The One Guarantee We Have Is “God Is With Us.” Let’s Make Room For Him. Let Us Not Be Like The Innkeeper: We See The Signs When Hotel Rooms Are Sold Out, No Rooms Available. Perhaps The Innkeeper Didn’t Know Any Better, But You and I Do.

Despite What We May Have To Face Here On Earth, The One Guarantee We Have Is “God Is With Us.”  Let’s Make Room For Him. Let Us Not Be Like The Innkeeper: Even Today, We See The Signs When Hotel Rooms Are Sold Out, No Rooms Available And There Is No Room In The Inn. Perhaps The Innkeeper Didn’t Know Any Better, But You and I Do, So There Aren’t Any More Excuses.

Dear Lord thank You for this new day. Holy Spirit, I humbly ask You by faith to wash over our minds, our hearts, our souls & our bodies with Your supernatural cleansing healing presence. May You guide & lead every step we take & every word we speak today in Jesus’ name. When we bring our tired and weary souls to You, we can be strengthened with Your might. That might is power to get beyond any situation or circumstance that would speak defeat. We dwell in the righteousness of Christ

I hope you are having a fantastic day. This is the day the Lord has made and (despite whatever circumstances, challenges and obstacles we may be facing or dealing with) we will rejoice and be glad in it. And if you are not having a so good week guess what When God says He will defend and protect you it means that He is close to you. This does not mean that the mountain before you are simply going to disappear or the cross you are carrying is just going to crumble.  It means that He is standing in the middle of your crises and fighting on your behalf. This does not mean that you will always be without scars, but those scars will remind you of Who defended you and scored the victory for you. Be encouraged today, be encouraged, and press on. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7 No room for them. No vacancy. No place. Sold Out. Words that still seem to hang close, even today. In a world that seeks to crowd Jesus out, where busyness abounds, and hearts are stirred to focus on other things, it can be hard sometimes to choose to keep Him first. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the whole hurried dash of the holidays, and to give our attention to what seems more urgent. Our focus gets blurred; and the most important gets pushed aside. It takes an active and daily choice to put Christ first, especially in a culture that says you’re too busy to focus there. Or that life is too full. And there’s no more room. This is a great time to reevaluate our priorities as we prepare to enter a New Year and A New Season. May God help us to choose wisely, what voices we listen to, and where we give our attention today. He is the One who brings true meaning to Christmas. He is the One who brings real peace in this all-too-often hectic season. He is the only One worthy of our time and attention as we slow down the maddening rush around our lives. We can know all of this in our heads, but may He help us to really believe it in our hearts...and choose to live it out this season, Renewed, Refreshed, Refined & Revived. Making room for Him, first. Share the Hope we have with the world while there’s still time. Father, I can pray a thousand intercessory prayers, but none are the cry of my heart more than people desiring to know You. This is a great time to reevaluate our priorities as we prepare to enter a New Year and A New Season. Jesus should be our priority> Every day, every month, and every year let us make room in our hearts for Him. About 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah the prophet wrote this: For us, a child is born, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…(can you finish it?) Peace. Jesus Christ entered this world to bring us Peace. When we find the time to settle down and read what the Bible says about Christmas and the birth of Christ, we fondly remember all those wonderful characters of the story of the first Christmas. Mary and Joseph are the babies of Jesus, wise men, shepherds, and angels. One of my favorite ones is the Innkeeper. But that is a character that is not actually in the Bible. The Scripture says that Mary and Joseph had to stay in a stable because there was no room for them in the Inn. For all we know, they might never have spoken to the Innkeeper. But, on the other hand, perhaps because of the crowds coming to Bethlehem for the census, it may have been common knowledge among the travelers that there was no need even to try to find a room at the Inn. But we like to imagine that Mary and Joseph went to the Innkeeper and were rudely sent away. So, these poor travelers, one of them pregnant and ready to give birth any minute, are sent away by this rude, uncaring Innkeeper. Perhaps the innkeeper didn’t know any better but you and I do, so there aren’t any more excuses. When churches have Living Nativities, or when Hollywood makes another movie about Jesus, we like to see this character portrayed as mean. A villain. Rude and nasty. But -- I think there is something about the Innkeeper we identify with. Here is a man who has no room in his Inn for Christ. We can relate to no availability, sold out, no vacancy. We get angry at the hotel manager, people will scream, curse and act out when they cannot get a hotel, motel or Airbnb, to stay and don’t even think about sleeping in a stable, we would go completely wild. It’s a possibility you may sleep in your car unless you have a motor home, but we get mad when we cannot find accommodation for lodging How many of us come to church every week, but at this time of year, when we should be experiencing the entire spiritual presence of Christ, we don’t feel anything spiritual at all? Here it is close to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and The day After Christmas, we ought to be feeling the wonder of Christ’s birth, but we don’t. There is no room in our hearts for Christ. Christ has been pushed out by all the rush of the traffic, the press of shopping, the anxiety of end-of-the-year exams and tests in school, and the demands made upon us by having to visit or receive visitors. There is no room in our hearts for Christ. On the other hand, many infrequently go to church because the stress of the whole year keeps Christ at arm’s length. There is always work, other places to go, and some sporting events to attend on a Sunday. And so, there is no room for Christ in our heart. Christ has pushed aside so other things can take hold of our lives. Now it is not that we are villains and evil people when this happens. It just happens. It’s like the Innkeeper. Since the Bible doesn’t mention anything about him, we imagine him as rude and nasty. “Go away. There’s no room for you here.” But I suspect the honest Innkeeper was doing his job. He was going through his life. He was probably apologetic. “Gee, I’m sorry, Ms. Mary, but there’s no room for you. And it would be unfair for me to go and tell one of the guests who are already here and settled in that they must leave to make room for you and your child.” The Innkeeper wasn’t mean. He was being faithful to all the other guests in his Inn. He was devoted to all the different demands of his life. So that, in the outcome, there just wasn’t room for the Christ child in his Inn or his life. And when we push Christ out of our lives, for many of us, it is not that we intentionally decide, “I want Christ out of our lives.” We have already allowed so many other things into our lives that there is simply no room left. No room for Christ. We’ve got things to do. We’ve got work. We’ve got shopping. We’ve got to – well, the list goes on. Is that the way we want to live our lives? It’s not that any of these things are bad. Because they’re not. They’re good things. I like going to New Zealand. I like traveling! I never wanted exams and tests, but they were necessary. I had to study for them. I like to sing. I enjoy teaching. But when we do all these things in such a way that they consume all of the space in our hearts and lives so that there is no room in our lives for Christ – that’s sad. That’s tragic. And I think that is why the Innkeeper captures our imagination in Living Nativities and books and stories about the birth of Christ. Because he’s us. There’s no room for the Christ child in the Inn. And there’s no room for Christ in our lives. But is this the way we want to live our lives? Jesus came into this world and wanted to go into our lives so that we might have eternal life. So why would we possibly want to exclude Christ from our lives when he comes to offer us eternal life? St. Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy (1 Tim 1:15), “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst.” Christ came to give us eternal life. Don’t we want to have room for him in our hearts? Christ came to give us Peace. We have so little right now. We have wars all around us. And how peaceful can anyone feel at Christmas – shopping, rushing around, driving in traffic with maniacs all around, and in-laws coming? But if you are pushing Christ out of your life because you have so much shopping to do, so much rushing around, so much this and that on your list of things to do – then you are depriving yourself of the very Peace that this season ought to provide. Make room for Christ in your life, and you make room for Peace. Jesus said (John 14:27), “Peace I leave with you; my Peace, I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Therefore, do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” Christ came to bring Peace to our lives. Don’t we want to have room for him in our hearts? Christ also came to give us life so we could experience it to the fullest. So, Jesus told us in John’s Gospel (John 10:10), “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Christ came to give us abundant life, but in the busyness of life, we fill our time with so much, and yet we find that the life we’ve led has been empty at the end of the day. It lacks meaning and purpose. Christ came to enable us to live life to the fullest. Don’t we want to have room for him in our hearts? Now would be an excellent time to make sure that we make room in our lives for Christ. Now would be an excellent time to make sure that whatever other clutter may exist on our daily schedules, we can make room for Christ in the weekly worship on Sunday mornings, in the time for prayer and Bible reading, and in the time for service to others. Even during trials, struggles, pain, hurt, disappointment and the like, God is still with us! Hebrews 13:5 says, “for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” (AMP) I tell you, there is no greater comfort than God! Yes, I know it’s painful, and still it can’t deprive you of the promise God has made to you to ‘NEVER LEAVE YOU UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES’! Truthfully, we can’t count very many people who could make such a promise and keep it, but Jesus is a Promise Keeper! Even when it feels, seems, sounds, and looks as though He is so very far away, be encouraged, God is Still With YOU! In fact, what I love most about this Scripture is the detail He goes into: “I will never leave you, never desert you, you’ll never be without My support, I’ll never leave you helpless, I’ll never relax my hold on you”. Does that sound like He’s far away? Out of touch? Can’t reach us? Not at all! And that’s what made me smile today! The reminder is that no matter how much we hurt; HE will always be with us! And furthermore, our hurt won’t last always! Yes, we’ll cry, we’ll wonder, we’ll question, we’ll hurt…but we’ll get strong again and recover. Listen: One of the greatest gifts besides salvation; is knowing that Jesus didn’t come just to leave! He loves us so much that He’s going to return for us, and while He’s in heaven, He’s loved us once again so much, that He couldn’t leave us without comfort! John 14:26, “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor – Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.” (AMP) We are never without comfort, support, love and strength, Jesus made sure of it! So, even if you aren’t at your happiest or your strongest this holiday season, know that you are never alone, and God is not far away, but with you and in you! And please know that it is okay for you to be honest about your hurt and where you really are mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You have nothing to prove to anyone. And addressing your weakness does not take away His strength. Jesus wept, and so can you! So, family know for certain that it is okay not to be ‘over-flowing’ with the holiday spirit. But also know that you have no need to wallow in dread. Your Immanuel Has Not Left You Nor Will He Ever! And He Loves You So Much That Even the Father Intervened to Send a Comforter in His Name to Represent Him. Your God is Never far away! And there are no painful glitches in life that can remove His presence from you. Read His Word, Pray, Praise, Worship…and Cry in your Prayer Closet releasing all your agony to Him. He understands, and He’s not going anywhere! Hebrews 4:15 informs us, “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.” (AMP) We serve a Savior who knows exactly how it feels to be human! That’s why we can tell Him our deepest hurts, weaknesses, and fears, He understands, He cares, He’s present there with you and always will be! There is room for us in Christ’s hands. Let’s make room for Christ in our lives.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Where Is Your Safe Place? You Need It; I Need It. Is It The Barber & Beauty Shop, The Bar, The Nail Shop, The Movie Theater, Or The Gym? You Are Probably Wondering Why I Did Not List The Church. Do Not Be Shocked That The Church Is Last On The List.

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)

 

Here's what happens: God's Word has landed in your heart. You're starting to gain some ground spiritually, so hell has been notified and your enemy is alarmed. He comes immediately to try to take away the ground you just gained through God's Word. This Is What Causes Us To Become Discouraged So Quickly. Because As Soon As God Gives Us A Word, Satan Goes To War! God Speaks Healing, And Here Comes Satan With Another Symptom; God Speaks Wealth, And Here Comes Satan With An Unexpected Bill; God speaks promotion, and here comes Satan with a layoff; God speaks a new home, and here comes Satan with a leaky roof; God speaks opportunity, and here comes Satan with obstacles; God speaks calm, and here comes Satan with chaos; God speaks anniversary, and here comes Satan with divorce papers! And he doesn’t drag his feet either, the Bible says, "at once, by force, right away, immediately, no sooner than, quickly, and as soon as" the Word is Sown, here comes Satan with his Shovel!

 

It's important to understand that Satan doesn’t want you to gain any more ground!

 

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 has to stop you before you grow and gain any more ground. His strategy is revealed in Mark 4:15. "Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. AS SOON AS they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them."

 

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

Let’s look at this Scripture in a few translations:

 

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

 

“Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but SATAN QUICKLY COMES and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.” (NCV)

 

Listen: If you don’t 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, maybe why you don't have the spiritual enthusiasm you did before. Your logical reaction is, "I've been really trying to do what God wants, so what's wrong here?" The answer is, "'Nothing's wrong! It's because something's right!"

 

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

 

The enemy doesn’t bother those who don’t bother him! If you’re 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? After all, what can you do to attack his kingdom, when you aren’t armed with any of the weaponry of the Kingdom yourself!?

 

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’re finally on the enemies hit list! It’s 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 position to make it hard for you! He's got to stop your forward progress fast or there's no telling how much ground he's going to lose! He has to 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 be 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!

 

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

 

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. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon.

 

Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You’ll stand UNTOUCHED, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because God’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. HE ORDERED HIS ANGELS TO GUARD YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk UNHARMED among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the BEST OF CARE if you’ll only get to know and trust Me. Call Me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” (MSG)

 

That’s 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’s 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!

 

Don’t 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 ones 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?!

 

Charles Spurgeon said, "The greatest sign of God's will and God's power is the Devil's growl." If you're hearing the "growl" you're probably on the right track! You're on your way to some of the greatest victories of your life! Protect Your Word, Protect Your Promise! He’s Only Getting Worse, Because You’re Getting Better! It will be a fight to the finish, but one you will finish and win! Keep your armor on, and fight the good fight of faith!

 

You’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!

 

Ephesians 6:10-18, “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his demons. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet.

 

Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (MSG)

 

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

 

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; God Speaks Wealth:

 

I have quite a few social media sites. With that said, unfortunately, it gives people the misconception that I am Ms. Technology, when that could not be further from the truth! For instance, as much as I use my cellphone, I know extraordinarily little about how it really functions, or how to use it to its full capacity. And the reason why? Because outside of making a call, receiving a call, or sending a text, I really do not care to know much else! However, I have come to find out that is to my own loss. You see, truth is, there are so many buttons and gadgets that I really do not want to take the time to figure out. Honestly, I look at them and simply ignore them. And what makes matters worse is that my phone was not just handed to me. It came in a box with a Manual for Maximum Usage! Have I read the manual? Absolutely not! Finally, I got tired of everybody telling me how awesome my phone is and all the great things it can do. So, I enlisted the help of one of my IT friends to pick his brain. And to my amazement, I could not believe all the things I was able to do, that I was not doing, only because I did not know that I could! I was so comfortable with what I knew that I did not want to put in the work to find out what I really needed to know. And what I needed to know was that my comfort was crippling my capability! Now, at the click of one button I can access all my schedules (and finally avoid so many scheduling conflicts because who knew my phone could organize my dates in priority without my help?). With one button I can check all my email accounts. With one button I could have all my social media sites on one page. I could even control what goes on in my house, while I am away, all by my phone! And all of this was at my fingertips, but I was too complacent to grab a hold of its full capability! Now, let us see what the Bible has to say about this. Matthew 14:25-29 reads, “And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!” Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.” He said, “Come!” So, Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (AMP). All the disciples were trying to do is ride out the storm. But Peter suddenly got a glimpse of the power of his Master and of something supernatural he could do if he risked everything on Jesus. And suddenly Peter was doing what people do not do. He was walking on water! Jesus may be preparing you to step up to something far more supernatural than you have ever been or you have ever done before. In fact, if you are anything like me, He has made your heart restless for more so you would get out of the boat and start walking toward Him in an exciting new way. Truth is, there are quite a few endeavors that you have had your heart set on for quite a while now. And fear and nervousness about stepping into something new, uncomfortable, and unfamiliar is honestly terrifying! But you do not want to miss a moment because of a minute of insecurity.  If Jesus Wants You To Do It – No Matter How Beyond Your Capability It May Be – He Will Give You Whatever It Takes To Get It Done! We Are Settling For The Mediocre When We Are Wired For The Miraculous. A lot of our Christian lives are like my multi-faceted cellphone. We are settling for a level that is far below where we could be living. We are looking at all those spiritual buttons and gadgets. Maybe we even know some other people who have already tapped into those capabilities, but we are settling for a powerless life when Christ in us wants to make our life powerful. We Are Settling For The Mediocre When We Are Wired For The Miraculous. Who knows what will happen if you finally decide to get out the boat and apply for the mortgage, the business, student, or car loan? Who knows what will happen if you finally decide to get out the boat and head that ministry or start a new one? Who knows what will happen if you finally decide to get out the boat and try that, or go there? Truth is, being inside the boat, especially during a storm, seems like the safest, best, and most comfortable, and sensible place to be. But if Jesus isn’t in the boat, do you really think it is the best place to be? If He is outside the boat, even in the storm, don’t you think it is better to be where Christ is than where your Cushion is? We have the Holy Spirit of Almighty God living in us. You have backing you up the authority that Jesus has over everything in this universe. You have Jesus’ resurrection power in your life. Question is: So why aren’t we living like it? Are we settling for only pushing a couple of God’s buttons when there are so many more that could open a whole new frontier for us? We need to be reading the Manual. You know that is the Bible, and you need to be reading it every single day. Not just for theology, not just for a lesson to teach or a Word to preach. But looking for the keys to powerful faith and then using them. And tell the Lord, “Lord, I want the “something more” you’ve made my heart hungry for. Then surrender yourself in a new, fresh way to Him. With all the things that are going on in your life now, update that old surrender. Let go of those areas that you have insisted on controlling. Get out of that safe little boat and dare to walk where you have never walked before! Facts: You will never get THERE staying HERE! Selah! Yes, this requires chance, risks, the probability that it will not work, even failure. And yet I challenge you to try it anyway! Think about it: Can you imagine how David’s story would have turned out if he stayed in the field with the sheep because he had become comfortable in what he is used to doing? What if Abraham decided not to leave his people and country? What if Noah decided he did not want to chance looking silly building an ark? What if Moses’ stutter kept his mouth shut? What if Esther thought that she was not good enough since she was an orphan? What if Deborah said, ‘no thanks, I’ll just stay in the back since men go in the front’? What if Paul thought his past was too bad for him to have a better future? What if Peter thought his denial would lead to the Lord’s ultimate denial? What if Hannah decided to accept her barrenness as this is just the cards I have been dealt? What if Joshua and Caleb agreed that the majority was right? What if Rahab thought my profession will hinder me from protection? What if Mary said the public scandal would be too much for me to bear, kindly use someone else? Can you imagine the tragedy of having their stories re-written with the pen of fear? Today, listen to what your manual is telling you:  Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (AMP). Matthew 17:20, “… for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (AMP). Mark 11:23, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power] but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will].” (AMP). Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” (AMP) Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,” (AMP). Like my cellphone, when you read the manual, you will be amazed at all you can do! So, stop allowing your comfort to cripple your capability! The word “cripple” is defined as “unable to walk or move properly through disability or injury; to make someone unable to move or walk properly; to cause severe and disabling damage to something”. And that is exactly what your comfort is doing! It is crippling your spiritual walk! When something or someone is cripple, their walk is unsteady and unstable. Reminds me of James 1:8, “being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides]” (AMP).  You never want fear and comfort to cause you to be unstable, because that will cause you to think ‘I can’t do this’; to feel like ‘I’m not strong enough to accomplish this’; and then make poor decisions like ‘let someone else who is more qualified attempt this.’  However, that is not how your story is going to end! Today is the day you find your courage, your strength, and your faith. Today is the day you deliberately decide I am not staying in this comfort zone any longer. I may fall, I may fail, I may get it wrong, but I will not get stuck in this place of mediocrity any longer. Today, I am getting out of the boat! Yes, I know no one has ever done it before; yes, I know it’s safer in the boat during the storm; yes, I know I’m taking a big risk and chance; yes, I know those who are in the boat are probably talking about me making the dumb decision to do something new, uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and different; yes, I know they’re sitting in the boat thinking I’m crazy for even trying this; yes, I know they’re waiting for me to sink so they can say I told you so; yes, I know getting out of the boat to walk on water is strange, nuts, odd, and even dangerous. AND YES, I’M STILL GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY! Selah! Think of all the inventors and inventions. Can you imagine if they allowed the ridiculousness of doing something different to stop them from trying? We would not have lights, trains, planes, cars, computers, medicine, washing machines, or cellphones! People on transplant lists would just have to die because who is crazy enough to try and replace a heart or kidney?  It is a new day, a new month, and we are almost in a new year! Don’t you want better in 2025 than 2024?  Do something different! Do something new! Let us look briefly at Luke 5:4: “…Now GO out where it is deeper and let down your nets to catch some fish.” (NLT); “…PUSH out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” (ISV) The word “Go” in its simplest form means “To Move to Or from a Place” And that is what you need to do if you are going to get what you have never gotten before! You are going to have to Move from Where You Are and Move Towards Where You Need to Be! You Cannot Get It Standing Still or Staying Where You Are! Your Destiny Is Not on a Shallow Shore, it is Out in The Deep Sea, So Get Up Off Your Hind Parts and GO! Move Out into the Deep! The word “Push” in its simplest form means “To Exert Force So as To Move from and Move To.” Listen, You Are Not Going to Get This Passively! You are going to have to Exert Force! Which is why Comfort Zones are so Dangerous! They make you Complacent! And worse yet, they make you Stagnant!   The word “Complacent” means “Smug and uncritically satisfied with oneself or one’s achievements” Which is why so many miss out on greater blessings because they have become so satisfied with where they are currently and what they have achieved and attained thus far! It is Latin Origin “Complacere” means “To Please”. And that is all they did, was reach a certain goal, and sit back with the 3rd place ribbon in their hands and never getting back in the next race to try for the number one slot! Do not Do It! Do not Become Complacent! There Is Far Too Much MORE for You to Attain, But You have Got to Believe You Can and Then Exert Force to Attain It!   The word “Stagnant” means “Motionless and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence.” Do not Let This Happen to You! Stagnant Water Stinks because it goes No Where! So, animals, go to the bathroom in Stagnant Water! And any waste just lying around gets stuck in Stagnant Water furthering its Awful Smell! Warning: Gossip Garbage Is Dumped in the Lives of Stagnant People! After All, they are Going No Where and Doing Nothing and So Everyone with Everything and Anything Just Dumps and Deposits! On the other hand. When You’re Moving You Have No Time for Mess! So, do not Just Stand There…MOVE…AND LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP! You have been HERE too long, today you are moving over THERE!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com