God Is Not Healing The Land, WHY? People Are Seeking And Praying; But God Wasn’t Finished Speaking! This Is What They Are Not Doing:

God Is Not Healing The Land, WHY.

People Are Seeking And Praying; But This Is What They Are Not Doing:

1. People Refuse To Humble Themselves

2. People Will Not Turn From Their Wicked Ways

                   WHAT PEOPLE?

God’s People: Believers of God. He Didn’t’ Say The World, He Said

IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, 

Will Humble Themselves and Pray, And Seek My Face and Turn From Their Wicked Ways, Then I Will Hear From Heaven and Heal Their Land.

In three short months, just like He did with the plagues of Egypt, God has taken away everything we worship. , "you want to worship athletes; I will shut down the stadiums. You want to worship musicians; I will shut down Civic Centers. You want to worship actors, I will shut down theaters. You want to worship money; I will shut down the economy and collapse the stock market. You don't want to go to church and worship Me, I will make it where you can't go to church" Maybe we don't need a vaccine, Maybe we need to take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and have a personal revival where we focus on the ONLY thing in the world that really matters. Jesus.

“Who Ya Gonna Call. “
You Can’t Call On The President.
You Can’t Call On The Government.
You Can’t Even Call On The World Health Org.
We Can’t Call On Anything Or Anyone That We Have So Disobediently Put Before Our Creator.
We Have To Call On The One That Has Everything In His Control.
God and Only God.
There Is Nothing Impossible For God.
People Have To Return To God.
Not Temporarily During This Pandemic
Permanently. (J. P.)

Psalm 46, “God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas, Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning]. The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Come behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations and wonders in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire. Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!” (AMPC)
 

That word ‘midst’ is simply defined as ‘in the middle of’. And for many of us, that describes us to the letter! We’re right in the middle of a storm on every side! Reminds you a bit of Paul when he said: “We are hedged in (pressed) ON EVERY SIDE [troubled and oppressed IN EVERY WAY], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; we are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 AMPC)

For many of us that is just how life feels at the moment, we’re experiencing troubles On Every Side, and In Every Way! But thank God that’s not the end to our story!

And as our headlines have become more dominated with new dangers, as so many hearts have been struggling with new anxieties and new fears, I think we're ready for the incredible peace offered in Psalm 46. I like to call it "Good News for Bad Times". And maybe there’s a good reason this news is landing on your doorstep today!

Our Scripture opens with tremendous encouragement: "God is our Refuge and Strength a very present and well-proved help in trouble." And He’s not only our refuge (or covering) but He’s also our Strength. And can we be honest? When we’re facing hard and harsh times, it has a tendency to weaken us. When we’re battling the storms of marriage, parenthood, work, church, family, health, finances, etc…our places of strength, become the places we become most vulnerable to weakness. We don’t attend church, prayer, bible study, we don’t dive into the Word of God, we don’t sing the songs of Zion, we don’t walk by faith, we lose hope and trust, and at that very moment is when fear arrives with all of its baggage to pay us an extended, unwelcomed visit! But when we go to God First, He protects us as a Refuge, and He becomes the Strength we need to make it out of this particular storm in life. Paul once again encourages us with these words: “But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!” (2 Corinthians 12:9 AMPC)

The more troubled things are, the more present God makes Himself! The psalmist then says, "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that] “ (vss. 2-3 AMPC) In other words, everything's collapsing here - things that have always been there for us; but no fear. Why? "God is our Refuge and Strength." So it doesn’t matter how the mountains shake, or how bad the rivers roar, nothing can hinder God’s help for us! Which is why the psalmist admonishes us: “…Selah [pause, and calmly think of that…” Sometimes all we need to do is find somewhere quiet to sit still and have a Selah moment. This is a time to remember who God was, is and will always be. A time to remember what God has done for you in the past. A time to remember His name, His blood, His Word, His Will, His Work, His Plan, His Son! This is a time to remember the healing, the saving and the deliverance. A time to remember the last time you thought you wouldn’t make it through, make it over or make it out of and then there was a ‘But God’ Encounter!

Today let this be the day that you start to Selah, in the middle of the Storm!

Don’t let the elements cause you to forget who made them and who controls them!

2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV)

Solomon’s temple was finally complete. The work of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 stone cutters, and 3,600 foremen—finished. Pure gold covered parts of the interior. Precious inlaid stones sparkled. The Ark of the Covenant inhabited the Holy of Holies. Only the presence of God was missing. So Solomon prays, “…Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place…” (2 Chronicles 6:41 NKJV). And how did God respond? “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” (2 Chronicles 7:1 NKJV). The people fell on their faces declaring, “…For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7:3 NKJV). Then, after 15 days of celebration Solomon retreated to his palace.           

BUT GOD WASN’T FINISHED SPEAKING!

God knows our tendency to forget His blessings and go our own way. And often times we get so caught up in what God did that we act as though He can’t and won’t do anything else. But God had so much more in store! But in order for Him to release it, there were some conditions that had to be met. And these conditions still remain today. And that word “Condition” is defined as “to set prior requirements on (something) BEFORE it can occur.” Its Latin Origin “Condicion” which means “Agreement”, comes from its root “Condicere” which means “To Agree Upon.” In other words, God was ready to do some great things for His people, HOWEVER, they had to agree with Him on the set requirements He put in place BEFORE they could attain the greater blessings! And what was His Set Requirements?               

God said:

1.. “If MY PEOPLE, who are called by MY NAME.” – We must turn from Self-Promotion to God-Promotion. God makes it clear from the start, you are “…MY PEOPLE…” and you are called by “…MY NAME.” However, somehow we’ve managed to high-jack God’s Church From Him! We’ve made all the programs, protocols, banquets, anniversaries, services, and the like about US…NOT HIM! But the 2 very important requirements for us to always remember is that it’s not about us, nor is it about our names! The Bible makes it clear: “If you look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-12 MSG) And that’s the hard pill to swallow that the church keeps choking on: IT’S NOT ABOUT US OR OUR NAME! The first thing we need to get back to is FOCUS! And not on US, but on HIM!

2.. “Will HUMBLE THEMSELVES and pray.” – We must turn from Self-Reliance to God-Reliance. I love the fact that Humility comes BEFORE Prayer! In fact, I believe we would pray much differently and effectively if we entered prayer in Humility first! Unfortunately, however, as a church, we’ve become very pompous, entitled, prideful, egotistical, and arrogant. We have 5-layer embroidered robes, rings the size of our fists, crosses bigger than the one Jesus hung on, and pulpit chairs that look like they belong in the throne room of God. Jesus had an inner circle of 3, yet we have an entourage of 30. Our hidden agenda and personal itinerary (masked as our motto and vision) is engraved on the building, our picture is in the vestibule, our names are always called, applauded and receive standing ovations that God doesn’t even get on Communion Sunday when it is His very blood and body in which we partake of that saved our lives. When did the church lose her humility? The Bible says: “Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (HUMILITY) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.” (Ephesians 4:2 AMP); “Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of HUMILITY (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].” (Philippians 2:3 AMP); “…What matters is not your outer appearance – the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes – but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in…” (1 Peter 3:1-6 MSG). Church, before we get back to Prayer, let us first get back to Humility!

3.. “And seek MY FACE.” – We must turn from Self-Direction to God-Direction. Which makes me wonder, when exactly did we start to treat God like a genie in a bottle? We like to rub Him with phony praise, and eloquent prayers so He pops out the bottle and performs just for us. But when did we get so caught up in His Hand that we forgot about His Face, in the first place? The Bible says: “The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His FACE to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] COUNTENANCE upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually)” (Numbers 6:24-26 AMP). The Message Bible says it like this: “God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the FACE and make you prosper.” (MSG). I’m amazed that this blessing speaks of the Lords FACE: “…shining…enlightening…being gracious, kind, merciful, favorable…approving countenance…peace…tranquility…smiling…gifting…and prosperity…” and all of it focuses on HIS FACE…NOT HIS HAND, yet His Children only seek…His Hand! Before you enter prayer with your long to-do-list for God, all of the blessings you need bestowed, the miracles you need performed, the debts you need cancelled, the sickness you need healed, the monies you need deposited in your bank account within the next 15 minutes, how about you try instead to enter in prayer with Worship?! NOT entering in hoping that God makes it Worth Your While! No, just enter in with Worship. The word “Worship” is defined as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity; great admiration or devotion.” Its Old English Origin literally means “worthiness or acknowledgement of worth.” But the BIBLE defines it better! Revelation 4:10, reads, “At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the One sitting on the throne. And as they WORSHIPED the One Who lives forever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne…” (CEV).

4.. “And TURN from their wicked ways.” We must turn from Self-Indulgence to Self-Examination. I love the word “Turn” because it’s defined as “to move into a different position, especially so as to face or move in the opposite direction.” And that word “Opposite” has its Latin Origin “Oppositus”, from the root “Opponere”, and means “To Be Set Against.” Now, regardless to popular belief, saying you’ve turned from the old to the new, and actually showing evidence of it are two totally different things! Because to “Turn” requires Action! It’s to move into a different position and face the direct opposite direction and to set yourself against, or to become an enemy of your former standing. In essence if you were used to going South, you now go North, if you were used to going West, you now go East! When you become a new creature, you don’t return to your old crap! You turn, you change direction! The Bible says: “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold the fresh and new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP); “We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4 AMP); “Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart.” (Matthew 3:8 AMP). Church, we’ve talked about changing and turning long enough, now is the time to actually do it! Why? Because the Bible warns: “So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 AMP); “But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].” (James 1:22 AMP). In a nutshell: Today is your day to make a Turn for the better!               

And after all of that what happens next? Well, the Bible says: “THEN”!

“…THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land!” I love the word “Then” because it’s defined as “After This or After That“! So after WE, THE CHURCH, fulfill the pre-conditions of God……”THEN” Happens!              

The turn-around this country needs is dependent on if and when WE make the decision to turn back to God! The change doesn’t happen when unbelievers turn to God, but GOD said, “IF MY PEOPLE…CALLED BY MY NAME.” Birthing a significant, effective, change for the better has always begun with GOD’S PEOPLE.

If there is going to be a National turn around, it has to begin with “MY PEOPLE…CALLED BY MY NAME.”

And when you look at the 3-fold blessing that God will bestow it makes you wonder, what are we waiting for?!

1. “…THEN will I hear from heaven…”;
2. “…and will forgive their sin…”;
3. “… and will heal their land!”

And all we have to do, as God’s people, called by His name, is to obey the Set Requirements:

1. Humble Ourselves;
2. Pray;
3. Seek His Face; and
4. Turn From Our Wicked Ways…

‘THEN’…AFTER THAT…God Promises to Hear From Heaven; Forgive Sin and Heal the Land! I reiterate, CHURCH, what are we waiting for?

Other translations of the text read like this:

“If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (AMP);

“if My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (NLV);

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” (NLT).

But I think the one I love most is this version: “If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.” (CEV).

It amazes me that we often think of the “The World” and “Unbelievers” as the problem to why there’s sin, no forgiveness and no healing. But GOD says, “…IF MY OWN PEOPLE…TURN BACK TO ME AND STOP SINNING…”

Church, He’s Talking To Us! The World And Unbelievers Are Not The Problem, We Are! If We Dare To Get Back To God And The Ways Of Godliness, And Stop Abusing Grace While We Continue To Sin, God Will Hear, Forgive And Heal! And The Only Thing Holding Up The Process Is A Prayerless Church! We Are His People, We Are His Children, We Have The Additional Responsibility For Being Salt And Light As Well!

We Have to Start Impacting the World, Instead of Letting the World Impart Into Us! Remember: Their Change Depends On Our Change! So Let’s Determine Today to Change and Get Back to Being a Nation of God’s People, Who PRAY! Why? Because…

“God appeared to Solomon that very night and said, “I ACCEPT YOUR PRAYER; yes, I have chosen this place as a temple for sacrifice, a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, PRAYING, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the PRAYERS offered at this place. Believe me, I’ve chosen and sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’” (7:12-18 MSG)

Isn’t it Absolutely Amazing the Things God Will Do, If Only His People Would Simply PRAY?

“Desperate and soul-stirring prayers result in answers. When God is sought in desperation, He

“When you pray, your prayers are heard by the same God who answered Moses’ prayer for water in the desert; the God who gave Abraham and His barren wife a son; and the God who made the slave Joseph second in power only to Pharaoh. Nothing is impossible for God when you pray and believe for His answer to come.” (Francis Chan)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

https://www.thewordwithjpolson.org

Coronavirus, Because We Dwell In The Secret Place Of The Most High. No Sickness Will Come Near Us. As The Recipients Of The Divine Inheritance Given By God, We Have The Right To Demand The Death of The Coronavirus. So What’s The Pulse Of Your Faith?

Before we get into today’s inspirational reading, I want to share this prayer.

I offer up my prayer to You Almighty God that You would eradicate this plague that has put people in a grip of terror. I pray people would reach out to their fellow man in need and would respond with graciousness in their hearts. I pray Father You would heal those afflicted in body. I pray that people would look to You instead of fearing, fear mongering, and greed. I pray hearts would turn to You out of this turmoil. I pray that You would direct politicians, doctors, and other governing officials in what they should do and say. Lord, heal our land and the others around the world for in You alone is our salvation.

As a recipient of the divine inheritance given by God through the death of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:11-17), I have a right to demand the death of the coronavirus and any other sickness or disease that tries to touch my body or that of my family. Healing belongs to God's Children (Matthew 15:22-29) because Jesus died, bearing our sicknesses and diseases in his own body. (Isa 53:4) (1 Peter 2:24) anything he died for, he delivered us from. So to the Coronavirus, here's what we, The Body Of Jesus Christ Have To Say:

Coronavirus, Because We, Dwell In The Secret Place Of The Most High...,

No Harm Will Come To Us. No Sickness Will Come Near Our House. God Has Put His Angels In Charge Over Us, To Protect Us In All Our Ways. They Will Carry Us In Their Hands So That We Never Hit Our Foot Against A Rock. We Will Step On Lions And Cobras. We Will Trample Young Lions And Snakes. Because We Love God, He Will Rescue Us. He Will Protect Us Because We Know His Name. When We Call To Him, He Will Answer Us. He Is With Us When We Are In Trouble. He Will Save Us And Honor Us. He Will Satisfy Us With A Long Life. He Will Show Us How He Will Save Us. Psalm 91:1, 10-16 NLT. Coronavirus Has To Bow Down At The Name Of Jesus Christ.

Lord, we pray that you would move in the places where people are meeting together. Move on the hearts of those worshipping online. Bring comfort, peace, grace, and an abundance of Your Love. We thank You that Your love casts out fear. Let people today experience what casting cares on You feels like. Let them get a glimpse of what worry-free living looks like. Let them know that they don't have to live afraid. They can use wisdom and they can pray for protection over their families - and You will answer!

We also come against any contamination or spread of this disease. We plead the blood of Jesus over the places where people are physically gathering together. Protect them, Lord. Let no foul virus step foot in our churches, communities and homes!

Thank You, Lord, that You take care of Your people. Thank You for showing us how to reach out to those around us during this time in a safe manner and show them how deeply You love them. We are grateful for Your presence and Your direction guiding our lives. In Jesus Name We Pray Amen.

TODAY’S READING

James 2:26, “The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.” (MSG)

We become so engrossed in what we see, feel, and hear, that we operate within our natural senses rather than our spiritual ones! However, the Bible instructs us: “THROUGH YOUR FAITH, God is protecting you by His power” (1 Peter 1:5 NLT). Therefore, you need to keep in mind that your “FAITH” is what Activates the Power of God in your life! Just imagine if you dared to increase your mustard seed faith and started nurturing it to grow bigger, taking it to new levels, what would God release in your life?! Because He heals, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He delivers, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He saves, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He Opens and Shuts Doors, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He grants opportunities that you don’t even qualify for, THROUGH YOUR FAITH; He protects you with His power…THROUGH YOUR FAITH! So, What’s The Pulse Of Your Faith Today? Can you even feel it anymore, or have you become so conditioned to living in the comfort zone, in the familiar, in fear that it’s barely alive anymore?

Look at it this way: Before a stone becomes a diamond it’s just carbon put under millions of pounds of pressure! Which helps us understand better what the Bible means when it says, “These TRIALS will show that your FAITH is genuine” (vs. 7 NLT). You See, Trouble Not Only Places A Demand On Your Faith, But Reveals The Depth Of It! Truth is, you don’t really know much about your faith when your bills are paid, your body is healthy, your children are acting right, and your marriage is intact! But When All Hell Is Breaking Loose and You Trust God To Bring You Through It, You Know You’ve Got Genuine Faith! When you trust God even with the disconnect notice in the mail or the eviction notice stapled to the door; when you have faith in God when the finances are in an exceeding drought; when you rely on God and yet have no idea where the bill money is coming from, where the gas money is coming from, where the rent, mortgage, car note, insurance and tuition money is coming from; when you continue to quote the Word even when the doctor hits you with yet another diagnosis! This is when the testing of your faith proves if it’s genuine, or if it’s just another form of godliness! 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)

You see, when trials hit, the enemy attacks your mind, your rest, your peace, your emotions and your thought life! So what can you do?  Lift up the shield of faith and stop his flaming arrows: “…take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” and use it to drive him back! (Ephesians 6:17 NKJV). That’s what genuine faith does when the attacks of life come, blow by blow! Faith wields the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God; it uses that Word to drive the enemy back! For instance, genuine faith speaks healing when the doctor speaks sickness; it speaks covenant when the marriage is speaking divorce; it speaks peace when the whole household speaks chaos; it speaks life when depression is telling you to slit your wrists and die! Genuine faith refuses to allow circumstances and situations, trials, struggles and tribulations to cause it to get in the bed and pull the covers over its head. No, genuine faith gets up every morning without an alarm clock and continues to go to work!

People of God, Put Your Faith To Work! Say, “Enough is Enough”, and begin to take back what the enemy has stolen from you! David Did! The Bible says, “David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray you, bring me the ephod. And Abiathar brought him the ephod. And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord Answered Him, Pursue, For You Shall Surely Overtake Them And Without Fail Recover All.” (1 Samuel 30:7-8 Amp). In Other Words, Stop Whining and Whimpering and Wield Your Weapon! Get The Word And Put Your Faith To Work! All You Need Is The Go-Ahead From God, And When You Get It, Go Forth, Because You Will Recover All And Without Fail! Take heart, this fight my friend is already fixed in your favor, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about! You will succeed, because God has already spoken that you will not fail!

Listen to another example, the Syrian army had surrounded the city of Samaria and its population was dying of starvation. Having lived off scraps of bread that folks threw over the wall each day, four lepers quickly assessed that they were in trouble. They said, “WHY SIT HERE UNTIL WE DIE?” (2 Kings 7:3 TLB). So they went into the city, only to discover God had worked a miracle, causing the Syrians to flee in terror, leaving behind them food, water, and riches! What do we learn from these four lepers? Refuse To Sit There And Die! When You Put Your Faith Into Action, God Will Go To Work On Your Behalf! But You Have To Rise Up And Say: “If I’m Going To Die, I’m Going To Do It Reaching For Something, Building Something, Going After Something!” I Refuse To Just Sit Here And Die, When I Still Have Options! And my greatest option is that I still have faith in GOD!

When It Feels Like You’re Down For The Count Of Ten, You Have To Rise Up And Say: “I Shall Not Die, But Live, And Declare The Works Of The Lord” (Psalm 118:17 Nkjv). That Kind Of Faith Gets God’s Attention Every Time! It is a declaration and decree that I will not give up, I will not give in, I will not give out, I will not throw in the towel, I will not quit, I will not give the enemy the opportunity to see me die, when I can live and continue to declare the works of the Lord! Your faith is your ammunition when the enemy tries to come in and snuff out your life. You open your mouth and speak faith that silences fear, and live! Your Mouth Has The Power Of Life And Death, But The Choice Is Always Yours, After All, It Is Your Mouth! Make The Wise Decision Today To Speak Life!

You see, I’ve learned from personal experience, when you get DESPERATE enough in your faith, you won’t even care who God uses to help you, you’ll be willing to receive any help He sends your way! Just ask Naaman! Naaman the leper, a five-star general in the Syrian army, humbled himself and eventually became willing to listen to a girl who washed dishes and made beds in his house! (Listen: When Somebody Has An Answer From God To Deliver To You, You Won’t Care Who The Messenger Is!) Genuine faith says, ‘I just need the message to be God delivered, and I don’t care if the delivery man/woman is an usher, janitor, drunk, maid, donkey, bus driver, bird, water, sanitation worker, hobo, CEO, young, old, black, white, male or female, leader or laity, seated high or seated low, age 8 or age 80, I just need the message to be God delivered to me!’ Genuine faith cares about the content of the message on the inside, not the kind of labeling of the container on the outside!

Think about it, Naaman was even willing to dip seven times in the dirtiest river around, in order to come up clean (2 Kings 5:1-19). Genuine Faith Says: “I Don’t Care Where I Have To Go, What I Have To Do, Or Who I Have To Listen To, Whatever God Says, I’ll Do It!” Saints, Why Live With A Disease When You Can Simply Believe God, Trust What He Says, And Put Your Faith To Work?! I Mean Why Die When You Can Live?! Why die in fear when you can live in faith?!

Luke records: “As He…passed through…Samaria…there met Him ten…lepers, who…lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said…’Go show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed” (vss. 11-14 NKJV). Lepers were social outcasts, So They Lived Together In A Colony! But The Problem Is, You Can’t Get Well, Hanging Around People Who Are Just As Sick As You Are! And this is where we mess up because we don’t take the problem to Jesus; we take it to people, and more often than not, people who are worse off than we are! I mean if you don’t have any money, what’s the point in telling Michelle who is broker than you? If your marriage is on the rocks, why are you telling Keith whose marriage is on life support? If your children are failing in school whey tell Lisa whose daughter dropped out 3 months ago? If the doctor said it’s Cancer, why tell it to Paul who don’t have enough faith to believe God to heal him from the common cold? Are you getting this? You can’t heal in the same colony of folks who are just as sick (or sicker) than you! This means you need to bring the problem to JESUS! The Bible says, “When evening came, They Brought To Him Many Who Were Under The Power Of Demons, And He Drove Out The Spirits With A Word And Restored To Health All Who Were Sick.” (Matthew 8:16 Amp). In Other Words, Don’t Just Sit There And Die! And Don’t Hang Around Those Who Are Dying Either! Get Up And Get To Jesus! Why? Because He’ll Drive Out Those Demonic Spirits With A Word And Restore You And All Attached To You To Health! I reiterate, why sit in fear and die when you can walk by faith and live?!

Also, notice the words, “HE PASSED THROUGH…” Jesus didn’t go to the leper colony, He was just passing through. What do you do when you’re losing your life, your family, your health, your peace, your joy, your job, your mind, your finances, etc…and Jesus doesn’t even seem to be looking in your direction? You can get frustrated when it feels like He’s blessing everybody but you, and wonder, “Lord, when is my turn coming? I’ve served You faithfully; yet it seems like everybody else is the object of Your attention and affection.” Right There, It’s Time To Cry Out Just Like the Lepers, “Jesus, Have Mercy On Me!” Away With Dignity And Decorum; Desperate People Pray Desperate Prayers, And God Responds!

Notice also, when Jesus was passing by these lepers did NOT shout, “Unclean,” as the law REQUIRED! No, They Broke Protocol! Listen: When You’re In A Bad Situation, Sometimes You Have To Break Out In Order To Break-Through! You have to learn to respond like the psalmist:  “I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill” (Psalm 3:4 NKJV). People Of God, Don’t Let Nobody Box You Into A Corner Pew And Shhh You Down! Cry Loud And Spare Not! Open Your Mouth And Get Jesus’ Attention! Desperate People Are A Determined People! And When You Have Nothing Else To Lose, You Go All The Way In! Scream Until You Lose Your Voice, Clap Your Hands Until They Turn Red! Dance Until You Collapse! Shout Until Mother Sitting Next To You Turns Off Her Hearing Aid! Run Around That Church Like Flo Jo! Whatever You Do, Get His Attention! Don’t Become Fearful, Fainthearted, Faltering, Or Foolish! Simply Believe God’s Promise To You And Put Your Faith To Work!

My Suggestion: Instead of discussing the issue endlessly, Just Do What He’s Told You To Do! Real Faith In Action Needs No Explanation In Order To Act! Sometimes God Will Give You “A Word” And It Looks Like It’s Not Even Working – But It Is – Yes, Even When It Doesn’t Look Like It!  The Faith That God Responds To Does Not Require Understanding Of The Orders Given, Just Obedience In Carrying Them Out! And When You Do, You’ll Be Amazed At What He Does In The Meantime!

“And so it was that AS THEY WENT, they were cleansed” (vs. 14 NKJV). Note the words, “AS THEY WENT” The Bible says, “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23 AMP). Listen, When God Tells You Something, Step Out On It! The Word Has Already Declared That He’s Ordered, Directed, And Established Your Every Step! But Does That Mean You Have To Walk It Alone? Absolutely Not, The Bible Says, “And So It Was That As They Went, They Were Cleansed”. You Don’t Have To Walk This Faith Out By Yourself, However, When You Walk In Faith, It’s A One Way Street! Only Those Going In The Same Direction Can Go With You! All Opposing Traffic Has To Pick Another Street! When You Walk In Faith, You Arrive Safely To Your Destination, And Only With The Company Of Those Who Were Heading In The Same Direction! Therefore, Work Your Faith By Walking In Faith, But Watch Those Who You Allow To Walk With You! Like-Minded Faith Walkers Will Keep You On Track, But Doubters Will Trip You Up Every Time!

Lastly, try to imagine this: “And so it was that AS THEY WENT, they were cleansed” (vs. 14 NKJV). Imagine That While They Are Walking, Their Toes Are Growing Back! As They Move In Obedience To His Word, In Faith, A Stub Turns Back Into A Finger! Their Skin Is Renewing Before Their Very Eyes! God Is Putting Them Back Together Again, As They Walk Out The Word He Gave Them! That’s Why You Can’t Stop Now! Keep Walking By Faith! Because As You Walk In Obedience To The Word He’s Given You, Your Marriage Is Repairing; Your Children Are Returning; Your Finances Are Replenishing; The Ruins Of Your Health Are Restoring! Cells, Valves, Arteries, Muscles, Tissue, Breathing, Heart Rate, Glucose, Are All Coming Back Into The Normal Range. Your Cholesterol And Blood Pressure Are Back At Optimal Levels. The Arthritis Is Easing Up; The Pain Is Subsiding; The Swelling Is Decreasing; The Bones Are Regaining New Strength; The Hurt Is Healing; The X-Rays Are Turning In Your Favor; The Diagnosis Is Re-diagnosing For The Better. The Medications Are Lowering. Your Senses Are Back To Functioning At Their Best. The Cane, Crutch, Wheelchair And Walker Are Already Prepared To Be Given To Someone Else Since You No Longer Have Need Of Them. You’re Coming Off Access-A-Ride and Getting Back Behind the Wheel Of A Car Again! Oxygen Tanks Have To Be Picked Up For Good Because Your Lungs Found New Air! As You Walk By Faith In Obedience To The Word God Gave You, He’s Bringing Everything Out Of Order Back Into Order! As You Walk By Faith, He’s Restoring, Healing, Delivering, Saving, Replenishing, Repairing, Redeeming! Which is why you Can’t Get Stagnant In Fear And Die, Keep Your Faith Stride Moving Forward, Got Is Putting You Back Together Again As You Go!

“He Who Has Begun A Good Work In You Will Complete It!” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV). God Begun This Work In You And He’s Going To Complete It! Rise Up In Faith And Declare, As Bad As It Was, As Depressed As I Was, As Broke As I Was, As Sick As I Was, As Unemployed As I Was, As Bad As My Marriage Was: “It’s All Coming Back Together!” The More You Walk By Faith, God Is Restoring, Resurrecting, Returning, Reviving, Regenerating, Reestablishing, And In The End You’ll Do The Rejoicing When All Of The Broken Pieces Are Finally Brought Back Together Again! And All It Takes Is Faith That Works! 

People Of God, Put Your Faith To Work, And Watch Your Faith Work For You! And all you have to do is refuse to die in fear, and instead, live in faith!

Now, With All That Said, I Have a Few Questions For You: 

Is your faith still alive and well?

Is it still growing?

Are you still feeding it?

Are you still nurturing you?

Are you still walking in it?

Are you still working in it?

Are you still living in it?

Does Your Faith Still Have a Pulse?

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

A Life UnExamined Is Unhealthy. Never Be the Reason Someone’s Fall Happened Simply Because They Were Following You! We Have To Evaluate Ourselves: Am I Doing The Right Thing? Am I With The Right People? Here's Why:

 1 Corinthians 8:8-9, “But fortunately God doesn’t grade us on our diet. We’re neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can’t stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.” (MSG)

My friend Loyce relocated from the big city to live in the South with her parents who inherited a huge family-owned country estate. Now, the estate, including a farm, doesn't have any cows on it, but the place is surrounded by cows on all sides (after all, it is the country). Loyce would often say that it made her feel so peaceful when she could sit on the porch and see the cows inside the fence across the road, just quietly grazing or sitting in the shade. However, it didn't make her feel peaceful when she got up one morning and saw one of her neighbor's cows in her front yard grazing and leaving little ‘souvenirs’ of her visit.

You see, her neighbor left his pasture gate wide open, but that's OK. The cattle guards are there in the ground; you know that little grate that cows are afraid to cross for fear of getting a hoof stuck. Well, they're supposed to be afraid. But this one cow had somehow found her way to pick her way across the cattle guard, which left her free to wander all over the countryside! Loyce even named her – ‘Grazing Gloria’. But then, pretty soon, another cow saw what ‘Grazing Gloria’ did and managed to navigate that cattle guard too; this one she named ‘Copy-Cat Cathy’. After that, a little black calf followed ‘Copy-Cat Cathy’ out. In the end, several cows ended up wandering everywhere, even up toward the main highway, which is dangerous!

Moral of the story: As soon as one cow ignored the boundaries, others followed her, without question, where they were never meant to go (even into places that could’ve easily taken their lives)!

Now, it isn't just cows that follow cows out of bounds. Which is why Paul issues this warning in 1 Corinthians 8 beginning with verse 9. "Be careful that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." As is my custom, let’s view this verse in a few translations:

“Only be careful that this power of choice (this permission and liberty to do as you please) which is yours does not [somehow] become a hindrance (cause of stumbling) to the weak or overscrupulous [giving them an impulse to sin].” (AMPC);

“But watch out or else this freedom of yours might be a problem for those who are weak.” (CEB);

 “Since you are free to do as you please be careful that this does not hurt a weak Christian.” (NLV)

You see, the danger for us is that we have the right of choice. We have freedom and we have liberty to choose as we please. But one of those translations reads, “…this POWER to choose…”, and where there’s power there’s responsibility. Because our power is influence (whether good or bad), and we are to be held accountable (especially as LEADERS) with how we exercise our rights, choices, power and influence, because others are watching, listening and following our lead. Yes, we can choose as we please, but we bear the responsibility to make choices that don’t cause catastrophic consequences to the lives of others who emulate our examples. We are to avoid tempting anyone to sin; influencing anyone to sin; or justifying others while they sin.

Our Strength of Choice should never Weaken a Fellow Believer!

Which is why Paul addresses a lifestyle choice he made, simply based on how a certain behavior would affect other believers. Now, that’s responsible leadership!

A little background: The issue back then had to do with whether or not Christians should eat meat that had been offered to idols in pagan ceremonies. Apparently, some felt they could eat that meat in good conscience - after all, it was just a piece of meat. But for others, it might be the first step backwards toward the darkness that Christ had delivered them from. So Paul says, "If what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall." Paul says in essence, "I can't make my choices based only on how it will affect me. If I go there, someone else may follow me…and worse, fall!"

Listen to Paul in, 1 Corinthians 8:10-13, “For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to idols. Isn’t there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue, SOMEONE WHO LOOKS UP TO YOU AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MATURE, sees you go into that banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused—maybe even to the point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong. Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn’t you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it doesn’t really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn’t worth it at the cost of even one of these “weak ones.” So, never go to these idol-tainted meals IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE IT WILL TRIP UP ONE OF YOUR BROTHERS OR SISTERS.” (MSG)

This is the danger of being irresponsible with our power of choice and influence. There are people around us (some we know, some we’ll never know), that see us, according to the text, as, “…SOMEONE WHO LOOKS UP TO YOU AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MATURE…”, which in a nutshell tells them, “if you hear them say that…you can repeat it, without question…if you see them do that…you can do the same, without question…” Why? Because we’re, “…SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MATURE …” So, naturally we can be trusted, obeyed, followed, and imitated, because clearly with so much knowledge and maturity, we wouldn’t lead them astray now would we?

Now back to Loyce wandering neighbor, ‘Grazing Gloria’. I don't think she ever thought about a calf or any other cows following her outside the fence. All she knew was there was something she wanted that was beyond the boundaries. Actually, she should never have crossed the cattle guard herself (remember, most cows are afraid to cross it because they know they can be hurt). But what made it worse was that her example emboldened other cows to go where they shouldn't go; to go where they could get hurt!; all because one cow decided to graze beyond the boundaries.

There’s a term “out of bounds”, that’s often used particularly in sports. A portion of its definition reads like this, “to be outside of specified or prescribed limits; to enter forbidden territory; to cross a boundary line; something that is not allowed or approved; to go beyond established limits; to break rules; to do what is unreasonable; to violate or exceed acceptable rules or standards.”

We are to set standards, not step outside of them! And certainly we are not to leave footprints for others to follow us in our folly! This is why we need the Word of God so desperately in our daily lives and lifestyles.

Listen, if we are to be living epistles, we have to know what the Word of God says. We have to read it, apply it, practice it, share it and above all, live it! If we are to lead those that follow us, we need to be sure that our feet don’t go out of bounds of what the Bible says! We need to live and lead in such a way that those who follow us will know that we obey the specified and prescribed limits of the Bible; we do not enter forbidden territory; we do not cross the boundary lines; we do not transgress what is allowed or approved; we do not go beyond established limits; we do not break the rules; we do nothing unreasonable; and we certainly do not violate or exceed the acceptable rules or standards of the Word of God! We Do Not Live Out of Bounds, We Do Not Lead Out of Bounds, and We Will Have No One to Follow Us Who Desires to Go Out of Bounds!

This means we need to alter our lifestyles accordingly! Why; because people are listening, watching and emulating us. So when we (especially as LEADERS), are INVISIBLE in Sunday school, Bible Study, Prayer, Sunday Services, Meetings and Rehearsals, We Are Setting the Example For Others to Follow! When we lie, cheat, steal, gossip, hate, run the rumor mill…we are setting the example for others to follow! When we are stubborn, malicious, disobedient, contrary, jealous, envious, coveting and unkind, we are setting the example for others to follow! When we’re critical, negative, pessimistic, fearful, anxious, mean-spirited, condescending, belittling, backbiting and gossiping we are setting the example for others to follow! When we are argumentative, complaining, murmuring, bickering, divisive, temperamental, moody, and full of attitude, we are setting the example for others to follow! Are you getting this? We are not to become ‘Grazing Gloria’, guiding people to dangerous, out-of-bounds territories of sin!

Now hopefully, you and I are a little smarter than cows! We have to remember that when we do things, people are watching and even following us because of that invisible power called influence. And because we can't see it, we forget we have it and that it's affecting people around us; your behavior & your choices. You're giving permission to someone who's watching you to do the same thing. A child is watching, a younger and weaker Christian, a coworker, a friend, your spouse, your church. Even people in the supermarket, hair and nail salons, barbershop, mall, McDonalds, and the laundry mat are all watching you. You step outside the boundaries a little, and they might follow you and end up where they never would have gone otherwise; going farther than even you would ever go. And it’s all because of your choice; your power; your influence.

Now, a further danger is this, ‘Grazing Gloria’ never thought about the consequences of her choice; nor did she think about all the old cows and young calf’s that would follow her lead; nor did she ever look back to see the irresponsible and poor choice she made. But since she’s a cow, we can excuse her behavior…but then, what justifies ours?

We must always take time to do self-examination, and inventory so we can make appropriate adjustments before anyone gets hurt by our words, actions, choices or LEADERSHIP. We Have To Evaluate Ourselves:

1. Am I In The Right Place?
2. Am I Doing The Right Thing?
3. Am I With The Right People?
4. Am I fulfilling the right purpose?
5. Am I helpful, hurtful, or hindering?
6. Am I lazy, hesitant, or procrastinating?
7. Am I bitter, angry, hurt, disappointed, or discouraged?
8. Am I obedient?
9. What kind of example am I setting?
10. Who’s following me?
11. Who am I following?
12. Who’s watching me?
13. Who’s listening to me?
14. How am I leading?
15. Who’s keeping me responsible and accountable?
16. How do I dress?
17. Am I a servant?
18. Am I trustworthy?

You see, the problem with many of us is that we don’t want anyone to correct us, and we certainly don’t want to self-exam ourselves, because no one knows us better than us, therefore, many tests we already know we’ve failed! But the Psalmist admonishes us by his example: Psalm 139:23-24, “Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong – then guide me on the road to eternal life.” (MSG)

A Life Unexamined Is Unhealthy…Be It Leader Or Laity! You See, If We Have No Check-Points, Our Blind-Spots Will Cause Us And Others Injury…And Sometimes The Damage Is Irreparable.

Like it or not, but we are responsible for our influence. We are responsible for the choices we make, even the ones we deem personal. People are watching, listening and following. And at the end of the day, we don't want to be someone else's excuse to watch or listen to something questionable. We don't know where it might take them. So, don't be someone else's excuse to swear, or to cheat, to act selfish, to be disrespectful, maybe to flirt with sexual sin or a moral compromise, or just to shade the truth a bit. No, wear your character and integrity like a daily garment. Let people see it on display at all times. Be the example of godliness, holiness, order, obedience, discipline, and the fruit of the Spirit that they should seek to follow. Remember, there are people around you making choices, based on your choices, and they will suffer consequences one way or the other. Make your choices such that they reap gain and not loss.

Never Be the Reason Someone’s Fall Happened Simply Because They Were Following You!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Make Sure You Are Not Carrying Something God Never Gave You! Your Breaking Point Can Be Your Breakthrough: You Are Called To Overcome Not To Become Overwhelmed! So Today, Unload! If You Don’t Pick A Day To Rest, Your Body Will Pick It For You!

 “The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,” Your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself; You calmed me down and cheered me up.” (Psalm 94:18-19 MSG)

Before a violin can produce music, STRESS must be put on the strings! But pull the strings too tightly and they’ll SNAP! The same is true of you! Enough stress gets the juices flowing and helps you do what needs to be done, but beyond that, YOU SNAP! And everyone around you knows when it happens because your attitude gets nasty, your temper gets short, your mouth gets reckless, your moods are swinging in every direction, you become sarcastic and belittling, you become combative and pit-bull attackingly miserable and painful to be around! This is what happens when too much STRESS causes you to SNAP!

Someone quipped, “You know you’re on overload when you have no time to cook a tv dinner, the cat is on tranquilizers, and family reunions have to be mediated by law enforcement!” Seriously, before it gets to that point, do these 2 things first:

(1)   ASK FOR HELP: During Hurricane Katrina, 8 dolphins were swept out of their aquarium into the sea, but because they stuck together they were rescued! If one had tried to go it Alone, he’d have perished! That’s why you have to remember when you’re Alone too much you lose perspective. If the enemy can Isolate you, he can Influence you! This is why God Designed His Family to Stay Connected! Or as Paul says, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care for another” (1 Corinthians 12:25).  Lena Horne said it best: “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it” Maybe you need to stop trying to use 2 hands to carry a 4 hands load! In a Nutshell: ASK FOR HELP! It takes nothing away from your ability, calling, gifts, talents, skill-set or anointing. It’s simply being honest and real that what I’m carrying is heavy and I need help! Anything beyond that is pure arrogance, pride and self-conceit at its best. And believe it or not, but some people see you have too much and wait and watch to see if you’re going to be humble enough to ask for help. And sadly enough, most people don’t! This is why I will never understand how they get so bent out of shape, when their load levels them! All you had to do was Ask For Help! Truth is many of our mountains are really just several molehills piled up! Therefore, if you want to avoid building mountains start delegating some of your molehills! “Sometimes asking for help is the bravest move you can make. You don’t have to go it alone. “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” (Author Unknown); “Don’t be shy about asking for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it only means you’re wise.” Everyone no matter how big and strong could use a little help sometimes. Never be afraid to ask for help when you need it. What are we here for, if not for each other? “Ask for help, not because you’re weak, but because you want to remain strong.” (Les Brown); “I’m courageous enough to know I can accomplish great things. I’m humble enough to know when to ask for help.” (Katrina Mayer)

(2)  GET REAL WITH GOD: Under stress a surge of negative emotions can be overwhelming, and unless you unburden your soul before God you’ll explode at the wrong people! The Psalmist suggests: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22 NIV ); “Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety” (Psalm 62:8 CEV). It’s no coincidence that many of the Psalms start out with the Psalmist crying out to God for help, and end with him rejoicing because he vented his pent-up frustrations! Maybe you should follow his example! “I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God’s arms like a little child, and trust” (Hudson Taylor). Sometimes that alone is Enough!

Think about it: Even Jesus had to deal with human emotions! He was compassionate; angry; greatly distressed; sleepy; in anguish; in pain; sorrowful; grieved; thirsty. He asked others to pray with Him and for Him. He wept. He had to deal with difficult family members, friends, disciples, and enemies. Daily He was confronted with the sick, those with ailments and disease; those in need of sight, hearing, speech; forgiveness. Jesus had a full Human plate just as many of us have today. And yet He was still humble enough and honest enough to get away by Himself for alone time with God. The Bible shares, “…Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out of the way places for prayer. And this is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing Jesus the Son of the Living God! And yet, He needed time away, because He never allowed His deity to mask his humanity. He shows us how to deal with varying daily struggles and yet be smart enough, human enough, to pull away and say enough. And if He can do it, surely He desires the very same of us. In His own words: “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 lie anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep companionship with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG) Sounds to me that God Himself doesn’t mind you getting a little rest in! “I do the best that I can do, and leave the rest to God.” (Danny Dummitt); “When we rest, we trust that God holds everything together.” (Margaret Feinberg); “When we do not allow time to rest, cracks in our spirit can leave us emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually fragile.” (Karen Ehman); “Throw yourself upon God’s faithfulness as you do upon your bed, bringing all your weariness to His dear rest.” (C.H. Spurgeon); “Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants us to always be stressed and pre-occupied.” (Author Unknown); “You have permission to rest. You are not responsible for fixing everything that is broken. You do not have to try and make everyone happy. For now, take time for you. It’s time to replenish. “If You Don’t Pick A Day To Rest Your Body Will Pick It For You!”  J.P.O.

The Psalmist cried out: “I’m awake all night.” (Psalm 77:4) In another translation the Psalmist REALLY lets you know how he feels: “I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal. When friends said, “Everything will turn out all right,” I didn’t believe a word they said. I remember God—and shake my head. I bow my head—then wring my hands. I’m awake all night—not a wink of sleep; I can’t even say what’s bothering me. I go over the days one by one, I ponder the years gone by. I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together” (Psalm 77:2-6 MSG).  

The truth is: You Can’t Escape All Stress, but you can learn to cope with it by taking control of your life in small but important ways:

(1)  THINK ABOUT SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF: David was so frazzled he was awake all night. Ever been there? That’s when you need to remember: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG). Elijah was depressed and suicidal when God showed him how to help himself. How you ask? BY Leaving The Cave He Was Hiding In, And Going Out And Ministering To Others! Focusing On Something Other Than Yourself Gives You Better Perspective! “All Praise To The God And Father Of Our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 MSG). Need help? Then Reach Out And Help Others! However, this does not mean adding someone else’s load to the one you’re already struggling with yourself! It means something a little more simplistic: Tutor a teen with a subject they’re struggling with; drop off a hot plate of food to a senior who lives alone or someone sick and shut in; send someone an encouraging quote who’s dealing with a burden; sit next to someone in service you know is hurting and hold their hand. You’ll be amazed how much of a break your brain will get from constantly being drained by your own struggles. And as an added bonus, when you began to help someone who is worse off than you, it helps to put things into perspective for yourself. Just maybe something or someone you’re struggling with is not as bad as you think…remember as bad as things are they can always become worse. So learn to appreciate where you are and what you have, and the best way to do that is helping someone else! “A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” (Dr. Steve Maraboli); “Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.” (Author Unknown); “We rise by lifting others.” (Robert Ingersoll); “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” (Ronald Reagan); “The strongest people make time to help others, even if they are struggling with their own problems.” (Simple Reminders); “As you grow older you discover you have two hands: one for helping yourself, one for helping others.” (Audrey Hepburn)

(2)  DON’T GET BITTER: Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you respond to it. When somebody you trust betrays or disappoints you, or you’re struggling financially after tithing faithfully for years, it’s easy to feel let down. But “…Don’t…become bitter” (Hebrews 12:15 CEV); it destroys relationships and cuts you off from God’s presence. The answer is learning to “Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMP). Don’t Become Bitter, Become Thankful, and Watch Things Become Better! “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:34 MSG) I know today many of you have the testimony that everything that could go wrong has gone wrong! Your son tattooed his forehead, your daughter pierced her tongue, your husband’s paycheck went down, your wife’s blood pressure went up, the dog chewed your work shoes, the job wants overtime while you have no vacation time, the toilet’s overflowing, the roof is leaking, the washer sounds like the car and the car sounds like the train! And naturally today is the last day to send in the check, sign the permission slip, drop that off and pick that up! No Wonder You Are Stressed! Well, let’s see if we can find just a little help! When life gets overwhelming remember these 4 simple things:

(1)  GOD’S STILL LOOKING OUT FOR YOU: I know what it feels like, I know what it looks like, I know what it sounds like, I know what it seems like, and still I say God is Looking Out for You! When things look bad, remind yourself that God’s bigger than your problem: “…Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God Will Help You Deal With Whatever Hard Things Come Up When The Time Comes”(Matthew 6:34 MSG) God has not and will not ever leave you or forsake you! Hebrews 13:5, “…for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, or 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) You my friend are never alone! You are never without His presence, His protection, His provision. Handle what you can handle then leave the rest in the hands of God. Remember: YOU said you trust Him…now’s the time to prove it!

(2)  DON’T QUIT: Every time you reach the breaking point it’s a test! You have before you a series of choices that will add up to either quitting, or persevering through to victory. Paul was flogged, thrown in jail, shipwrecked and run out of town, but he refused to give in to circumstances and in the end he was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have FINISHED the race, and I have REMAINED FAITHFUL” (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT).  DON’T QUIT! Don’t change jobs, change churches, or change spouses! Stick it out and wait for the Lord! He has promised you He has a guaranteed plan for your future: Jeremiah 29:11, “This is GOD’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for” (MSG) and last I checked He Still Cannot Lie and His Word Still Cannot Fail! (“…God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing His mind. Does He speak and not do what He says? Does He promise and not come through?” So I reiterate Don’t Quit; No matter how many things are going wrong. God will come through at just the Right time on your behalf!

(3)  IF IT’S NOT YOURS…DON’T TOUCH IT: Stress comes from micro-managing others and assuming responsibilities that aren’t yours! Establish healthy boundaries. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, ask God to show you. In other words, adhere to His Word: “…mind your own business; do your own job. (1 Thessalonians 4:11 MSG) Make Sure You Are Not Carrying Something God Never Gave You! Selah!

(4)  YOUR BREAKING POINT CAN BE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH: Ever heard the expression “hitting the wall?” Well, Runners use it when they’re exhausted and feel like giving up. But seasoned athletes know if they push through the pain they’ll get their second wind and experience a “runner’s high” that’ll carry them over the finish line! So, Don’t let the Overload Overwhelm you, you have a finish line to cross, so get your second wind, finish your assignment, then relax! Remember: You are called to Overcome not to become Overwhelmed! So today, Unload!

“Learn how to say ‘no’. Don’t let your mouth overload your back.” (Jim Rohn)

“Saying ‘yes’ to happiness means learning to say ‘no’ to things and people that stress you out.” (Thema Davis)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com