day. A good friend of mine likes to call them “God sightings “. It may not be very large or not very dramatic, but there’s God again, working in your life. Your marriage isn’t perfect, but you’re still married; your children have gone astray, but they were trained in the ways of God, and will find their way back; your job hasn’t granted you the promotion and increase yet, but you’re still employed; your car isn’t brand new, but it gets you from A-Z and back, and during a cold season like this, there are quite a bit of people jealous of your little hunk-a-junk; you may not be healed yet, but neither are you dead yet! These are “God sightings”, you just must look for them, and you will see them! In fact, the more you look for them, the more you see of them!

Do not be discouraged while you walk by faith, wait, and watch, God will not disappoint you!

In Psalm 5:3, David says, “In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” The test of whether you have really trusted God in your prayer is whether you are expectant after you say “amen”. Always keep your anticipation and expectation high!

Right now, right where you are, there are little signs of God at work; the “little branch” that says the “BIG ELEPHANT” is ahead. Before God shows you the big things up ahead, He wants you to see Him in the little things that are right in front of you! You did not come this far, to only come this far. So even when you do not see the blessing…YET…KEEP LOOKING! Do not lose your focus or your faith! God is about to do something BIG on your behalf, you just must wait a LITTLE while longer for it!

In the Meantime, KEEP LOOKING UNTIL YOU SEE IT!

Romans 4:17, “As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, WHO GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD AND SPEAKS OF THE NONEXISTENT THINGS THAT [HE HAS FORETOLD AND PROMISED] AS IF THEY [ALREADY] EXISTED.” (AMPC)

Hebrews 10:38, “But My righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith…” (AMP)

Romans 1:17, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.” (AMP)

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” (AMP)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

Satan, The Commander Of Hell’s Forces, Is Determined To Stop You From Ever Becoming What Jesus Died For You To Be. It Is Important To Understand That Satan Does Not Want You To Gain Any More Ground!

 

Mark 4:15, “These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the Word is sown; but when they hear, SATAN IMMEDIATELY comes and takes away the Word which has been sown in them.” (AMP)

When you around military people, you learn quite a bit about military lingo. And one of the terms I learned was “beachhead”. Now, since we are not all military types, it is probably good to explain what a beachhead is before we talk about one. A beachhead is not where the beach begins (yeah, that is what I thought it was, so what, do not laugh!). And for further clarity, it is also not a guy who just thinks about getting to the beach all the time!

You see, in wartime, a beachhead is serious business! It is a small piece of ground that you try to take as your first step in taking all the ground that your enemy holds! The dictionary defines it as “a fortified position on a beach taken by landing forces.”

For example, during WWII, two of the world’s greatest generals went against each other when the Allies set out to take North Africa back from the Germans. General Dwight Eisenhower, the commander of the Allied forces, planned to land and take three important beachheads. German general Rommel, the famous “Desert Fox “, basically said, “We must stop Eisenhower within 48 hours of his landing, or we won’t stop him.” They did not stop him. And five months after Eisenhower successfully captured that first beachhead, Rommel had to flee and surrender everything, including 250,000 soldiers. And he lost it all at that first beachhead!

Satan, The Commander Of Hell’s Forces, Is Determined To Stop You From Ever Becoming What Jesus Died For You To Be! And like any smart general, he knows he must stop you at that first beachhead, before you grow and gain any more ground. His strategy is revealed in Mark 4:15. “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. AS SOON AS they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”

Let us look at this Scripture in a few translations:

“The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, SATAN COMES AT ONCE AND [BY FORCE] takes away the message which is sown in them.” (AMPC).

“This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, RIGHT AWAY SATAN COMES and steals the word that was planted in them.” (CEB).

“The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. NO SOONER DO THEY HEAR THE WORD THAN SATAN SNATCHES away what has been planted in them.” (MSG).

Listen to what Satan does WHEN YOU HEAR A WORD FROM THE LORD: “AT ONCE AND BY FORCE… RIGHT AWAY SATAN COMES… SATAN SOON COMES… SATAN IMMEDIATELY COMES… SATAN COMES AT ONCE… NO SOONER DO THEY HEAR THE WORD THAN SATAN SNATCHES… SATAN QUICKLY COMES…”

Here is what happens: God’s Word has landed in your heart. You are starting to gain some ground spiritually, so hell has been notified and your enemy is alarmed. He comes immediately to try to take away the ground you just gained through God’s Word. This is what causes us to become discouraged so quickly. Because as soon as God gives us a Word, Satan goes to War! God speaks healing, and here comes Satan with another symptom; God speaks wealth, and here comes Satan with an unexpected bill; God speaks promotion, and here comes Satan with a layoff; God speaks a new home, and here comes Satan with a leaky roof; God speaks opportunity, and here comes Satan with obstacles; God speaks calm, and here comes Satan with chaos; God speaks anniversary, and here comes Satan with divorce papers! And he does not drag his feet either, the Bible says, “at once, by force, right away, immediately, no sooner than, quickly, and as soon as” the Word is Sown, here comes Satan with his Shovel!

It is important to understand that Satan does not want you to gain any more ground!

Remember the beachhead, is “a fortified position on a beach taken by landing forces.” It is important to know that the beachhead is not vulnerable, it is fortified! And the word “fortified” is defined as, “to provide with defensive works as protection against attack.” Its Latin Origin “fortificare,” from “fortis” literally means “strong.” So, General Eisenhower was not landing on a ground that was not protected! It was guarded, just not well enough to stop him from taking it. Which is why Rommel said, “We must stop Eisenhower within 48 hours of his landing, or we won’t stop him.” Rommel knew Eisenhower was coming and knew that he was coming to take their ground, their land, their territory, and their beachhead. And he obviously knew how strategic and strong Eisenhower’s troops were because he immediately tells his own, “We must stop Eisenhower within 48 hours of his landing, or we won’t stop him.” And surely you recall how this attack ended from the opening statement: “…five months after Eisenhower successfully captured that first beachhead, Rommel had to flee and surrender everything, including 250,000 soldiers.” And he lost it all at that first beachhead!

Because Rommel did not stop Eisenhower, he had to flee, and surrender everything, including his soldiers!

Listen: If you do not Guard the Word God has given you, Satan will come in IMMEDIATELY, and fight to steal it! And in the end, you will be the one fleeing, and surrendering everything, including those attached to you!

In other words, by no means is Satan playing games, in fact, he is playing for keeps! “The thief’s PURPOSE is to STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY…” (John 10:10 NLT) Nothing about that sounds like child’s play! Which is why it is so vital that you take the enemy seriously! He has a Purpose just as much as you do! And if you let him, he will fulfill his, leaving you to forfeit yours!

Which may help explain why here at the beginning of the year things have suddenly gotten so tough for you, why things are going wrong, maybe why you do not have the spiritual enthusiasm you did before. Your logical reaction is, “I’ve been really trying to do what God wants, so what’s wrong here?” The answer is, “‘Nothing is wrong! It is because something is right! “

You have a beachhead (‘a promise’; ‘a word from God’) and the enemy is worried and ready to attack because he cannot let you have that ground, then gain more! So suddenly he is interested in you. He did not have to bother you when you were not a threat. He did not bother you when you stopped fasting, became lazy in reading/studying the Word, started slacking in your prayer/devotion time with God, when you stopped going to Sunday School, and started making excuses for skipping Bible Study. The enemy did not think 2 cents about you. You didn’t even appear on his radar, in fact he may have said something like this: “But the evil spirit retorted, “I know and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, BUT AS FOR YOU, WHO ARE YOU?” (Acts 19:15 AMP)

The enemy does not bother those who do not bother him! If you are not reading the Word, in prayer, fasting, obeying the commandments, fellow shipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ, walking in the Spirit, being directed, and guided by the Holy Ghost, what does he want with you? After all, what can you do to attack his kingdom, when you are not armed with any of the weaponry of the Kingdom yourself!?

However, for those who have made the decision to LAY ASIDE AND GET RID OF their bad habits, attitudes and addictions (Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (UNNECESSARY WEIGHT) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,” (AMPC); those who have decided to REIGNITE THE FIRE in their gifts, prayer and devotion time (2 Timothy 1:6, “That is why I would remind you to stir up (REKINDLE THE EMBERS OF, FAN THE FLAME OF, AND KEEP BURNING) the [gracious] gift of God, [THE INNER FIRE] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].” (AMPC); (1 Thessalonians 5:17, “BE UNCEASING IN PRAYER [PRAYING PERSEVERINGLY]” (AMPC); (1 Timothy 2:10, “But by doing good deeds (deeds in themselves good and for the good and advantage of those contacted by them), as befits women who profess reverential fear for and DEVOTION TO GOD.” (AMPC); those spending more time with God, the saints, and in the sanctuary; those hearing from God and following the directives of the Holy Ghost, the enemy is screaming from hell, “READY, AIM, FIRE!”

And by no means should that terrify you, in fact, it ought to excite you, that you are finally on the enemies hit list! It is not because of what you have done wrong, it is because you have finally got it right!

So now he has got to get himself in position to make it hard for you! He has got to stop your forward progress fast or there is no telling how much ground he is going to lose! He must stop you before you start interceding for folks, laying hands on people, speaking in tongues, binding the works of the flesh. He has got to stop you before you start pleading the blood of Jesus over your family; before you start anointing your children. He has got to stop you before you start speaking those things that be not as though they were. He has got to stop you before your hope is renewed and your faith is revived. He has got to stop you before you start believing that God meant just what He said concerning you. He has got to stop you before you start dreaming again. He has got to stop you before you stop living in the past and start seeing yourself in a great future. He has got to stop you from walking with God before you gain more ground! Remember this is the beginning of a new year and Satan must stop you before you even get started. If you recall my reading a couple of weeks ago while entering the New year, I mentioned that this year was going to be Bigger, Better & Greater and that scares the fool out of Satan.

Satan gets busy whenever God has made a major landing in your life. Maybe you have recently made a new surrender of your life to Jesus or you have said yes to His call on your life. You have stepped up to leadership. Could it be that you have begun a new work for the Lord? Made a new commitment to be the marriage partner or the parent you should be, to give more to the Lord’s work, to live by new priorities? Guess what? If so, alarm bells are going off in hell!

But do not get discouraged. Do not go back to the old ways. This is just your old enemy trying to stop this progress while it is new and fragile. If you keep going this way, your enemy’s going to lose big time and he knows it. So, step up and launch a Biblical counterattack. In the words of James 4:7, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

Remember, Rommel’s beachhead was guarded, just not well enough to stop Eisenhower’s attack! Which is why you must be sure you guard well your beachhead (‘your promise/your Word from God’). And how do you do that? By doing your part and allowing God to do His. What I love about James 4:7 is that when I come near to God, He comes near to me. And what greater protection can your beachhead possibly have than to have the Presence of the Lord nearby? Look at it like this: If there was a thief across the street from you, but you were surrounded by 20 of the NYPD’s finest, armed, locked and loaded…how scared would you really be of that thief? You would probably stand there in full confidence saying, “what you waiting for? Come on over here, in fact, I double-dog dare you!” And why are you able to say that? Because you are heavily guarded and protected! And just so you know that is not just an illustration, but it is the truth!

Psalm 91: “You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, say this: “God, you are my refuge. I trust in you and I’M SAFE!” That is right—he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge, outstretched arms protect you—under them you are PERFECTLY SAFE; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You will stand UNTOUCHED, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because God is your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil cannot get close to you, harm cannot get through the door. HE ORDERED HIS ANGELS TO GUARD YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. If you stumble, they will catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You will walk UNHARMED among lions and snakes and kick young lions and serpents from the path. “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I will give you the BEST OF CARE if you will only get to know and trust me. Call me and I will answer, be at your side in bad times; I will rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” (MSG)

That is the security you have when you come near to God and He comes near to you! Not only is He your refuge keeping you safe, but He is also Ordered (not asked) His angels to guard you wherever you go! Remember this the next time God gives you a Word. Protect it by remaining in the Presence of God. Knowing that His angels are with you, guarding you, keeping you safe, wherever you go. That is how you protect your beachhead (‘your promise/your Word from God’). Do not just let the devil take your property! Fight for it, guard it, and stay as close to God as you can!

Do not get all excited about the Word from God and forget to Guard it! Remember the enemy is ready to steal, kill and destroy, and that includes you and the Word of Promise given to you. Do not let him get it! He is ready and alert, now make sure you are too!

1 Peter 5:8-11, “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You are not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It is the same with Christians all over the world. So, keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering will not last forever. It will not be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are! —will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” (MSG) Stay Alert, The Devil Is Poised to Pounce! The Danger for us as believers in becoming lazy, is that the devil never is! He’s Poised to Pounce! He is in Position to Attack, are you?!

Charles Spurgeon said, “The greatest sign of God’s will and God’s power is the Devil’s growl.” If you are hearing the “growl” you are probably on the right track! The battle for the beachhead… it might be raging around you or even in you right now. Hold your ground, soldier! You are not losing, or the enemy would not bother with you. You are on your way to some of the greatest victories of your life! Protect Your Word, Protect Your Promise! He’s Only Getting Worse Because You are Getting Better! It will be a fight to the finish, but one you will finish and win! Keep your armor on and fight the good fight of faith!

You will Gain More Ground If You Keep the Devil Under Your Feet!

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses.” (AMP)

Psalm 144:1, “Praise and thanks be to the Lord, my rock. He makes my hands ready for war, and my fingers for battle.” (NLV)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man.  The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ” (AMP)

1 John 4:4, “Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].” (AMP)

Therefore, Soldiers in the Lord’s Army, Put Your Warfare Clothes On, Go to Battle and Guard the Word God Gave You!

Ephesians 6:10-18, “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So, take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we will walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You are up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it is all over but the shouting you will still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You will need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (MSG)

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org