We Don’t Need Faith For What Has Happened Already, We Need Faith For What Is About To Happen. Test The People, Places And Things In Your Life And See What Needs To Be Restored And What Needs To Be Replaced! No More Hesitating & Procrastinating

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

There is this particular amusement park that I visited years ago, and they had two roller coasters side by side and two lines to get to them. Over on one line was a sign that said, "Forward." Over on the other line, a sign said - yeah, you guessed it - "Backward." Either way, it was your choice. You could ride looking forward or looking backward. But you had to pick one!

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

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

God wants today to be the first day of the rest of your life, not just another day of what your life has already been up until now. This can be page one of a whole new volume or just another page of the same old story. Either way, the choice will always be yours to make.

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

Every time you tell a story it’s always past tense, because instead of your past being a reference, you’ve allowed it to become a residence. My friend, this is not the purpose of your past. You are not to live in the prison of your past confined to all the people, places and things that didn’t go right. Living like that is wrong! All you see is “been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” All you see is what they said and what they did and what you didn’t accomplish. But that was then, this is Now! And what does God say about Now? "...See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening NOW...” (NLV)

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

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

No more back peddling, no more staring in the rear-view mirror as if we can go back and undo what we’ve done or what’s been done to us. No, Today Is The Day That We Stop Hesitating, Stop Procrastinating, And Stop Remaining Stuck And Stagnant. Today Is The Day We Move Forward, Toward And Upward! Today Is The Day We Change Direction And Face The Right Way!

We Don’t Need Faith For What Has Happened Already, We Need Faith For What Is About To Happen. We have to prepare for what God is going to do, not what He has already done!

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

This Means You Have To Do Quite A Bit Of Self-Examination. You need to test the people, places and things in your life and see what needs to be restored and what needs to be replaced! It’s time for new, not just the same old, that you keep slapping patches on in hopes it will 'this time' hold itself together.

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

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

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

Yes, that means you may have to work on an auxiliary you never have before; yes, that means you’ll have to finally go back to school and finish your education; yes, that means you may have to accept that, that particular friendship and relationship has run their course; yes, that means you may have to take a job in a field you know nothing about; yes, that means you may have to take this next journey alone; yes, that means you may have to break out the box by reshaping your inner-circle; yes, that may even mean a change in the most simple of things (a change in hairstyle or hair color; a different style of dress or suit; a different restaurant; different foods; learning about different cultures or a different language.). In other words, you can’t expect to see something new if you keep staring at something old. You can’t expect to experience something new when you keep hanging around something old.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Listen, if that bad relationship was enough to take you out you wouldn’t be alive today. Maybe the reason you haven’t seen the right person for you is because all you can see is the person who was wrong for you! Forgive them, forgive you, and face forward! You have no idea what and who you’re missing out on! Stop reliving, stop rehearsing, and stop rehashing. Your life is a great ride, and you’ll enjoy it a lot more if you’ll face the right way! Stop complaining about your former church, you haven’t been there in years! Focus on where you are now, and where you’re on your way to, it’s a much more exciting view! Stop retelling the stories of coworkers that betrayed you in 1997, you do know its 2019 right? Yes, dad left (when you were 6) and if you’re not careful, you’ll be 60 and still telling the story of when he was supposed to come back with your bag of chips and never did. Yes, that person broke your heart, and believe it or not, but your heart is still beating! Who knew someone could break your heart and still not stop your pulse? They picked her over you for the promotion. I get it, you’re more qualified. But at the end of the day, you still have a job, a paycheck, and you can still pay your bills, you my friend are still ahead of the game!

I’ll even go so far as to tell you to stop talking down to yourself and about yourself. Very few of us are the same size we were in high school, and guess what? We are still here, so what exactly do we have to complain about? If you don’t like your weight, change your eating habits, diet, go to the gym, and see your doctor. But don’t keep taking out the family photos from 1972 to compare yourself to who you are in 2019!

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

Are you getting this? You don’t have to stay stuck, you don’t have to be complacent, you don’t have to live in your comfort zone or your past. You are free to change, to move and to do something different and new, so do it! Don’t let yet another year come and go and you find yourself at December 31, 2019 with the same old story of what you’re going to do different in 2018!

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

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

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

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

“How you see your future is much more important than what happened in your past.” (Zig Ziglar)

 “Your life isn’t behind you; your memories are behind you. Your life is always ahead of you.

Today is a new day – seize it!” (Steve Maraboli)

 “The past is like using your rear-view mirror in the car, it’s good to glance back and see how far you’ve come, but if you stare too long, you’ll miss what’s right in front of you.” (Author Unknown)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

So, What's Choking You? The Truth Is, Little By Little, Day By Day, Fear, Anxiety, Worry, Stress, Distractions And The Like Will Slowly Creep Into Your Life And Suffocate Faith Right Out Of It!

So What Is Choking You? Cares And Anxieties Of The World, Distractions Of This Day And Age; Pleasure And Delight And FALSE Glamour; The Deceit Of Riches; And The Craving Of Things!

Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and CHOKE and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” (Mark 4:19 AMP)

The word “Choke” is defined as “to prevent (someone) from breathing by constricting or obstructing the throat or depriving of air; to have trouble breathing; to hinder movement; to make speechless with strong emotion.”

The word “Suffocate” is defined as “to die or cause to die from lack of air or inability to breathe; to feel or cause to feel trapped or oppressed.” It’s Latin Origin “suffocare” literally means “to stifle”, from “fauces” which literally means “the throat”.

Stop allowing things and stuff to choke out the Word of God you’ve received! Maintain a lively hope, and a lively faith. God has no desire for you to die, but for you to live! “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10); “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” (Psalm 118:17).

So, what’s choking you? Hanging out among the thorns! Which is why today is a good day to do some spiritual gardening? Put your gardening gear on and get to uprooting and killing anything that would choke the life of the Word of God out of your life!

Listen: If our significance as a person or our sense of security is tied to anything other than our relationship with God, worrying about stuff and things will choke the life right out of you. Because true happiness lies in trusting God for what you need, knowing if it’s right He’ll provide it, and if not He’ll give you something better. “Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].” (James 1:17 AMP); “For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11 AMP); “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 AMP)

Remember You are a Believer, and as Such, You Believe the Word of the Lord: “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People Who Don’t Know God And The Way He Works Fuss Over These Things, But You Know Both God And How He Works. Steep Your Life In God-Reality, God-Initiative, And God-Provisions. Don’t Worry About Missing Out. You’ll Find All Your Everyday Human Concerns Will Be Met.” (Matthew 6:30-33 Msg). Did You Catch That Last Line? “You’ll Find All Your Everyday Human Concerns Will Be Met.” And when will ALL your concerns be met? EVERYDAY! In other words, there is not one single day of the 366 you receive (yep, He meets yours needs even in a leap year!) where your God forgets to meet your daily concerns! Unbelievers fret, worry, panic, set-up back up plans, and lose sleep and hair! But as believers our sleep is sweet! Because we have the promise of resting in the Lord, even when we’re tired, frustrated, stressed, we still have the promise of Rest! “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG). That’s Our Promise! How dare you as a Believer Let stuff and things choke that promise out of your life? The Word admonishes us: “That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 MSG) And if you need that Scripture in a nutshell, here it is: “(FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT)” (KJV).

In the parable of the sower Jesus said, “Other people are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the ones who hear the message, but the worries about this life, the love for riches, and all other kinds of desires crowd in and CHOKE the message, and they don't bear fruit.” (Mark 4:18-19 GNT).

So What’s Choking You? Cares And Anxieties Of The World, Distractions Of This Day And Age; Pleasure And Delight And FALSE Glamour; The Deceit Of Riches; And The Craving Of Things! This is what’s “Choking” you! This is what’s preventing you from opening your mouth and declaring the promises of God that you’ve heard! This is what’s hindering your movement in walking in the promises of God; this is the worries that are strangling you with such strong emotion that you’re speechless and breathless! And one of the most dangerous things you can do is to cut off someone’s breath! No breath? We have allowed the Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and FALSE Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things to put our breath/our air/our life in jeopardy! How? Because the Bible is clear? “But he answered and said, It is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD” (Matthew 4:4). How do we expect to Live without digesting the Bread of Life? And how can we digest with a constricted throat?

So the very next time you let the concerns in this world cause you to feel a spiritual “Shortness of Breath”, inhale this: “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG).

Listen: I had the unfortunate experience of both choking on food and on a vitamin, and neither was a fun experience! Be because of the experience, I learned to be more cautious when I eat my food and when I take a vitamin. I take small bites of my food and chew it well before swallowing. In other words, I’ve experienced the feeling of losing your breath and I didn’t like it so I took precautions. Likewise, many of us have allowed the Cares and Anxieties of the World, Distractions of this day and age; Pleasure and Delight and False Glamour; the Deceit of Riches; and the Craving of Things to choke us. But as the old saying goes, “When you know better, do better.”

With that said, today, take the time to examine your life. Locate the areas of care, fear, fret, worry, anxiety, distractions, deceit and even the desires of unnecessary things and uproot the thorns! Take today’s devotional as the label you find on children’s toys, “Caution, small pieces may cause choking.” Because the truth is, little by little, day by day, fear and the like will slowly creep into your life and suffocate faith right out of it!

Inhale the Word, Exhale the Worry, and Live the Promise!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

What Prayer Is and What Prayer Is Not.

Generally speaking, why is prayer so important? Prayer is how God’s people respond to him in thankfulness and praise. Prayer is how God’s people cry out to him for mercy and deliverance. Prayer is how God’s people call upon him to accomplish the work of his kingdom. 

In short, prayer is how we actively demonstrate our utter dependence on him. It honors him as the source of all blessing.

Because the enemy does not want us to pray we are often under attack.  The enemy loves to isolate believers and try to weaken their effectiveness.  This is especially true for Prayer Leaders and ministries that are set up to stand in the gap.  Thankfully, according to Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they will run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  This is not the time to give up but to press in and press on!

Throughout the Bible, believers are called to pray. But what is prayer? What does it mean to "pray without ceasing?" And does prayer really make a difference?

In order to develop a clear idea of prayer, we must first have a clear idea of God. Biblically speaking, God is a personal being. This is critical to prayer because it means that God is a person we can interact with, that He has a will and that we are able to relate to Him on a meaningful level. If He were impersonal, then prayer would not be meaningful. If He were personal, but uncaring and distant, prayer wouldn't serve a purpose.

Not only is God personal, He is also loving (1 John 4:8, 16; John 3:16). This is also important in relation to prayer. If God were personal, but uncaring or unkind, then prayer might do us more harm than good! God is not only loving He is all loving (omnibenevolent). In relation to prayer, this means that God always desires the best for us because He loves us.

God is also all powerful (omnipotent), meaning that no prayer is beyond His ability to answer, "For nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). If God were less than all powerful, then we would have no assurance that He could answer or even hear our prayers.

The fact that God is all-knowing (omniscient) is also significant to the concept of prayer. If God were limited, then He would not know all that is happening in His creation. If this were the case, He might overlook our prayers because they might be beyond His knowledge. Fortunately, the Bible is clear that God knows everything (see, for instance, Psalm 139:2-4; 147: 4-5; Isaiah 46:10). In relation to God's omniscience, Jesus said, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:8).

God is also wise and holy. He knows what is best for us, as well as what will lead us to holiness rather than sin. He is also immanent, meaning that God is active in His creation in a personal way, not only directing greater matters of history, but also involved in the life of everyone. This means that no prayer is too great for Him, but also that no prayer is too small for Him.

What Prayer Is Not

Prayer is not magic. We cannot summon God as though He were a genie, waiting to grant our wishes without regard for our circumstances or the consequences.

Prayer does not make demands. While we can make requests of God in prayer, we dare not make demands. God is the Creator of the universe and does not take orders from us.

Prayer is for our benefit, not God's. We need a relationship with God, available to us through Jesus Christ and engaged primarily through prayer, because we were made to function best when we are in a proper relationship with our Creator.

Prayer is not a guarantee against suffering. "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33); "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Prayer is not an opportunity for us to show off. "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men" (Matthew 6:5).

What Is Prayer?

So what is prayer? Prayer is a relationship, wherein we humbly communicate, worship, and sincerely seek God's face, knowing that He hears us, loves us and will respond, though not always in a manner we may expect or desire. Prayer can encompass confession, praise, adoration, supplication, intercession and more.

In addition, our attitude in prayer is important. We must not be haughty, but humble (Ephesians 4:2; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6, etc.). Seen in this light, to "pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) means, in one sense, that we must always strive to have a prayerful attitude. Our prayers must come often and regularly, not from legalistic duty, but from a humble heart, realizing our dependence on God in every aspect of our lives.

Now, I haven't got this whole praying without ceasing thing mastered yet, but I'm certainly getting it more and more! I’m learning the benefit of "Praying in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests."

And truth is with all that’s going on in the world, do we really need anyone to encourage us to pray more? The loss of life, attacks, cruelty and the likes. Do we really need someone to say never stop praying? Our children are dying more frequently, younger and more violently, do we really need someone to call us and remind us to pray?

We Are Indeed Living In Some Of The Scariest Of Times, YET, We Have The Advantage Of Constant Communication With Our Creator Who Is In Control Of All Things. So, Who Wouldn’t Talk To Him More Often?!

Pay Back Is A Blessing Not Revenge, So If You Are To Pay Anyone Today; You Handle Forgiveness, Let God Handle Payback! God Will Pay You Back Double For Unfair Situations. Don’t Treat People The Way They Treat You. Treat People The Way God Treats You.

Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, “I’ll PAY YOU BACK for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you” {NIV}

Contrary to popular belief, REVENGE ISN’T SWEET; in fact it actually makes us SOUR! Marcus Aurelius, said it best: “The best revenge is to be UNLIKE him who performed the injury”

Furthermore, studies have shown an association between negative emotions such as Anger and Revenge with a variety of Destructive Physical Symptoms, including headaches, backaches, allergic disorders, ulcers, nausea, high blood pressure and heart attacks! Sadly, while vengeful people plot another’s demise, they are unaware that for themselves they often develop a painful health problem! In a nutshell, they don’t realize that Paybacks have a way of Paying You Back Too!

Mahatma Gandhi gave us this insight: “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind”. Which is why it’s vital that you remember for every Payback there is a Surcharge YOU will have to Pay Also?

Revenge Opposes the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Another translation says it like this: “So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so Do Also To and For Them…” (AMP). Therefore, if you seek Forgiveness when you are in the wrong, don’t expect to get it if Revenge is the Seed You Have Sown in the Lives of Others!

You see, instead of taking things into our own hands, this proverb encourages us to let go and let God deal with our enemies! Because God is Just, those who are wicked will eventually get their “just due!” Therefore, You are Never to Exercise Vengeance because God said: “Beloved, Never Avenge Yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance Is MINE, I Will Repay (requite), says the LORD” (Romans 12:19 AMP). Vengeance Belongs to God, and He Alone Has the Right to Exercise It! And Unless You Can Prove You Are Indeed GOD, You Have No Rights to Vengeance! Another translation reads like this: “Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; That Is Not For You To Do. “I’ll Do The Judging,” Says God. “I’ll Take Care Of It” (MSG). In other words, When It Comes to Vengeance, God Alone Has Jurisdiction to Make Decisions! Why? Because that’s what the Law (Bible) Says!

In a nutshell: Get Angry if you must, but You Can’t Get Even!

Louis XII of France is said to have treated his enemies in an Unexpected Manner after ascending to the throne. Before coming to power, he had been cast into prison and kept in chains. Later when he did become king, he was urged to seek revenge on those who had opposed him, BUT HE REFUSED! Instead, he prepared a scroll on which he listed all who had perpetrated crimes against him. Behind every man’s name he placed a Cross in Red Ink! When the guilty heard about this, they feared for their lives and fled. Then the king explained, “The Cross which I drew beside each name was not a sign of punishment, but a pledge of forgiveness extended for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His Cross Forgave His Enemies and Prayed For Them.”

Moral of the Story: Just because you have a Right to be angry, doesn’t mean you can exercise it to cause injury! In God’s Book, that’s still wrong!

“Anyone who angers you conquers you!” (Author Unknown) And last I checked, the Bible Still Says, You Are to Be Led or Controlled By the Holy Spirit ONLY, Not Your Emotions, Feelings or Hurts! So stop allowing your anger, resentment, and attempts at revenge to become your mini-god! You’ve bowed down to it long enough and often enough already! Cast down the idol of your anger, resentment and revenge, and serve the Lord as His True Disciple: “Let me give you a new command: Love One Another. In the Same Way I loved you, you Love One Another. This is how everyone will Recognize That You Are My Disciples – When They See the Love You Have For Each Other” (John 13:35 MSG)

You can’t say out of one side of your mouth that you love God, but out of the other side say you hate your brother or sister! The Bible reads: “If anyone boasts, “I Love God,” and goes right on Hating His Brother or Sister, Thinking Nothing of It, HE IS A LIAR. If he won’t Love the Person He Can See, How Can He Love the God He Can’t See? The Command We Have From Christ Is Blunt: Loving God Includes Loving People. You’ve Got to Love Both” (1 John 4:20 MSG).

You can’t Praise God and Curse Your Brother or Sister!

“My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both Praises and Curses. We Praise Our Lord and Father, and We Curse People Who Were Created To Be Like God and This Isn’t Right” (James 3:9-10 CEV). Like it or not, if you’re going to Love God, You’ve Got To Love LIKE God!

Listen, I’ve learned that getting revenge may get us even with our enemies, but forgiveness Places Us Above Them! In fact, we are never more LIKE God than when we turn the other cheek!

In the Lord’s Prayer, the only petition that is Conditional is Forgiveness! “Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors” (Matthew 6:12) Another translation says it like this: “And Forgive Us our debts, As We Also Now That is Within Your Jurisdiction! Have Forgiven (Left, Remitted, And Let Go Of The Debts, And Have Given Up Resentment Against) Our Debtors” (Amp). Did You Get That? Forgive Us Because We Have Already Forgiven Them First!

Hear the Word: “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and What You Do. You Can’t Get Forgiveness From God, For Instance, Without Also Forgiving Others. If You Refuse To Do Your Part, You Cut Yourself Off From God’s Part” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). However, I don’t think we fully grasp this Scripture!

Look at it this way: If you are angry with your brother or sister over what he or she did to you November 1, 2009, and you haven’t forgiven them since, all the wrong YOU’VE done since November 1, 2009 Has Never Been Forgiven By God No Matter How Many Prayers You’ve Prayed! Because Your Forgiveness Hinges On Their Forgiveness! I’ll Reiterate The Text: “In Prayer There Is A Connection Between What God Does And What You Do. You Can’t Get Forgiveness From God, For Instance, Without Also Forgiving Others. If You Refuse To Do Your Part, You Cut Yourself Off From God’s Part” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). I don’t know about you, but I do too much wrong from day-to-day that needs the forgiveness of God, that I can’t afford to go year-by-year Living Outside of the Forgiveness of God! 

REMEMBER: IT’S CONDITIONAL! YOU ARE FORGIVEN AFTER YOU’VE FORGIVEN!

The Scripture Will Not Change Just Because You’ve Been Wronged! The Fact Is, If You Don’t Forgive Them, HE Will Not Forgive You! Now, Do You Really Want To Take Chances Living Outside The Forgiveness of God?! Are You Really That Angry With Someone That You Would Rather Walk Around Un-forgiven By God?! I don’t know about you, but absolutely No One Can Make Me That Mad! Anger, Revenge, Resentment and Un-forgiveness are all Expensive! They Will Cost You God’s Forgiveness; Heaven as Your Home; a Crown; a Robe; Your Name Written In the Lamb’s Book of Life; Peace; Joy; Contentment etc…

Therefore, I ask you again, Is Payback Really Worth That Much To You That You Would Pay This High Price to Bankrupt Your Own Soul By Losing So Much of God’s Goodness!?!

Take some time today to really think that over!

Someone may ask you, why should we forgo revenge and offer forgiveness? Tell them it’s simple, Because We Have Been Forgiven Repeatedly and Completely By God! Therefore, We Can’t Live Anyway Contrary! We Must Do For Others What Has Been Done For Us, Forgive, Repeatedly and Completely!

To Issue Payback Is Human, But To Pardon Is Divine!

Let’s go a little further:

Matthew 18:15-17, “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him – work it out BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.” (MSG).

Don’t Be Messy! Don’t allow your hurt to make you act out of character. If there should be in issue between you and another, take it to them alone! Don’t make a scene; don’t make a show; this is not about a performance, but repositioning two people at odds so they can call it even. Don’t get caught up in the cliques; don’t involve anyone that’s not a part of the problem and solution.

You see, this is where the church often gets messy at. Because we talk to everybody about the situation, except the one person it truly involves. And of course we only give our side, which is the side that shows us in the best light, although this light is usually a lot dimmer than we’d really like to admit. We want to hear everybody tell us we’re right and we deserve to pay them back for what they did. And truthfully, it’s okay to feel hurt even anger when someone wrongs you, but you still have to go about handling it the right way. You can’t say you love God while you curse them out. You can’t say you live for God when you’re trying to destroy someone else’s life. You can’t say you want to be like God while your characteristics are contrary to His character. Take the issue to whom it belongs and resolve it in a godly manner where God would be able to look and say, ‘My children are acting like they belong to Me now.’ Stop inviting outside guests to see you act a fool. Make amends even if you weren’t the one that caused the breach. Remember, you don’t receive forgiveness when you don’t give it.

Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? Should I forgive him as many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he wrongs you seventy times seven” (NCV).

To many this seems unfair. It seems wrong. It seems unjust. However, what if God only forgave us seven times, then stopped, where would we be? Can you imagine God saying ‘sorry, you’ve maxed out your forgiveness benefits? And Peter only offered seven times. But from birth, how many times have we wronged God? If this were the case, a lot of us wouldn’t be forgiven past our youth! You’re not going to want to hear this, but as a believer, you don’t get to put a limit on forgiveness. Why? Because God doesn’t put a limit on your forgiveness. And since your forgiveness is directly connected to theirs, do you really want God to cut you off as Peter would suggest, at seven?  I think not. Because as saved as we are, we sin beyond seven times by the time we wake up in the morning! We need God’s constant forgiveness, and likewise our brothers and sisters need our constant forgiveness. Pray and ask God to give you a heart of compassion like His; to give you tougher skin to handle offense because offense will come and most often by those we love most. Think of Jesus. After all He did among the 12, three of them couldn’t even stay awake for Him in prayer, one would betray Him and only one could be found at the foot of the cross at His death! And yet, He didn’t replace them; didn’t cut them off; didn’t destroy the friendship; didn’t keep rehearsing what they did and didn’t do. No, He continued to be with them, to reveal more of Himself to them, He still loved them and loved them so much so, that He forgave them. Let us as Christians, start acting more Christ-Like. Stop keeping a head count on who hurt you and how many times. Because if God were to count how many times you’ve hurt Him, what would that number look like?

Today, forgive greatly because you have been greatly forgiven.

Ephesians 4:32 “Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.” (MSG).

Don’t let your mouth get messy! Keep your mouth off people’s lives, and yes that includes those who have hurt you. The Bible clearly speaks against us, Believers, using cutting words, backbiting and profane talk against anyone. That’s not how we speak. That’s not our language. Our words have life and death power, and because we belong to Him, and are to act like Him, our words need to speak life. No gossip, no slander, no rumors, no lies and no belittling. We are to speak life, and do so in a manner that is both gentle and sensitive. After all, you can’t be nasty towards someone who you’re mad at because they were nasty towards you. We don’t get to play tit-for-tat. We should have put all our childish ways aside long ago. We are mature, character and integrity driven saved folks. And it’s high time we act like it. Use your speech for conversation not cursing.

In addition, remember, once again to not only forgive, but to do so quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Don’t hold anymore grudges! Don’t keep replaying the wrong in your mind. Move quickly and thoroughly in forgiveness, which also means you forgive completely! Don’t use the cowardice way of ‘I’ll forgive but I won’t forget’. That’s a back-handed insult to God. That’s a form of godliness while denying its’ full power to transform you. Live and forgive just as God did for you…quickly and thoroughly!

Luke 6:27-36, “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat- stuff. Live generously. Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that. I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never – I promise – regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you must be kind.” (MSG).

We are not in the business of recklessness, but restoration. Therefore, today, stop tearing down people, stop hurting others because they hurt you. Stop causing discord and division. We are the body of Christ, and as such we are to maintain its’ health and well-being. And that’s hard to do when you keep pouring the poison of revenge into the Body of Christ. Remember you’ve been called to the ministry of reconciliation, not the messiness of retaliation. Jesus laid down His life to restore our relationship with the Father. And now it’s time for us to follow suit. Let’s restore our relationship with our brothers and sisters after all, wouldn’t that be what our Father wants of us His children, especially since He used His own Son to do this very thing on our behalf?

For us, pay back is a blessing! No exceptions! This is our lifestyle, this is our conduct and this is our behavior. Does it take away the sting of the hurt? Nope! Does it please the Father? Yes! And isn’t that what this is all about? Doing what pleases the Father? It’s what Jesus did, it’s how Jesus lived. Today, let us follow in His footsteps behaving the very same way. Let’s give unbelievers reason to want to inspect our faith further. Let’s live in such a right way, even when we’ve been done wrong, that makes those who hurt us question their own actions. Let’s be a healthy Body of Christ, A healthy church and Healthy believers. After all, if sin is sickening to death, how can an unhealthy Body help bring the cure to the World that needs it? We can’t try to save them, heal them, deliver them, and our conduct says nothing of salvation, healing and deliverance, but instead it represents malice, anger, revenge and un-forgiveness. Let’s live in such a way that we Shine, and not have that shine dimmed by pay back.

Pay Back Is A Blessing, So If You Are To Pay Anyone Today, Make The Payment A Blessing, And Watch God Add To You A Bonus! You Handle Forgiveness, Let God Handle Payback!

“Don’t Treat People The Way They Treat You. Treat People The Way God Treats You.” (Davis Willis)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com