The Failure Of The Messenger Does Not Change The Truth Of The Message. Jesus Said, “Follow Me.” Not follow My followers. He said, “I am the Way” (John 14:6). It is not OUR personal message, it is His. His Word, His Message, His Gospel, His Breath!

In four months, we will approach the end of 2023 and enter a New Year 2024 should Jesus delay His coming. I have a question? Who have you brought to Jesus or Who Are You Bringing To Jesus, Do Not Let Any Obstacle Stand In Your Way To Getting Someone To Jesus! All you must be is willing to dig for it! Remember: The Focus Is The Savior And The Sinner, Not The Saint!

With The Sinner Being So Vital, You Must Be Determined That Whatever “Roof” Is Separating Them From Jesus, Know That It Can Be Removed! How? “By You Caring Enough To Tear It Off!”

A Jesus-Follower’s Life Is Either A Reason For Someone To Check Out Jesus Or Check Out On Jesus. If We Drift Away From Him, We Take Watching Unbelievers With Us. The Failure Of The Messenger Does Not Change The Truth Of The Message. 

Mark 2:1-5, “After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that He was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they were not able to get in because of the crowd, THEY REMOVED PART OF THE ROOF and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.” (MSG)

A couple of transactions. “When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, THEY REMOVED THE ROOF ABOVE JESUS; and when they had DUG OUT AN OPENING, THEY LET DOWN THE MAT ON WHICH THE PARALYZED MAN WAS LYING.” (AMP)

“But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So, THEY MADE A HOLE IN THE ROOF ABOVE HIM AND LET THE MAN DOWN IN FRONT OF EVERYONE.” (CEV)

This man on the stretcher was no lightweight; after all, it took four men to carry him! And with that thought in mind, I ask you, are you sure you want to be a soul-winner for God? Because if the truth be told, it is far from light work! Winning souls brings with them everything that is attached to them. Which means bringing them to Christ may require you to help them carry their addictions; habits; bad decisions; chaotic past; jobless present; estranged marriage; dysfunctional children; bitter loneliness; generational curses; emotional distress; physical ailments; mental struggles; financial woes; spiritual confusion; and the like.

Are you ready to help carry all that they are carrying with them?

Because some will come from broken homes; molestation; rape; desert seasons of discouragement; frustrations and depression. Some are coming from chemo; physical therapy; rehab; prison; the VA hospital; the psych ward; the nursing home; the emergency room; surgery; dialysis; radiation; the shelter; divorce court; the soup kitchen; even from under the bridge, while sleeping in a cardboard box and pushing their entire life in a shopping cart!

Are you ready to help them carry what they are carrying?

Please understand that this is no light-weight assignment! It is not something you can get in and once they get too ‘heavy’ you want to get out!

Galatians 6:1-3, “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” (MSG) The Bible says, ‘…reach out to those…” Which lets us know, THEY ARE WITHIN REACH!

Someone who so desperately needs your Jesus is within arm’s distance, right at your fingertips, will you open your arms with the same open arms Jesus extended to you (before the cross; on the cross; and after the cross)? Matthew 9:35-38, “Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” (MSG)

Will You Be Jesus’ Harvest Hands, even if the Harvest is Heavy?

BE WARNED, while ministry sometimes looks easy, bringing people to Jesus really consists of some hard work. Such as:

1…BEING SENSITIVE TO THEIR NEEDS: Chances are someone close to you right now is lying on a “stretcher” inwardly! Oh, they look like they have got it altogether, but do not be fooled by their façade. They are hurting, and paralyzed—and they know it! When alone they cry, “God, unless You help me, I’m finished; I’ve messed up, and I’m so tired of playing cover up; send help ASAP before my mask falls off.” Therefore, you must be close enough, sensitive enough, to hear what they DON’T SAY! Because truthfully, some people are hurting so badly that they do not know what to say, and others have said all they can say and cannot find anymore more words, just silent tears. So, you must go the extra mile, and be extra sensitive towards them. Pay attention to their words and actions and ask God for discernment so that you can hear what their words are not saying and see what their actions are not showing you. When someone keeps saying they are fine, you tend to just take them at their word and move on. Do not do it! Why? Because saying ‘I’m fine’ and then drinking just to fall asleep. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ then taking pills to dull the pain. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ while going home nightly to endure domestic abuse. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when the rapist was released from prison. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when they have received the diagnosis. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when their marriage was on life support. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when they did not have any money to feed their children and slept in the homeless shelter. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ when mentally they had already left the church. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ while debating if maybe their third suicide attempt might finally be the successful one. People are saying ‘I’m fine’ while already in a back-slidden condition. People are saying they are fine while preaching; teaching; praying; quoting scriptures; leading; overseeing; training and attending bible college and seminary. In other words, their ‘I’m fine’ is not always true, their ‘I am Fine”, was a lie! Therefore, be patient, be kind, be loving, be comforting, be supportive. They need it even when they do not ask for it. Philippians 2:1-4, “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Do not push your way to the front; do not sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Do not be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (MSG) Remember, David had Jonathan; Barak had Deborah; Mary had Elizabeth; Elisha had Elijah; Ruth had Naomi and so on. In other words, all throughout the Bible people needed other people to help them to get through their go through. And someone near you, Needs You Too! Proverbs 17:17, “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” (MSG) Therefore, Be Sensitive!

2…CARRY THEM ALL THE WAY: We want to see people set free, BUT ONLY IF IT DOESN’T INVOLVE PERSONAL SACRIFICE ON OUR PART! But that is not how it works! Committing to bringing somebody to Jesus means BRINGING THEM THE WHOLE WAY! It means comforting, encouraging, and holding them securely ‘till they get there. And all of that takes time. Which means once again, you need to exercise tolerance, longsuffering, and patience. Their healing and deliverance may not come in one service, one prayer, one scripture, one sermon, one talk, truth is, it rarely does. So, you must be willing to wait it out with them. You cannot hold their hands and give a brief “it’s going to be alright by-and-by” prayer. No, you must fight on their behalf even when they have already decided to throw in the towel and give in, give up and give out. You must make sure they get started AND get finished. It is not about getting them to the altar, the real work comes after the altar, in their day-to-day lives where they must learn to trust God, obey God, follow God, talk to God, lean on God, when they feel at the same time God is nowhere to be found. In other words, if you do not see them in church, call, visit, send a letter, card, text, or email. But do something! Far too often we will invite people to church (to support a function), but never follow-up about their souls. It is about building the Kingdom of God; not building a big Church Audience. Then there are also times when someone does come to Christ. But then, we leave them right there. We do not walk with them through their process of sanctification (you do remember that it is a process, don’t you?) And a ‘process’ is defined as, ‘a series of actions or steps towards achieving a particular end.’ Did you get that? A Series of Steps, Not Just One Overnight Leap! Just as it took time for you, it will take time for them. A babe in Christ is much like an actual baby. They will have wobbly legs; they will stumble and fall; they will make a mess; and it is often hard for them to communicate what they are feeling, but be patient, they will grow if you keep nourishing them. Which is why you cannot allow them to go M.I.A. They are already at the point of giving up, which is easier to do when you feel no one cares about you or what you are going through. So, pace yourself and work with them all the way through to their deliverance and healing. It will be worth it just to know you loved someone enough to help them carry their burden and cast their cares. Proverbs 27:9, “Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” (MSG); John 15:11-15, “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the absolute best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things, I command you. I am no longer calling you servants because servants do not understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.” (MSG); 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, “…So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you will all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.” (MSG) Saints, Carry Them All the Way!

3…LEAVE THE HEALING TO JESUS: David cried, “LEAD ME to the Rock of safety” (Psalm 61:2). Hurting people know what they need—and so does God. So, once you LEAD them there, back off a little and leave the rest to Him. You are to represent God…not attempt to be Him. Take them as far as the Holy Ghost allows, and then leave them in the capable hands of their Savior to do what you cannot do. The inside job will always be completed by the One Who resides on the Inside! 1 Corinthians 6:16-20, “…Or didn’t you realize that your body is a SACRED PLACE, THE PLACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? Don’t you see that you cannot live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So, let people see God in and through your body.” (MSG) Do your part as a soul winner, then let the Holy Ghost handle the rest! Truth is, too often we tend to look for outward signs of change, but Jesus addressed this paralyzed man’s inner condition (WHERE IT COUNTS MOST) before completing the outer work! “…Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.” So, do not dismiss God’s tendency to work in ways that do not make sense to you! Isaiah 55:8-11, “I DON’T THINK THE WAY YOU THINK. THE WAY YOU WORK ISN’T THE WAY I WORK.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so THE WAY I WORK SURPASSES THE WAY YOU WORK, AND THE WAY I THINK IS BEYOND THE WAY YOU THINK. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and do not go back until they have watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” (MSG) Rest assured, when He starts working on them, He will “…keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish.” (Philippians 1:6 MSG). You simply do all that the Word of God commands us to do: Show love, be patient and kind, be longsuffering, help them carry their burden, be a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen. Wipe their tears, let them talk and vent. Always have a prayer and a Scripture. Always give them the comfort they need. And when all you can do is done, place them in the hands of the Savior, after all, there is no safer place to be to complete their healing, deliverance, recovery, and restoration. Micah 6:8, “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.” (MSG)

Listen: we all have a role to play, just never confuse your part with God’s! We are a supporting actor, HE’S the star! Leave the Healing to Jesus.

But it does not stop there, listen to this: “They couldn’t get to Jesus through the crowd, so they dug through the clay roof above his head.” (Mark 2:4). When the four men carrying this paralyzed man arrived at the house where Jesus was preaching, they could not get through the crowd. I reiterate, absolutely nothing about bringing this man to Jesus was easy, which is why ultimately, they had to make it happen! In this situation, they had a choice to make give up and go home or persist and find a way through! Thank God they went with the latter and decided to climb up and dig “through the clay roof above His head.” When they finally broke through and Jesus “saw their faith, he said… ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” (vs.5). Notice, Jesus was impressed by the friend’s bold faith and belief, but He only addressed the one brought to Him. This is Important: Always keep in mind that soul-winning is NOT about YOU! 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, “If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That is to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there is not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we are not much to look at. We have been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we are not demoralized; we are not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we have been spiritually terrorized, but God has not left our side; we have been thrown down, but we have not broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery, and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life more evident in us. While we are going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!” (MSG)

Remember, It’s About Him, It’s About Them, It’s Not About Us!

So, do not look for a blessing, a merit badge, or name recognition. Just to hear Him say to the one you brought to Him, son/daughter you are healed, you are whole, you are forgiven, you are delivered, you are changed, you are free, you are saved, you have new and eternal life, all is well, is enough!

It is always about the Savior and the sinner, not the saint!

You are doing this for their benefit, never yours! And the blessing is not yours to attain, it is theirs alone. Which means you must make sure you crucify your flesh and move your ego out of the way. This is not the time for attention getting. You do not need to have a clipboard listing all the souls you led to Christ or all the prayers you have prayed for people or a listing of all the Scriptures you have shared. You do not need to keep a record of the sermons you have preached that led souls into the Kingdom. You do not need a tally of all the souls you laid hands on, prophesied to, or laid at the altar with. Just love them enough to get them all the way to Jesus, then move on to the next awaiting soul in need of direction to salvation.

But pay attention to this: “…THEY REMOVED THE ROOF ABOVE JESUS…” (AMP).

You see, unlike us, these four men were not focused on the crowd, they were focused on Jesus Christ! The difficulties did not matter; how hard this would be doing not matter; the fact that they would have to tear up a roof did not matter; the fact that the crowd was thronging Jesus did not matter. All that mattered to them was getting the man to the Man! And in some texts, it states they made a hole or dug an opening, but I like the one that says they uncovered the roof! They were playing no games! They went to work on someone else’s behalf! And this was so important to them that they were strategic in where they tore open the roof! It was, “ABOVE JESUS; ABOVE WHERE JESUS WAS; ABOVE JESUS HEAD; ABOVE WHERE JESUS WAS STANDING; ABOVE WHERE JESUS WAS SPEAKING” THEY DIDN’T FOCUS AN OUNCE OF ATTENTION ON THE CROWD, IT WAS ALL ABOUT GETTING THE PARALYTIC TO WHERE JESUS WAS STANDING AND SPEAKING! Do you care enough about people’s salvation, deliverance, and healing to TEAR OFF THE ROOF ON THEIR BEHALF, FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN GETTING THEM TO JESUS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY?!

These men were radical in their approach. They did not just have faith, they had Faith in Action! They had come to see Jesus and some dried mud was not about to stop them! As they dug through the roof, they knew they were only a few feet away from the answer, and they were not about to be put off now! Are you that determined?

Listen: No matter what you must do today, let nothing and no-one stop you from getting souls to Jesus! They are closer to a BREAK-THROUGH than you realize, so start digging and do not stop till they are face-to-face with Him!

Keep in mind: Many of them today are just a Dig from Destiny and Deliverance! So why stop now?! 

Today, enter the Spiritual Construction business and get to work! Bearing in mind, of course, this is real work! So, your hair, nails, clothes, car, bank account, looks, eloquence of speech, titles, and positions are of no use whatsoever! Just determination to help someone get to God! They are hurting, in pain, stretched out, weak, in need of help, in need of forgiveness, in need of a fresh start, in need of restoration, so what are you going to do about it? I will tell you, get your tools (The Holy Ghost, the Bible, Prayer, Discernment, the Anointing) and get to work! Your tools will help you to get past any and every obstacle, blockage, and crowd that is attempting to box the breakthrough in! Someone, somewhere is waiting for you, so do not let them down, unless it is through the roof so they can get to Jesus!

DON’T LET THE ROOF STOP YOU! THERE ARE SOULS THAT HAVE NEED OF YOUR HANDS!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Join Journey Into The Word each Sunday morning at 5:30 AM CST & 6:30 AM EST on The Now Network http://www.theNOWnetwork.org

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One Of The Enemy’s Favorite Entry Points Into Our Lives Is Disappointment. 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, Here Comes Satan With Another Symptom.

 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.

One Of The Enemy’s Favorite Entry Points Into Our Lives Is Disappointment. 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!

The Enemy Does Not Bother Those Who Do Not Bother Him! If you are not reading the Word, in prayer, fasting, obeying the commandments, fellowshipping 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? What can you do to attack his kingdom, when you are not armed with any of the weaponry of the Kingdom yourself!?

You see, you have (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! God is getting ready in this season to open the door for breakthroughs. It's important to understand that Satan doesn’t want you to gain any more ground! He knows that the enemy is ready to attack, you see suddenly Satan 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, and when you started making excuses for skipping Bible Study. The enemy did not think 2 cents about you. You did not even appear on his radar.

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)

1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NIV)

1 John 2:14b-15, “I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” (NLT)

Let's face it; we all have some days when we feel like we're stuck in the basement, right? The view isn't very inspiring, and neither is the situation we're in. We’re low in funds, low in joy, low in peace, low in confidence, low in health, low in marriage, low in single-hood, and low in dealing with the battles of raising children, low in dealing with coworkers and even low while sitting in the pew next to our brothers and sisters in Christ! There are simply some moments in life when we have crashed in the basement, instead of breaking through the ceiling! Can we be real about it?

Know that everybody who says they are praying for you, is not! Not everyone asking about your situation cares that you get out of it, some just want to make sure you are still in it! That is why discernment and wisdom are necessities, not options! Well, the good news is that there is no basement so deep or so gloomy that you must stay there, because there’s an elevator just waiting to take you up! Trust God and Trust, the process. That’s why discernment and wisdom are necessities, not options! Despite what you face as a struggle, it’s important that you learn how to put your praise in place, so your problem doesn’t knock you out of position. The problem with us is that we let fear supersede our faith!

Every Miracle In The Bible First Started As A Problem. Jesus's first miracle was in the village of Cana in Galilee where they ran out of wine, which was a problem, Jesus, then turn water into wine. The miracle with Sarah at an old age of 90 years she conceived Isaac, but all the mess before that was a major problem that still exists today.

Truth is, we must reach a place of trust, reliance, dependence, and faith in God where our circumstances don’t alter our praise! We need our situations, trials, and struggles to see that we walk by faith, even when that walk takes us through the valleys of the shadows of death!

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 before you grow and gain any more ground. His strategy is revealed in Mark 4:15. "Some people are like seeds 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."

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’s 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’s 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 things have suddenly gotten so tough for you, why things are going wrong, why you don't have the spiritual enthusiasm you had before. Your logical reaction is, "I've been really trying to do what God wants, so what's wrong here?" The answer is, "'Nothing's wrong! It's because something's right!"

However, for those who have made the decision to get rid of their bad habits, attitudes, and addictions; those who have decided to reignite the fire in their gifts, prayer, and devotion time; 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 enemy's hit list! It is not because of what you’ve done wrong, it’s because you’ve finally got it right!

So now he's got to get himself in a position to make it hard for you! He has got to stop your forward progress fast or there's no telling how much ground he's 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’s got to stop you before you start pleading the blood of Jesus over your family; before you start anointing your children. He’s got to stop you before you start speaking those things that are not as though they were. He’s got to stop you before your hope is renewed and your faith is revived. He’s got to stop you before you start believing that God meant just what He said concerning you.

He’s got to stop you before you start dreaming again. He’s got to stop you before you stop living in the past and start seeing yourself in a great future. He’s got to stop you from walking with God before you gain more ground!

Satan gets busy whenever God has made a major landing in your life. Maybe you've recently made a new surrender of your life to Jesus, or you've said yes to His call on your life. You've stepped up to leadership. Could it be that you've 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? Alarm bells are going off in hell!

When the enemy tries to tell you, your mission is impossible. Do the part which is possible for you and God will do the impossible. Absolutely nothing is impossible for God but with humans yes, we are limited but our God is limitless.

Satan will distort your vision and your situation will look impossible.  If you give the devil attention, he will give you direction.  Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.  Satan cannot solve problems, but he can create them. Satan will set you up to be set up. God is the reason even in pain, we smile. In confusion, we understand. In betrayal, we trust. And in fear, we continue to push forward.  Satan tries to limit your praying because he knows your praying will limit him. Do not face the day until you have faced God in prayer. Prayer is the best armor against all trials. Change your dialogue and you’ll change your destination.

Psalm 91: “You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: “God, You’re my refuge. I trust in You and I’M SAFE!” That’s right—He rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge, outstretched arms protect you—under them, you’re PERFECTLY SAFE; His arms fend off all harm.

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’s 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’). Don’t just let the devil take your property! Fight for it, guard it, and stay as close to God as you can!

Something I pray on a regular basis is that God will give me a keen awareness of the enemy’s plans and schemes against me. I want to be able to recognize his traps and avoid them.

As I compared these passages, I had a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses outline Satan’s 3-pronged plan of attack on our hearts. And it is the same plan we see him using while tempting Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11! A fact that tells me while the enemy may be powerful, he is also predictable.

I Want To Share With You How To Recognize The Three Strategies Of The Enemy So You Can Stand Strong.

Let’s take a closer look at Satan’s plan as revealed in Eve’s story and Jesus’ story:

1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Be it sex, drugs, alcohol, or food.

Satan tempted Eve with fruit, which “was good for food” (Genesis 3:6b, NIV).

Satan tempted Jesus with bread while He was on a fast. (Matthew 4:3-4, NIV)

Satan tempts us with whatever physical sense we are too preoccupied by — be it taste, smell, sound, touch, or sight. God says that our senses are good. He gave them to us to enjoy within His boundaries. But venture outside God’s intention for them, and they become an attempt to get our needs met outside the will of God.

2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the god of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after more and more stuff.

Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was “pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6c, NIV).

Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Him that He could have it all. (Matthew 4:8-10, NIV)

Satan flashes the newer, bigger, and seemingly better things of this world in front of us, trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. He tempts us to think: This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy. And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is.

3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride.

Satan tempted Eve by promising an increased awareness which would make her become more like God. (Genesis 3:4-5, NIV)

Satan tempted Jesus by telling Him to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple and command the angels to save Him. (Matthew 4:5-7, NIV) This would be very impressive and raise Jesus’ status and significance in the eyes of the world.

Likewise, Satan tempts us to try and elevate ourselves over others. We wrongly think we must become something the world calls worthy. This creates a need within our flesh to have people notice us, commend us, revere us, and stroke our pride. We then dare to boast about all we are.

This is where we must stop and remind ourselves that we don’t have to be held hostage by Satan. We are onto him and his schemes. And the enemy’s power is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God.

There was an enormous difference between Eve’s response to Satan and Jesus’ response to Satan. Eve dialogued with Satan, and she allowed him to weave his tangled web of justifications. Jesus, on the other hand, quoted Deuteronomy with every temptation as He answered, “It is written …” and He immediately shut Satan down with the truth of God.

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. Don’t let him get it! He’s 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’re not the only one plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So, keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t 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’s in Position to Attack, are you?!

You’ll 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)

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

The good news is that there is no basement so deep or so gloomy that you must stay there because there’s an elevator just waiting to take you up! Trust God and Trust, the process.

Dear Lord, thank You for making us aware of the enemy’s plans against us. I declare today that while the enemy may be vicious, he will not be victorious in my life. Not with You helping me walk in truth and light. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Join Journey Into The Word each Sunday morning at 5:30 AM CST & 6:30 AM EST on The Now Network http://www.theNOWnetwork.org

ROKU, Cable & Online

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Our Lives Can Start To Feel Empty When We Try To Find What We Can Only Get From God Instead Of The Things Of This World. Because God Does His Best Work With Empty As He Fills It With Himself. What Can We Do When Life Feels Empty?

Why Can Life Feel Empty When It Is Full?

Our Lives Can Start To Feel Empty When We Try To Find What We Can Only Get From God, Instead Of The Things Of This World. We Can Be Tempted By All The Flashy And Pretty Things That Our Society Tries To Make Us Believe Will Fill Our Souls. It can be anything from the latest beauty product that will make us look ten years younger, having the newest model of a certain car, making more money, or even that certain person who we think will meet every need that we have. It may work in the short term, but after a bit, the newness and excitement start to wear off. The satisfaction does not last long, and we are right back where we started again. Looking for that certain thing that will fill us again, and we can repeat it over and over many times, fooling ourselves that the next thing surely should make a difference. Then it doesn’t, and we are left unsatisfied with the same hole that was in our soul before. 

We don’t need to look hard to find an example of this in the Bible. King Solomon was one of the wealthiest and most well-known kings that we read about in the Old Testament. He started out well, asking the Lord for wisdom and even being known for finishing the temple. As we continued learning about him, things eventually went downhill for him. He accumulated a lot of wealth, which never was enough. He did get married, but that also was out of control; he ended up having 700 wives and 300 concubines. His wives lead him away from God, and he ended up worshipping idols. He had all of this, and yet it was not enough. The book of Ecclesiastes shows some of his thoughts on the matter. In Chapter 2:11, Solomon says:

“Yet when I surveyed all that, my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

He did not deny himself anything and still felt empty. His life is the perfect example of this. We will never be totally satisfied with what this world gives us. 

What Are We Meant For?

We were made to have a relationship with God. Our complete purpose will only come from him. The hole in our souls will only be filled by him. Everything that we do in this life and all that we acquire comes from him. He will never let us get complete satisfaction from the things that he gives us. We are meant to walk with him every day and do life with him. In all of our humanness, there is a void in our lives that only God can fill, money can't do it, drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, gambling, titles, as the list goes on. That void is there for a reason and God reminds us that only He and He alone can fill it.

Another purpose we have on this earth is to glorify our creator and point others toward him. We were made in his image, and we are meant to reflect him. That is such a high calling, whether we realize it or not. We get the honor of pointing people to Jesus. It might not be done perfectly, but that is when we need to rely on him to help us live it out. I am to reflect my creator to those around me. This has given me more purpose than anything else. I want to choose to live for Jesus each day of my life. 

Formless and Void From the Start

There is a phrase I want to share with you because it adds such dimension to the story the Bible tells, beginning with the first sentence in the Bible. And besides, it’s kind of fun to say. Ready? Here it is: Tohu wabohu (תהו ובהו).

It’s there, in the opening sentences of the Bible. Our English Bible reads, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep” (Gen.1:1-2) The Bible begins by saying that God created the heavens and the earth and that it was, in Hebrew, tohu wabohu. It was “without form and void” or “formless and empty” (NIV). Tohu means “unformed, chaotic wilderness,” and bohu means “empty.” So, Genesis 1:2 tells us that when God created the heavens and the earth, it was initially an uninhabitable wasteland, a barren wilderness. There was no shape or form to it. No life could live in it.

I suppose I’ve always thought that when God created the earth, he spoke it into existence as it is. But evidently what God spoke into being was initially a mass of unformed matter in which nothing and no one could live. It was the raw materials to which God would give shape and form. In fact, there were three significant problems with the earth as God initially created it, according to Genesis 1:2. It was formless, empty, and dark. But it was not without hope. Why? Because “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2).

God sees the emptiness in your life as his greatest opportunity.

The Spirit of God was there hovering—or fluttering—over the deep darkness of the unformed earth like a hen hovering over an unhatched cosmos.¹ Something was about to happen. God, by his Spirit, through his Word, was about to illumine and order and fill his creation.

What God Does with Empty

What Can We Do When Life Feels Empty?

At some point, even if things are going well for us, it will feel like something is still missing. It is so easy for us as humans to try and find satisfaction in the things of this world. We search and we search, forgetting the one who has given us everything, we are mistakenly trying to get our satisfaction from. So, what do we do when life does start to feel empty?

Ultimately, we need to change our perspective. We can ask the Lord to remind us of how much he alone satisfies us, and of how much we need him. He wants us to enjoy the blessings and the gifts he gives us, but again we need to remember that they are things that were never meant to fulfill us. 

To keep the right mindset, we can learn to have the Lord as our primary motivation for living our lives. While we are working, we can do it for the Lord; if we are taking care of our kids, we can ask him to give us energy, or if we are enjoying something we have been blessed with, we can thank the Lord for it. It is all about keeping our focus on God, so we remember where our purpose and worth come from. 

The benefit of learning to live out of the worth I have in Jesus is that I grow in my relationship with him. With him as my focus, I tend to keep him involved in my daily life. As I experience life with him, I also experience his goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. He is always with me, no matter if I acknowledge him or not. As long as I stay focused on him, my life does not feel empty. It feels full. 

So right there in the first chapter of the Bible we discover that tohu wabohu is not a problem for God. As his word, “Let there be,” goes out, and as the Spirit’s creative energy hovers, what was dark was flooded with light, what was chaotic came to order, and what was empty was filled with life and beauty and purpose.

This is really good news. Because, although you may have been unfamiliar with the term tohu wabohu, the reality of it may be achingly familiar. Perhaps you sense that the deepest, most honest place inside you is tohu wabohu—a dark and brooding emptiness. Perhaps it is an emptiness brought about by loss. There was once something or someone that filled up that space in your life, but now your heart aches with longing for what once was. Now there is an empty place at the table or an empty room in the house, or you sleep in an empty bed. Instead of having plans and a sense of purpose, an empty schedule and future loom before you.

Tracing 9 themes throughout the Bible, this book reveals how God’s plan for the new heaven and the new earth, far better than restoration to Eden, is already having an impact in the world today.

Or perhaps the emptiness in your life is punctuated not by what once was but by what has never been. There has never been a ring on your finger or a child in your womb or a title by your name. The dreams you have often sought to downplay for fear that saying them out loud would somehow serve to crush them, and thereby crush you, seem to be out of range or the realm of possibility. Or perhaps you can’t pinpoint exactly why you have this sense of emptiness. You realize that in comparison to so many others around you, you have it good. Yet your soul harbors a nagging sense of disappointment and discontentment. It sometimes seems as if the lives of nearly everyone around you are full of purpose and meaning, life and love, fun times, and future, which serve to punctuate the empty place in your life.

I would encourage each one of you to really look at your lives and ask the Lord to point out areas you are trying to find your worth and identity in other than in him. The gifts and things that he gives us in this life are not bad things, but it becomes harmful when we use them for their unintended purposes. It will take self-awareness and the ability to admit when we are wrong. I have lived my life both ways, and I know what the better choice is. Choose to get your worth, identity, and purpose from Jesus. This is what we are created for. Once we realize this, our lives will feel fuller.

Sometimes your sense of emptiness haunts you as an undefined yet nagging ache. At other times it overwhelms you as an undeniable yet relentless agony. Perhaps you have come to see your emptiness as your biggest problem. I must tell you: that’s not how God sees it. God Sees The Emptiness In Your Life As His Greatest Opportunity Because God Does His Best Work With Empty As He Fills It With Himself.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Join Journey Into The Word each Sunday morning at 5:30 AM CST & 6:30 AM EST on The Now Network http://www.theNOWnetwork.org

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First, Peter Tried Fishing Alone and Failed. Next, He Tried It With Jesus and Succeeded. Same Fisherman. Same Nets. What Changed? He Was Willing to Do it God’s Way! If You Want To Succeed, Do What God Says! Let's Look At Some Of The Test's God Uses.

“TEST ME, O Lord…Examine my heart and my mind.” (Psalm 26:2)  Tests are Designed to Reveal and Validate What You’ve Learned. Therefore, Until You’ve Been Tested, You Really Don’t Know What You Know—and More Importantly, WHAT YOU DON’T! Tests are Opportunities to Prove Your Growth, Maturity, Obedience, Discipline, Faithfulness and Potential!

There are times when God will ask you to kill your visible, tangible plans and depend upon Him to provide a future for you! God is going to test our faith through obedience. If we are going to be used by God to establish and extend His kingdom, then we are going to have to have faith in God.  If we are going to have faith in God, it is going to have to be developed through testing. If it is developed through testing, the test must be a test of obedience. Obedience is the only way to prove our trust in Jehovah God!

However, we are not studying the test, but the circumstances of God showing up!  Therefore, one of the conditions of God’s showing up was Abraham’s immediate obedience! He didn’t dilly dally around and wait until late in the day, but he rose early in the morning to do God’s bidding. When you are in the middle of a test, obey God immediately and wholeheartedly!

(Now, don’t miss this:)

·Abraham expected God to show up. We can see this in Genesis 22:5 (NASB) “Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.’”

We can also see this in: Hebrews 11:17-19 (NASB) “17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18 it was he to whom it was said, ‘in Isaac your descendants shall be called.’ 19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”

There’s so much here to talk about, but we’re only talking about an undeniable experience with God.  So, to make a long story short, Abraham followed all the instructions of God and raised the knife to the sky to take the life of his only begotten son! (But there is something that is very difficult to see here.  This test was an encounter, which was orchestrated by God.)

III.   The Experience.

At that very moment, God encountered Abraham.  He called from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham,” and stopped the sacrifice.  God told Abraham, “You have passed the test.  I now know that you fear Me, because you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.”

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and saw a ram caught in the bush or underbrush.  God had provided the sacrifice.  And Abraham offered the ram in the place of his son and called the place Yahweh-yireh, Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord will provide.” He named the place after the Lord, signifying the presence of the Lord.

You see God didn’t want Isaac; He wanted Abraham to give Isaac back to Him, so He could do what He wanted to do in both Abraham and Isaac’s lives.  God encountered Abraham through a test.  God encountered Abraham, when he passed that test, through obedience.  God showed up, when Abraham obeyed Him, in the middle of a test! This was an undeniable experience that Abraham had with God!  This undeniable experience was participated in and witnessed by Isaac! Some of you are saying, “So what?”

IV.   The Example (Principle).

There is much here to learn, but we are only looking at one principle.

1.     God will sometimes orchestrate or facilitate a test, so that He may have a close encounter with us. He wants to show up at center stage in our lives and show out on our behalf! Don’t be deceived!  God doesn’t want our Isaacs!  God sometimes asks us to give our Isaacs to Him, so that He can do what He wants to do in all our lives, i.e., encounter us.  No, God doesn’t want our Isaacs, what God really wants is to meet us face-to-face, and he will do so when we pass the test through obedience!

2.     God orchestrates tests to prepare us to receive His covenant promises! When we pass the test, through obedience, God shows up and ratifies His covenant with us!

3.     Like Abraham, we need to expect God to show up in our tests! The point is, the people of the Bible had an expectation of God showing up, which many believers simply do not have! You pray with expectancy. Why pray for something that you are not expecting to receive, whether it is healing, finances, job, and the list goes on.

So, perhaps, God’s ultimate intent in testing us is to show up or encounter us and the test is just a mechanism to facilitate an undeniable experience with Him!  You could say at each test, “This is an opportunity to meet God face-to-face!  This is a divine set up for God to show up!”

So, remember the following in times of TESTING: 

1…YOU’LL EXPERIENCE TESTS AT EACH STAGE OF YOUR GROWTH: Just like children in school, they don’t get to take an ELEMENTARY EXAM, pass, go to JUNIOR HIGH and say, “I took a test in 6th grade, I don’t need to take this one!” NO! AT EACH STAGE A TEST, THAT FITS THAT STAGE AND PREPARES YOU FOR THE NEXT, HAS TO BE TAKEN AND PASSED, IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE PROMOTED AND ELEVATED…DESERVINGLY! In a Nutshell: You Can’t Prepare For College, Based Off a 6th Grade Exam, Even If You Passed it at the Top of Your Class! It Still Doesn’t Count!

2…YOUR GOAL SHOULD ALWAYS BE TO PASS THE TEST, OTHERWISE, YOU GET TO TAKE IT REPETITIVELY UNTIL YOU DO: You Do Not Get the Opportunity to Fail Your Test and Pass On to the Next Level Anyhow…(Despite What You See In Our Public School Systems and Church Leadership Today)! Now, if You Fail It’s Alright, because if the Truth Be Told, We Have ALL Failed on One Test or Another! HOWEVER, As Soon As You Fail, At Least Be Smart Enough to HIT THE BOOKS AGAIN (the Word of God), MEET WITH YOUR TUTOR (the Holy Spirit), STUDY (2 Timothy 2:15), and then Reschedule to Take Your Test AGAIN! You may Fall Down, but Each Time You Get Back Up, POINTS ARE ADDED TO YOUR GRADE! YES, YOU GET BONUS POINTS FOR GETTING BACK UP! Extra Work Earns Extra Credit! Bottom line, You Don’t Get to Go to the Next Level, Without Passing What You’ve Failed! And if you are in the UNFORTUNATE position of being under a LEADER who will pass you anyway (based on how you treat them, your attendance, your gifts, charisma, tithes and offering etc…), HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO NOT ALLOW IT! IN THE END, YOU WILL ONLY SET YOURSELF UP FOR A FOOLISH AND FATAL HARD FALL! Think about it: Would you allow someone to pass you to Advanced Algebra WHILE YOU’RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE TIMETABLE CHART IN THE BACK OF YOUR COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK!? NO! WHY? BECAUSE YOU’LL ONLY FAIL AND LOOK FOOLISH WHILE DOING IT! LIKEWISE, MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT GRADE, TAKING AND PASSING THE RIGHT TESTS, AT THE RIGHT TIME! DON’T BE QUICK TO MOVE UNTIL YOU’RE QUALIFIED!

3…TESTING ALWAYS PRECEDES PROMOTION: Actually, it PREPARES You For It and PROVES You’re Ready to Handle It! If You Cheat, or Try to Copy Somebody Else’s Answers, You May Temporarily Seem to Succeed. But Eventually Time and Circumstances Will Reveal You For What You Are—Which Is Someone Who Can’t Handle What They Manipulated Their Way Into Getting! Here’s Biblical Proof: “Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but Who Are You?” Then the man with the evil spirit Leaped On Them, Overpowered Them, and Attacked Them With Such Violence that They Fled From the House, Naked and Battered.” (Acts 19:14-16 NLT). People of God, Pass Your Test Before Attempting to Pass Out Ministry Cards! If Not, You’ll Quickly Find Yourself Being the “Eighth Son of Sceva!”

4…SELF-PROMOTION CAN NEVER REPLACE DIVINE PROMOTION: So, Don’t Attempt to Rush Ahead of God’s Plans; Wait and Allow Him to Open the Door In the Right Season! Look at it this way: Even after a child passes their exam, all their paperwork must be Looked Over, Graded and Accounted For! What They’ve Done Throughout the Year Has to Be Reviewed. What were All of Their Test Scores? How did they handle Their Projects? Were they Late? How many times were they Absent? How well did they work with their classmates? Likewise, God Will Examine and Evaluate Your FULL FILE, to Determine Whether or Not You’re Ready for the Next Level. And just because you passed ‘A’ Test, Don’t Mean You’re Ready to Pass the ‘GRADE’! “But God hasn’t moved to the mountains; his holy address hasn’t changed. He’s in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in, his eyelids Unblinking, Examining Adam’s Unruly Brood Inside and Out, Not Missing a Thing. He Tests the Good and the Bad Alike; If Anyone Cheats, God’s Outraged. Fail the Test and You’re Out, Out in a Hail of Firestones, Drinking From a Canteen Filled With Hot Desert Wind.” (Psalm 11:4-6 MSG). Saints, God Will Exam You Inside and Out, Test You, Watch If You Cheat and Give You the Boot if You Fail!  You May Impress People, But God On The Other Hand Is Not Impressed At All! Therefore, Don’t Get Caught Up In the “Laying On of MAN’S Hands”! It Means Nothing Compared to the Laying On of GOD’S HANDS AND HIS COMMISSIONING!

5…A PRODUCT CANNOT BE SAFELY AND PROFITABLY USED, UNTIL IT’S BEEN THOROUGHLY TESTED, AND NEITHER CAN YOU! God’s Not a Hard-Hearted Parent Who Enjoys Seeing His Children Struggle Through Life’s Tests. If He were to visit you in person, He’d probably say: “I don’t enjoy making you go through this, but it’s the only way to prove you’re ready for what’s ahead. Before I can use you greatly—I must test you thoroughly!” Here’s a tip for your next test – Generally, God’s Tests for Elevation are Based On Your CHARACTER! And like any Good Actor in a stage play, Your Job is to “STAY IN CHARACTER!” Regardless of what anyone else does, FOLLOW GOD’S SCRIPT FOR YOUR LIFE! I understand everybody’s becoming a Pastor, Bishop, Apostle, Overseer, Prophet, etc…OVERNIGHT WITHOUT QUALIFICATION, CREDENTIALS, CALLING OR CHARACTER…HOWEVER, DON’T YOU DO IT! “…These were Asher’s sons, all of them Responsible, Excellent in CHARACTER, and Brave in Battle—Good Leaders…” (1 Chronicles 7:33-40 MSG); “Be Wary of False Preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t Be Impressed With Charisma; Look For CHARACTER. Who Preachers Are Is The Main Thing, Not What They Say. A Genuine Leader Will Never Exploit Your Emotions or Your Pocketbook. These Diseased Trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.” (Matthew 7:15-20 MSG); “There was a Man by the Name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a Man of Good Heart and Good CHARACTER…” (Luke 23:50 MSG); “So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with Good CHARACTER, Spiritual Understanding, Alert Discipline, Passionate Patience, Reverent Wonder, Warm Friendliness, and Generous Love, Each Dimension Fitting Into and Developing the Others. With these Qualities Active and Growing In Your Lives, No Grass Will Grow Under Your Feet, No Day Will Pass Without Its Reward As You Mature In Your Experience of Our Master Jesus. Without These Qualities You Can’t See What’s Right Before You, Oblivious That Your Old Sinful Life Has Been Wiped Off The Books.” (2 Peter 1:5-9 MSG). People of God, You Will Never Be Used Greatly, Until You’ve Been Tested Thoroughly! And Your Testing Will Be Largely On the Maintenance of Your CHARACTER! Therefore, Possess Good Character, and You Won’t Have To Pray God Grades On A Curve!

LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THE TEST’S GOD USES TO DEVELOP US: 

1…THE TEST OF SMALL THINGS: This TEST comes when we’re asked to do something We Consider to be BENEATH OUR ABILITY AND POTENTIAL. It Proves how Faithful we are to Our Commitments. It also Reveals whether we’re Ready for Greater Responsibilities. Jesus said, “Whoever can be Trusted with VERY LITTLE can also be Trusted with VERY MUCH” (Luke 16:10). You Don’t get to Oversee Much Until You’re Willing to Undertake Little! In other words, if you can be an Elder and still clean the church bathroom, you can be trusted with More! If you can be the Women’s Ministry Director, and serve food at a women’s shelter, you can be trusted with More! If you can be the Chairman Deacon and still mop up a spill in the vestibule, you can be trusted with More! If you can be the Minister of Music and play no differently in front of 2 people than you would 2,000, you can be trusted with More! If you can be the Dean of the Christian Education Ministry and not get an attitude when asked to teach 3 four-year-old’s a Sunday School lesson, you can be trusted with More! Are You Starting to Get the Picture? Can You See It Clearly? You Don’t Get Anything Big Until You Can Be Faithful Over the Small You’ve Already Been Given! If your Pastor was asked if you qualify for More, based off this little summary, would he/she give you a yes or a no? An A+ or an F-?

2…THE MOTIVE TEST: This TEST comes to us when we’re doing all the right things—BUT NOT NECESSARILY FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS! For example, it’s right to Pray. YET Jesus Warned: “When you Pray, DO NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES, FOR THEY LOVE…TO BE SEEN BY MEN” (Matthew 6:5) That’s why we need the mirror of God’s Word: “For the Word of God is…able to JUDGE THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS OF THE HEART.” (Hebrews 4:12) When you stand before Christ to be evaluated and rewarded, the question will Not only be, ‘WHAT did you do,’ but also, ‘WHY did you do it?’ A good question that Pastors should ask of their leaders a little more often than most do.

3…THE STEWARDSHIP TEST: Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you.” (Luke 6:38). Only when your Empty Hand is Open, can you Receive More From God. The Practice of Giving on a Regular Basis Prevents You from Being Owned By What You Own! Money is called Currency because it’s supposed to Flow Through You Into the Lives of Others! Abraham Was Blessed For the Sole Purpose To Be a Blessing! So Are You! When you Withhold out of Fear or Greed, you Limit what God Wants to Give You. So become a River (one that flows), Not a Reservoir (one that withholds)!

4…THE WILDERNESS TEST: This test comes when we feel Spiritually Dry, and our joy level is Low. It Reveals Our Ability to Adapt to Adversity and Change, and as a Result, Enter a New level of Growth! It Proves We’re Able to Perform Even When Life and Ministry Aren’t Fun. “He led you through the vast and dreadful desert…To…TEST You So…In the End it Might Go Well With You.” (Deuteronomy 8:15-16). Remember: Short-term pain, Long-term gain! You Don’t Get to Inherit the Wealthy Place Until You Can Endure the Wilderness!

5…THE CREDIBILITY TEST: Nothing matters more than your Confidence Before God—and Your Credibility Before People! When Lot tried to rescue his sons-in-law from the destruction of Sodom: The Bible says, “He seemed as one that mocked.” (Genesis 19:14) As a result he Lost Credibility When it Mattered Most! Make Sure You Don’t! The Last thing You want is to tell people in a Burning Building where the Exit is, But They Don’t Believe You, So They Don’t Listen to You or Follow You! When You Lose Credibility, You Lose Lives!

6…THE AUTHORITY TEST: Before Paul took the Gospel to the Gentiles he First went to Jerusalem and Submitted His Plan to the Apostles, Asking For Their Blessing. There wasn’t a “Nobody is going to tell me what to do” Attitude! When You Fail to Submit, You Forfeit Your Opportunity to Pass On to the Next Level! Look at it this way: God placed David under a Flawed Leader named Saul that wanted to Kill Him! Proving you can Learn As Much From the Mistakes of a Failure As You Can From the Achievement of a Success! Because David Submitted, He Qualified to Sit on Saul’s Throne! An Effective Follower Becomes an Effective Leader!

7…THE OFFENCE TEST: Jesus said, “Offences Will Come.” (Luke 17:1) So Be Ready! Those who Lead Always Take the Brunt of It! The Front Line is No Place for the Weak-Willed or Weak-Kneed! So, When Offences come are you going to: Get Mad and Get Nowhere; Get Even and Get in Trouble; Or Get Over It By Forgiving? “If you hold anything against anyone, Forgive Him, so…Your Father In Heaven May Forgive…Your Sins.” (Mark 11:25). If You Can’t Handle Offence, You Can’t Handle the Opportunity of More!

8…THE WARFARE TEST: This test is for those who Claim to be Strong in Faith but Prove to be Weak in Fight! “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was Shorter. For God said, ‘If They Face War, They Might Change Their Minds and Return to Egypt.’” (Exodus 13:17). Now, you Haven’t been called to be Insensitive and Abrasive, but if Your Destiny Is Worth Pursuing—It’s Worth Fighting For! So, Toughen Up! It’s a Battlefield, not a Bed of Roses! You must Engage the Enemy Daily Using Every Spiritual Weapon at Your Disposal! If Not, He’ll Steal, Kill and Destroy You! This test Demonstrates Your Ability to Continue in Your Vision, Even While Experiencing Disappointment and Opposition! So, remember, the Level of Attack is the Best Indicator as to the Level of Blessing that Awaits You, Beyond It! Your Wealthy Place Is Just on The Other Side Of Your Warfare! Don’t Fail This Test! It Will Cost You Too Much!

9…THE TEST OF TIME: This test has Two Dimensions. One Reveals the Strength of Your Life’s Impact, the other Reveals the Length of It! Each Calls For Your Signature of Excellence On All that You Do. Listen: The electric light still burns even though Edison has left the building! The needy are still being cared for even though General Booth is in Heaven. Now, even if your Legacy Doesn’t Reach Those Heights, Your Influence Can Still Outlive You! The test of Time has a second dimension—An Eternal One. How You Live Your Life Today Determines Your Rewards In Heaven. "Eventually there is going to be an Inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). Therefore, live a Life and Lifestyle that Others Will Deem Worthy of Continuing as a Legacy, Far After Your Earthly Life Is Over!

10…THE LORDSHIP TEST: Simon Peter passed this test by Obeying a Command that Seemed to Make No Sense At All: Jesus said to him "Pull out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But Because You Say So, I Will Let Down the Nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” (Luke 5:4-6). First, Peter tried fishing Alone and Failed. Next, He Tried it With Jesus and Succeeded. Same Fisherman. Same Fish. Same Boat. Same Nets. What changed? He Was Willing to Do it God’s Way! If You want to Succeed, Talk to God, Listen to God—and Do What God Says! 

With 10 points per test, what does your grade look like so far? Note: If you’re going to Be Helped, you have to First Be Honest. So, if you haven’t made 100% yet, you still can do so. Just hit the books (Your Bible), meet daily with your tutor (The Holy Spirit), study diligently (2 Timothy 2:15), and retake the test! There’s a 100% Within Your Reach…. Grasp It!

God tests people to approve them, i.e., 1) to qualify them to receive His promises, 2) to work along with Him in the establishing of His kingdom, and 3) to ultimately reign with Him. Therefore, God’s tests are not to be feared, but understood and embraced!  Now there is a novel idea!  Anytime we receive a test from God, we should look for the way that God wants us to partner with Him in the establishing and extending of His kingdom.  Start praying, “Father, how do you want me to partner with you?”

“Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [TESTED by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” 2 Timothy: 2:15 (AMP)

“God never uses anyone greatly until He tests them deeply.” (Aiden Wilson Tozer)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

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