Don’t Allow What Happened in YOUR Garden of Eden to Make You Forget What Happened in HIS Garden of Gethsemane! YOU ARE GRACE COVERED…SO DON’T HIDE, BE HONEST, AND BE HEALED! God Wants To Know Where Are We Today...

If God, Of All People, Doesn’t Keep A List, Why Do You Allow Others, And Yourself, To Keep You Stuck In What You Did, Where You Were, Who You Were With etc.…? God Himself Said “…I DON’T KEEP A LIST OF YOUR SINS” So Throw Your List Away And Throw Away The List Others Keep Trying To Keep On You As Well!

The first recorded question God ever asked was, “[Adam]…WHERE ARE YOU?” And it’s a question you need to stop and ask yourself today: “Where Am I…Honestly?” If you don’t know the answer, or you do, but you don’t like it, then today’s inspirational reading is for you!

When God asked Adam, “Where Are You?” he responded by saying, “I HEARD YOU in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid” (vs. 10 NIV). The New King James Version says it like this, “…I heard Your Voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I HID MYSELF”  

I find it amazing that USUALLY when we get into trouble, God’s Voice is the Only One We Want To Hear!  When we’re sick, in danger, need protection, feel confused, lonely, depressed, discouraged etc....the First Thing We Cry Out Is SPEAK LORD! However, that wasn’t the case with Adam…not when he messed up! And just like Adam, many of us go into HIDING when we mess up! We ran away FROM instead of TO the Voice of the Lord! If we could only reach a place of understanding that God is NOT LIKE MAN, we would learn to take our mess to Him instead of trying to hide it from Him (as if that were even possible!)  For even the Psalmist declared: “Is there ANYPLACE I can go to avoid Your Spirit? To be out of Your sight? If I climb to the sky, You’re there! If I go underground, You’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute – You’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, He even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to You; night and day, darkness, and light, they’re all the same to You” (Psalm 139:7-12 MSG)

In other words, ‘Adam’s, the whole world does not cease to exist because you messed up! If you have JESUS, there is always recovering grace just waiting to grasp you! No matter how bad or how hard your fall is, you don’t have to hide! You Are the Heritage of the Lord…So Stop Hiding…Come Out And Reclaim Your Proper Place In the Kingdom! Don’t Allow What Happened in YOUR Garden of Eden to Make You Forget What Happened in HIS Garden of Gethsemane! YOU ARE GRACE COVERED…SO DON’T HIDE, BE HONEST, AND BE HEALED!

He Sees You…All Of You…And Yet, Loves You Still! The Bible says, “Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented Himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. BUT GOD PUT HIS LOVE ON THE LINE FOR US BY OFFERING HIS SON IN SACRIFICIAL DEATH WHILE WE WERE OF NO USE WHATEVER TO HIM.” (Romans 5:6-8 MSG)

He Loved You BEFORE You or I Did What We Did, BEFORE We Said What We Said, BEFORE We Thought What We Thought! AND HE EVEN LOVED US AFTERWARDS! He Simply Loves Us…All Of US…Mistakes, Mess and All! So, Stop Trying To Hide From Him! Please understand, God is NOT LIKE MAN!

Man will bring it up again; hold it over your head; brow beat you to death with it; belittle you by it…BUT NOT GOD! HE HAS SAID: “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—HE WON’T LET US DOWN; HE’LL BE TRUE TO HIMSELF. HE’LL FORGIVE OUR SINS AND PURGE US OF ALL WRONGDOING. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of Him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.” (1 John 1:8-10 MSG) Beloved, God Is Ready to Forgive You, Purge You and Clean You of All Wrongdoing! So Why Are You Still Trying To Hide From Him? Isn’t Forgiveness and Cleansing What You Want? Well, You Can’t Get It From Him While Trying to Hide From Him!

Listen To How Much He Loves You: “BUT, I, YES, I, AM THE ONE WHO TAKES CARE OF YOUR SINS – THAT’S WHAT I DO. I DON’T KEEP A LIST OF YOUR SINS” (Isaiah 43:25 MSG). Now that’s what you call Simply Amazing! If God, of All People, Doesn’t Keep a List, Why Do You Allow Others, and Yourself, to Keep You Stuck In What You Did, Where You Were, Who You Were With etc.…? God Himself Said “…I DON’T KEEP A LIST OF YOUR SINS” So Throw Your List Away And Throw Away The List Others Keep Trying To Keep On You As Well!

Now, this does not in any way give us a clean slate just so we can dirty it again, for the Word of God Declares: “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So, take your stand! NEVER AGAIN LET ANYONE PUT A HARNESS OF SLAVERY ON YOU” (Galatians 5:1 MSG) The Amplified Bible says it like this: “In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]” (AMP) In other words, He didn’t Redeem You for You to Return to Mess! The Bible says, “As a dog eats its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness” (Proverbs 26:11 MSG) When He Restores You…Don’t Recycle Your Silly Ways! When He Redeems and Restores You…DON’T RECYCLE YOUR REFUSE! And “Refuse” is defined as “Matter Thrown Away As Worthless” It’s Old French Origin “Refuse” Literally Means “REFUSED”! So, Unlike What the Sanitation Department Would Say: I’m Telling You DO NOT RECYCLE! OR BETTER YET, REFUSE THE REFUSE!

I also find it amazing the lengths we will go to “HIDE”! We’ll bury ourselves in work, or get involved in an affair, or build a wall around our hearts, or leave a marriage, leave a job, leave a ministry – anything but face the truth! And that’s not what God wants you to do! After all His Word says, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT) So Why “HIDE” From What You Need To Set You FREE?! Truth and Nothing Else will set you free! And whether you are Embraced or Embarrassed by it, if you acknowledge it, you will be set free! Some will talk, some will speculate, some will add scenes to your story that were never part of the plot…but THEY are not the focus…. You and Your Truth Are! Man Does Not Have a Hell To Put You In Or A Heaven To Keep You Out Of…SO WHY LET THEIR OPINION CARRY SO MUCH WEIGHT?!

REMEMBER, THE BIBLE SAYS: “But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we’ll ALL have to face God, regardless of our conditions. WE will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to US because of OUR actions, either good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 MSG) Did You Catch The Bonus In That Scripture?! It says “…WE’LL ALL HAVE TO FACE GOD, REGARDLESS OF OUR CONDITIONS. WE WILL APPEAR BEFORE CHRIST AND TAKE WHAT’S COMING TO US AS A RESULT OF OUR ACTIONS, EITHER GOOD OR BAD” Saints, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM ACCOUNTABILITY BEFORE GOD! SO, THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE ATTEMPTS TO BRING UP YOUR STUFF…REMIND THEM THAT THEY HAVE A DATE OF ACCOUNTABILITY BEFORE GOD TOO! DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT I DID, WHAT I’M DOING OR WHAT I WILL DO…JUST MIND YOUR OWN STUFF! 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, “Stay calm; MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS; DO YOUR OWN JOB. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts…” (MSG)

IN ADDITION…THE BIBLE SAYS, “So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves us looking silly—or worse. Eventually, WE’RE ALL GOING TO END UP KNEELING SIDE BY SIDE IN THE PLACE OF JUDGMENT, FACING GOD. YOUR CRITICAL AND CONDESCENDING WAYS AREN’T GOING TO IMPROVE YOUR POSITION THERE ONE BIT. Read it for yourself in Scripture: “As I live and breathe,” God says, “every knee will bow before Me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” So, tend to your knitting. YOU’VE GOT YOUR HANDS FULL JUST TAKING CARE OF YOUR OWN LIFE BEFORE GOD.” (Romans 14:10-12 MSG)

That’s a Good Spot For a Praise Break! Now, After You Sit Down and Pull Your Neighbor Down, The Lesson Continues:

You see, God wasn’t trying to find Adam; He just wanted Adam to find himself! Yep, that’s it! God Is Simply Trying to Get You To Be Honest About Where You Really Are and What You Really Did! And not so He can hold it over your head, but so you can finally come to full Maturity! After All, Accountability is the Basis of Maturity! You can’t be trusted with More Until You can be trusted to be honest about the Least You Already Messed Up! Yes, You Get a Second Chance…But Do You Realize If You Keep Starting Over…You Never Get Farther Than The Spot You Messed Up In?! Can you imagine your church transitioning every 5 years, losing, and gaining the same folks as recycling? How is that growth? The same goes for you! You must Gain Ground Then Establish Your Footing! Psalm 18:33, “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly and tread safely on paths of testing and trouble]; He sets me [securely] upon my high places.” (AMP); Habakkuk 3:19, “The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet and makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility].” (AMP); 2 Samuel 22:34, “He makes my feet like the doe’s feet [firm and swift]; He sets me [secure and confident] on my high places.” (AMP) God has already done His part in securing our footing on high places, according to the Word of God, so we can confidently walk forward! Therefore, why are we constantly walking backwards or in vicious cycles to nowhere?!

Look at it this way: If you were given a Billion Dollars in your bank account, and had only 5 minutes to get it out and your bank is across the street, but you only run in place…what’s going to happen? The truth is, you were given the blessing, it’s yours, got your name on it and it’s even in your bank account, and you have the bank card and access code! The only problem is you must leave where you are and take steps (progress) across the street to attain it! If not, you can’t complain that you never received the blessing…you just didn’t progress in steps to take hold of it! Maturity is the same! You must gain ground by taking steps towards Accountability for your deeds, words, and speech! “Adams”, you must grow up and not point fingers at Eve! Likewise, let God take care of your haters, gossipers, talebearers and the like! You Are Responsible For YOU and Accountable to GOD! That’s What Matters! So Come Out Of Hiding and Be Truthful to You! Even If Your “Truthful” Is Painful and Not So Pretty! Until you do that, you’ll remain where you are, running in place and gaining muscle and strength that is applied to absolutely nothing!

Another problem is when you "HIDE" you become a "PHONY"! And the word “Phony” is defined as “To Be a Fraudulent Person”. And “Fraudulent” means “To Be Dishonest”. Going back a bit, remember John 8:32? “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”? That’s Your Hindrance Right There! Being Phony! Because Being Phony Is Being Fraudulent and Being Fraudulent Is Being Dishonest! And Dishonest Means “Not Honest, Trustworthy, Sincere, or Truthful”! In a Nutshell: Hiding Leads to Phoniness That Causes You To Be Dishonest With Yourself, Others and God! And the Danger of Your Dishonesty Is That It Keeps You From Being Truthful…And Only TRUTH CAN SET YOU FREE! Are You Getting This? UNTIL YOU’RE TRUTHFUL YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE FROM THE TRAPS OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE?! And besides that, do you have any idea how much emotional and mental energy it requires of you to keep up a Charade for others? Only two things are worse: being a phony with yourself and being a phony with God! Furthermore, you’ll find it difficult to be honest with others or look them in the eye. Why? Because you’ll be afraid, they might investigate your heart and see the real you! Is that where you are today? Afraid to investigate your own heart? Or afraid someone else will? 

Well Today, STOP IT! Be Truthful With You, God and Others and then MOVE ON…

Look at it this way: Neither God, Adam, Eve or Even the Serpent Stayed in the Garden After the Fall! There Was Far Too Much of a Story That Had To Continue to Be Lived and Written! Everything Didn’t Stop In the Garden When Adam and Eve Fell, And Your Whole Life Has No Reason To Be Put On Permanent Pause Because of Your Failures or Falls Either! So, Keep Moving! There’s More Story To Tell! The Good News is, Adam was naked, but God clothed him; he was guilty, but God cleansed him; he was anxious, but God comforted him. And if you come to Him today God will cleanse you, clothe you, and comfort you too! He’s just waiting for the opportunity to do it! So, when are you going to finally give it to Him?

Yes, You Messed Up! Yes, You Got It Wrong! Yes, You Were Disobedient, Sinned and Broke Commandment and Covenant! But Is It Fatal? NO! Your Failure Does Not Make You Illegitimate! You Still Belong to the Body of Christ! Yes, Adam messed up, but how wonderful to know that he was only the First Adam!

Romans 5:12-21, “You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So, death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didn’t sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. BUT ADAM, WHO GOT US INTO THIS, ALSO POINTS AHEAD TO THE ONE WHO WILL GET US OUT OF IT. Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man’s sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, JUST THINK WHAT GOD’S GIFT POURED THROUGH ONE MAN, JESUS CHRIST, WILL DO! There’s no comparison between that death-dealing sin AND THIS GENEROUS, LIFE-GIVING GIFT. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; THE VERDICT ON THE MANY SINS THAT FOLLOWED WAS THIS WONDERFUL LIFE SENTENCE. If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, CAN YOU IMAGINE THE BREATHTAKING RECOVERY LIFE MAKES, SOVEREIGN LIFE, IN THOSE WHO GRASP WITH BOTH HANDS THIS WILDLY EXTRAVAGANT LIFE-GIFT, THIS GRAND SETTING-EVERYTHING-RIGHT, THAT THE ONE-MAN JESUS CHRIST PROVIDES? Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, ANOTHER PERSON DID IT RIGHT AND GOT US OUT OF IT. BUT MORE THAN JUST GETTING US OUT OF TROUBLE, HE GOT US INTO LIFE! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; ONE MAN SAID YES TO GOD AND PUT MANY IN THE RIGHT. All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call GRACE. When it’s sin versus grace, GRACE WINS HANDS DOWN. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. GRACE, BECAUSE GOD IS PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER AGAIN THROUGH THE MESSIAH, INVITES US INTO LIFE—A LIFE THAT GOES ON AND ON AND ON, WORLD WITHOUT END.” (MSG)

Jeremiah 23:23-24, “I am everywhere – both near and far, in heaven and on earth. There are no secret places where you can hide from Me.” (CEV)

Job 34:21, “God watches everything we do.” (CEV)

“The person who surrenders absolutely to God, with no reservations, is safe. From this safe hiding-place he can see the devil, but the devil cannot see him.” (Soren Kierkegaard)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Listen: Your Worship Will Shift Atmospheres And Break Things Open. Anything You Do That Brings Pleasure To God Is An Act Of Worship.

Listen: Your Worship Will Shift Atmospheres And Break Things Open. Dry Bones Will Come To Life, Mountains Will Move, Red Seas Will Part, And Hope Will Arise. Anything You Do That Brings Pleasure To God Is An Act Of Worship. 

Can you imagine something being so important and vital to God that He comes looking for it? That He pursue it? He seeks after it Well, that’s the power and attraction of true worshipers. There is something so phenomenal about their worship, that God seeks for, looks for, goes after, and relentlessly pursues them. Reminds me a lot of ‘new love’. We go so out of our way when it’s ‘new love’. The phone calls are never-ending, the flowers flow in constantly, the ‘I love you’s are dear, genuine, passionate, and daily, the time together is precious, and you never want it to come to an end. You rearrange your entire schedule (and life) just to spend a moment with the one you love. You give everything to them because you love them. It’s new, exciting, fun, and life-giving. It brings you joy, happiness, and contentment, and you can’t stop telling everybody about somebody who has stolen your precious heart and refuses to give it back. You want to hold hands all the time, your intimacy knows no limits or boundaries. All because you love them. Often their response matches yours because when someone knows just how special, valued, cherished, treasured, important, and loved they are, they tend to give even more of themselves in return out of gratitude.
 

I wonder what would happen if we would dare to love God like that? What would it be like for our worship to resemble that kind of ‘new love’ in word, thought, and action?  In a nutshell, when you go to hear someone important, you don’t just applaud and leave. You stay after the applause to hear
what they have to say. 

You can find in Isaiah 6 perhaps the greatest worship scene in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah says the following in Isaiah 6:1-4 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw [in a vision] the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, with the train of His royal robe filling the [most holy part of the] temple. Above Him seraphim (heavenly beings) stood; each one had six wings: with two wings he covered his face, he covered his feet, and with two wings he flew. And one called out to another, saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is filled with His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out.
 

This is what you would call true worship! It is getting lost in the worth of who He is and being overwhelmed by His very presence. It is the place where no flesh glories in His sight. It is the place where the true worshiper dwells. John 4:23-24, “But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (AMP)

KEY: “…the Father SEEKS such people to be His worshipers…”What would it be like for our worship to resemble that kind of new love’ in word, thought, and action? Instead of that old stale familiar ‘I still care about you, God’, kinda ‘love’. This sounds a lot like Revelation 2:4-5, “But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall! “Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I’m well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle.” (MSG) I don’t know about you, but that encouraged me to love God afresh, with a NEW love! I want to be one of those true worshipers whom God pursues! Could you imagine how relentlessly God would pursue us for rendering such worship on Him? If only we would give God even a tenth of what we give to people…Selah…
 

Which makes me wonder, if we spend no time with God, no time talking to Him and hearing from Him; if we spend no time in prayer, no time in His Word, no time in His Presence, how will we ever be able to worship Him in spirit and truth? You can’t worship Him when you spend no worthwhile time with Him. How can we worship Him, by His Spirit, when our Spirit takes no time to learn who He is? Which is hard to do in an era of the church that is “Praise” focused…ONLY. Now, is there anything wrong with praise? Not! From cover-to-cover of the Bible, you will hear about the praises rendered to our God and His favorable responses to them.
 

HOWEVER, I’m afraid that we’ve become so Praise-Centered, that we no longer know how to get to the Core of Worship. There’s a wonderful new emphasis in many places today on praise and worship. And I for one certainly recall it being called “devotion”. You see, it was the time in my former church when the Deacons and Deaconesses led in prayer, praise and worship, and testimony service. It was a time when the people remembered to make the Lord the focus, and finally took time to forget themselves instead and experience just how big God is. People from all over the sanctuary would share what the Lord had done for them and their loved ones, their health, their employment, marriage, etc. It was wonderful, encouraging, empowering, motivating, faith-building, inspiring.
 

We would sing, and clap and dance, and holler. We would give God our best and noisiest praise! It was sort of our standing ovation for God! Much like the preparation for when A President is about to enter the room and speak. UNFORTUNATELY, though, far too many of us leave after the standing ovation, not realizing that it’s only the beginning. Yes, Praise went forth and Worship went forth, but now God wants to SAY SOMETHING; He wants to speak to us. But how can we hear Him if we leave, or start to tune out after the praise break stops? How can we hear Him over all the clapping, hollering, high-fiving, and ‘tell your neighbor’? How can we hear Him while we’re so busy running, jumping, leaping, dancing, and shouting? Now, is there anything wrong with any of that? No, not in and of itself. And if that was the conclusion, it would be fine. HOWEVER, it’s not, it’s only the beginning.
 

Because after the ovation dies down, after the applause stops, His voice speaks, and that’s the most important part of it all. And when you realize that it is, you begin to prepare yourself to hear the Lord speak. Isaiah 6:5 says this, “Woe is me! For I am ruined, Because I am a man of [ceremonially] unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (AMP). Worship is supposed to lead to REPENTANCE.
 

When you are in the presence of the Lord, you should see Hisholiness and the sin that you have not dealt with. You need to make things right with this awesome God. Worship that doesn’t lead to cleaning up your sin is just dead-end applause, and we should not leave until God has spoken. Worship should remind us that we’ve sinned, it should convict us of our unrighteousness when we realize just how righteous He is. It should uncover our unholiness when we realize just how holy He is. Worship should challenge us to change for the better.
 

Worship should remind us that although we serve an awesome,loving kind, and generous God, He is also HOLY. “because it is written, “You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16 AMP); “Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 AMPC)
 

This is how vital holiness is. We are to be holy because He Is Holy and without Holiness, No One Will EVER See Him. So, when we worship God, it is a time of preparation to hear from God. We enter that place of holy worship where we acknowledge that we are unclean and need to be bathed in His
presence. We need to be made right. We need to begin again. Start afresh, start anew. We need to reevaluate ourselves, our attitudes, our speech, our thoughts, our deeds, our motives and intentions, our desires, our longings, our hearts. Because we need to hear Him, we must come close to Him, and have Him cleanse us and position us. Praise is wonderful, it gets us to the door, thanksgiving opens it up, worship allows us to enter in, and holiness allows preparation to hear God speak. Isaiah 6:6-7, “Then flew one of the seraphim [heavenly beings] to me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from off the altar; and with it he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has  touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven.” (AMPC).

Verse 8 says, “THEN I HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD SAYING, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (AMP).  A lot happens after the initial cries of “Holy, Holy, Holy”. Just as a lot happens before Kings, Queens, Presidents speaks. There’s a process before the proclamation. Isaiah didn’t get happy just because of who he was around (the angels, or for us it’s other church folks). He didn’t even get happy because of the ovation and applause (“Holy, Holy, Holy”, or for us it’s our Praise Breaks). But Isaiah declared his sin, I’m unclean and unholy.
 

And since I’m in your presence and have the opportunity to hear you speak, I’m not stopping here, I’m not staying here, I’m leaving here changed and better. And the very thing he declared wasunclean (‘I’m a man of unclean lips’), the angels touched him and gave a new declaration, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven.” And what happens after he confesses and gets cleaned up? When we see our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, then we should see the people who don’t have a Savior yet. Our hearts should ache for those who haven’t seen the King. Worship is not just getting a good feeling because you get close to God. When you see the Lord, it will help you see the lost people who haven’t gotten close to Him yet. Worship that is worship will lead to repentance and then to evangelism.
 

Unfortunately, we get so lost in what we desire the Lord to personally do for us, that we assume when we’ve received what we asked for, then that’s it, I’m good, the day is done, we can go home now. Not so! We don’t get to God, get what we can get from God, then go home. We get in the presence of God, so we can repent, change, and get something to give away to somebody else.
“Here am I, Lord. I will go for You into the lives of the people around me who have yet to see the King as I have.”
 

You don’t get clean just to brag about your cleanliness. You don’t get clean just to hang around other clean folks. You get clean so you can go to them who are still in the filth of their sin, and you tell them I know a Man that can clean your sin better than Tide can clean your laundry! John 4:39-42, “Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him BECAUSE OF THE WOMAN’S WITNESS: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!” They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed for two days. A LOT MORE PEOPLE ENTRUSTED THEIR LIVES TO HIM WHEN THEY HEARD WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. They said to the woman, “We’re no longer taking this on your say-so. We’ve heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He’s the Savior of the world!” (MSG) That’s what we’re supposed to do in church. Leave worship with the witness that I know a man that can save you, help you, heal you, deliver you, redeem you, forgive you! And that passionate witness will lead them to listen to Him for themselves. See, the people entrusted their lives to Him when they heard what He had to say. We stick around when the President speaks because we want to hear what he has to say. Well, we need to learn to stick around Jesus to hear what He has to say! Why? Because there are far too many lives at stake without Him! And all they need is our witness after worship to lead them to the one who is still the truth, the way, and the light! Church, there is So Much More to the Reason We Worship! 

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Anytime You Take Someone With You That God Hasn’t Authorized It Tampers With Your Destiny. Some People Are Attached To You And Others Are Assigned To You. Know The Difference.

“When You Dance With The Devil, The Devil Doesn’t Change. The Devil Changes You.” Watch The Company You Keep Because It’s Your Insiders That’s Giving Your Status Updates To The Outsiders. Anytime You Take Someone With You That God Hasn’t Authorized It Tampers With Your Destiny. Some People Are Attached To You And Others Are Assigned To You. Know The Difference.  Do Not be misled, bad company corrupts good character. Some religious people are simply good actors! And so are some of your so-called ‘friendships/associates/companions.’ “The biggest mistake some of us make in life is letting people stay in their life far longer than they deserve to.” " the saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.” “Bad friends will prevent you from having good friends.” 

As much as people refuse to believe it, the company you keep does have an impact and influence on your choices. “When you hang out in the wrong place with the wrong people, you will soon do the wrong things. Be careful of the company you keep; some people are just around to try and steal your joy.

Matthew 26:14-15, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, went to the chief priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to get Jesus into your hands?” And THEY GAVE HIM thirty silver coins.” (TLB); 

Matthew 27:4, “Judas said, ‘I have sinned. I handed over to you an innocent man to be killed. The Jewish leaders answered, “WE DON’T CARE! THAT’S A PROBLEM FOR YOU, NOT US” (ERV) 

They were quick to accept Judas’ offer, don’t you think? No questions, no negotiations, no hesitations. Immediately, they “…gave him thirty silver coins”. Now, I don’t want you to read “religious leaders” and assume they were living right! Listen to Matthew 26:14-15 in the Message Bible, “That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the CABAL of high priests…” (MSG). The word “cabal” is defined as “a small group of people who work together secretly; those who plot to overthrow the government; a small group of plotters; a clique, a group who plots and schemes; them that conspire; a theatrical circle; a secret political clique or faction” It was these that “…gave him thirty silver coins”  (Make Sure This Isn’t Descriptive of Your Clique and Companions) You have people running around with a mouth full of scripture and a heart full of hate. 

Anytime you take someone with you that God hasn’t authorized it tampers with your destiny. Some people are attached to you and others are assigned to you. Know the difference. Oprah Winfrey said lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is a friend who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

For God watches how people live, He sees everything they do. And then we go to chapter 27 after the deed has been done. Notice what happens to these same easy-come friends/associates/companions, who quickly and willingly joined Judas in Chapter 26, but sing a whole different tune in 27:3-5, the Bible reads: “Judas, the one who had given Jesus to his enemies, saw that they had decided to kill Jesus. Then he was very sorry for what he had done. So, he took the thirty silver coins back to the priests and the leaders, saying, ‘I sinned; I handed over to you an innocent man.’ The leaders answered, ‘WHAT IS THAT TO US? THAT’S YOUR PROBLEM, NOT OURS.” So, Judas threw the money into the Temple. Then he went off and hanged himself.” (NCV). 

Do you see the reaction of Judas’ sinful “allies”? They immediately accepted him when he wanted to do sinful things with them. No questions, no negotiations, no hesitations. They immediately joined forces with Judas to do wrong! And I’m sure he felt all warm and accepted (as many of us do when we want to do something – be it right or wrong – and yet, we have company with us!) Not to mention this was profitable for him. Mark 14:10-11, “Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the cabal of high priests, determined to betray him. They couldn’t believe their ears AND PROMISED TO PAY HIM WELL. He started looking for just the right moment to hand him over.” (MSG) 

But notice the ending of the story. When he didn’t play by their rules anymore, they said, “…that’s your problem, that’s your business, that’s your own thing, none of this has anything to do with us”. But when he went to them with the plan, they immediately joined the plot with a payment. However, now Judas is sorry and wants to back out of the deal. 

When he wanted to do wrong, it’s amazing how quickly they didn’t mind joining and funding him! But when he wants to do right, THESE SAME MEN TURNED THEIR BACKS ON HIM! But isn’t that just how it is with sinful friends/associates/companions?  They’re easy come-easy go! No alliance, no allegiance, no covenant, no commitment, no pact, no agreement, no ‘I got your back’. They simply walked away! 

Interesting that they say it’s “…none of our business…” yet they funded Judas project. They said “…that’s YOUR OWN thing…that’s YOUR problem…” but the Scripture says, “…and THEY gave him…” 

People of God (especially to our young people), please be aware, that the easiest crowd to be accepted anywhere is the crowd that’s doing wrong…together. They’ll take you in right away! They will accept you, help you; fund you; but in the end, they will desert you! And much like Judas leaves you HANGING! Matthew 27:5, “He threw the money down in the house of God and went outside. Then he went away and killed himself by HANGING from a rope.” (NLV) 

Those That Initially Helped Him, in the End, Left Him Hanging!  And do you think for one moment that they felt at least the bare minimum of remorse? Not! Read what the “Religious Leaders” did next: 

Matthew 27:6-10, “The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn’t know what to do with them. “It wouldn’t be right to give this—a payment for murder! —as an offering in the Temple.” They decided to get rid of it by buying the “Potter’s Field” and using it as a burial place for the homeless. That’s how the field got called “Murder Meadow,” a name that has stuck to this day. Then Jeremiah’s words became history: They took the thirty silver pieces, the price of the one priced by some sons of Israel, and they purchased the potter’s field. And so, they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.” (MSG) 

The “Religious Leaders” who were okay with doing wrong, and even paying a price for it, now don’t want to use the same “blood money” to give as an offering in the house of God (especially with them being so “religious” and all).  Sidebar: You know I find it funny that when they were outside the temple (church), they had no problems being completely carnal with Judas. However, once the “religious leaders” got back inside the temple (church), back into their respective places and positions, they were so “religious” that they didn’t want to offend God with a bloody offering. In a nutshell: They had no problem outside the walls of the church being in sin, but as soon as they put on all their religious leadership regalia, and got back into the pulpit, before the people, in their designated chairs, piously positioned to lead, NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY CAN’T DO WRONG! They mastered, like many, how to perform on cue! And so, they decide to do something “good”. They decide to buy a field and make it a burial site for the homeless. But by no means should you think they were carrying out a “good deed”; they were simply doing what they did best, appear “religious”. This reminds us of 2 Timothy 3:5, “holding to a form of [outward] godliness (RELIGION), although they have denied its power [FOR THEIR CONDUCT NULLIFIES THEIR CLAIM OF FAITH].

Avoid such people and keep far away from them.” (AMP) They weren’t religious, they were simply good actors! And so are some of your so-called ‘friendships/associates/companions.’ 

People of God (especially my young people), maybe you’ve drifted into some friendships yourself that are dragging you down right now because they were easy to get into. After all, who doesn’t want to belong to those who take you as you are? See, people won’t say “yes” to Christ many times because they’re afraid of losing those kinds of friends. But if you want to see how committed they are to you, go against what they’re doing. Stop doing the wrong things with them. I think you’ll find if you say to them, “I care about you, but I can’t do what we’ve been doing together anymore” you’ll see how fast you’re “out” with the crowd who took you “in” so quickly! The truth hurts, but the truth is they didn’t care for you in the first place; they cared about having someone else to sin with. You thought you were going to lose some friends, and you found out they weren’t “friends” to lose in the first place. 

See, rebellion often requires company! The crowds that don’t like Jesus, want more people with them. They feel better the more people are siding with them and doing what they do. But don’t trust them and don’t turn your back on them because they’re a fickle bunch. And all that may be tying you together with those friends right now is sort of a sin pact (like Judas had with the “religious leaders”) 

Did you notice they didn’t come to him; he went to them? They didn’t think 2 cents about him until he had a 30-piece project that was worth their involvement and investment. And the lesson for us: It’s a mistake to choose easy come, easy go friendships/associates/companions over the Savior who will never turn His back on you even when you’re rebelling against Him. Can you imagine what Jesus must have felt like? Being so faithful, consistent, providing, loving, and covering, to Judas, His friend. And yet, His friend Judas was none of those things in return. However, Judas was no different than the crowd Jesus found Himself in. The crowd, like Judas, was fickle. Do you know what the word “fickle” means? Let me define it for you, “to be changeable; especially as regards one’s loyalties.” Its Old English Origin means “deceitful”. In other words, like the “religious leaders”, they’re with you in the beginning, they’re all for it. Until things change, and so does their loyalty! 

With Judas, they said, “…that’s your problem, that’s your business, that’s your own thing, none of this has anything to do with us” But in the beginning, it says, “…AND THEY GAVE HIM….”

Isn’t it amazing how quickly you’re “In” crowd puts you “Out”! Remember 1 Corinthians 15:33: “…don’t fool yourselves… “Bad company ruins good manners.” (MSG). 

Maybe these types of friends have become the major deciding factor in your choices, whether they’re at work, at school, or dare we even be honest enough to say at church also. Whether they’re people that you’ve connected with on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, and the like. But they’ve become a major deciding factor in what you do or don’t do. Well, as the above Scripture says, “Do not be misled…” And “misled” is defined as “to give the wrong impression to”. And we know for certain that currently, everyone is trying to impress everyone! However, don’t be misled. Pay close attention to what they say, what they mean, where they go, what they do, and who they’re around. Listen to their words, and watch their actions, motives, and intentions closely. They will reveal to you all you need to hear, see, and know if you will simply pay attention to who they are, not who they’re showing you to impress you. Don’t let bad company trap you. They will ensnare you and destroy your life. Be independent. Don’t follow the fickle crowd! 

Judas had those who joined him in the beginning and yet deserted him in the end. Make sure these are not the type of friends, alliances, associates, and companions that you’ve connected yourself to. You see, we often talk about Judas (and the truth is, he did very well betray his friend Jesus). However, Judas didn’t act alone. The “religious leaders” joined in to help him out. 

Let me give you this little piece of advice that I’ve really come to understand, grasp, and live by. Real friends are often NOT the ones who cover you, but the ones who carefully expose you. In other words, you will grow more from the friendships that don’t let you get away with doing wrong than you ever did from the ones who covered up your wrongdoing. Those who had no problems telling you, to your face, you’re wrong; don’t do that; don’t go there; apologize; change; do better, etc. Those are real friends. They don’t help you justify your wrong, your sin, your attitude, or your conduct and behavior. They call you on the carpet. And yes, it hurts, and yes, it’s tough to be told you need to do better. But I can say today I wouldn’t trade those friendships/associates/companions for anything or anyone else in the world. 

Learn to separate yourself from the “in crowd”. Because it’s better to be on the “out” with people than “outside” the Will of God for your life.  Real friends don’t tell you it’s “an issue, a struggle, a difficulty, a stronghold” …no they call it what it is, SIN! If you have friends like this, today show your appreciation to them. If you don’t have friends like this, re-examine the company you keep and make unapologetic changes. Those who mean you well, won’t even start with you in sin. From the very beginning, they’ll tell you NO! These are goldmines, treasure them! They can save your life, so hang on to them, or end up left hanging. like Judas! 

Listen, why don’t you cultivate friendships where Christ is the glue, not where sin is the glue? Be smarter than Judas. Don’t pin your hopes on people who will permanently let you down as quickly as they temporarily lift you! 

Don’t let people with no CHARACTER fool you with their PERFORMANCE! Judas Didn’t Act Alone, He Had the Help of a “Religious Company”. Examine the Areas in Your Life Where You’re Doing Wrong and See Who’s There Lending You a Helping Hand…Then Decide Today to LET THAT HAND GO! 

Remember: Judas Didn’t Act Alone, but in the End, He Was Left Alone! Today, Re-examine the Company You Keep, hang on to Those Who Help, and Release Those Who Hurt!  Seek Godly Leaders, Not Religious Leeches!  

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com