Satan, The Commander Of Hell’s Forces, Is Determined To Stop You From Ever Becoming What Jesus Died For You To Be. It Is Important To Understand That Satan Does Not Want You To Gain Any More Ground!

 

Mark 4:15, “These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the Word is sown; but when they hear, SATAN IMMEDIATELY comes and takes away the Word which has been sown in them.” (AMP)

When you around military people, you learn quite a bit about military lingo. And one of the terms I learned was “beachhead”. Now, since we are not all military types, it is probably good to explain what a beachhead is before we talk about one. A beachhead is not where the beach begins (yeah, that is what I thought it was, so what, do not laugh!). And for further clarity, it is also not a guy who just thinks about getting to the beach all the time!

You see, in wartime, a beachhead is serious business! It is a small piece of ground that you try to take as your first step in taking all the ground that your enemy holds! The dictionary defines it as “a fortified position on a beach taken by landing forces.”

For example, during WWII, two of the world’s greatest generals went against each other when the Allies set out to take North Africa back from the Germans. General Dwight Eisenhower, the commander of the Allied forces, planned to land and take three important beachheads. German general Rommel, the famous “Desert Fox “, basically said, “We must stop Eisenhower within 48 hours of his landing, or we won’t stop him.” They did not stop him. And five months after Eisenhower successfully captured that first beachhead, Rommel had to flee and surrender everything, including 250,000 soldiers. And he lost it all at that first beachhead!

Satan, The Commander Of Hell’s Forces, Is Determined To Stop You From Ever Becoming What Jesus Died For You To Be! And like any smart general, he knows he must stop you at that first beachhead, before you grow and gain any more ground. His strategy is revealed in Mark 4:15. “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. AS SOON AS they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”

Let us look at this Scripture in a few translations:

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

“This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, RIGHT AWAY SATAN COMES and steals the word that was planted in them.” (CEB).

“The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. NO SOONER DO THEY HEAR THE WORD THAN SATAN SNATCHES away what has been planted in them.” (MSG).

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

Here is what happens: God’s Word has landed in your heart. You are starting to gain some ground spiritually, so hell has been notified and your enemy is alarmed. He comes immediately to try to take away the ground you just gained through God’s Word. This is what causes us to become discouraged so quickly. Because as soon as God gives us a Word, Satan goes to War! God speaks healing, and here comes Satan with another symptom; God speaks wealth, and here comes Satan with an unexpected bill; God speaks promotion, and here comes Satan with a layoff; God speaks a new home, and here comes Satan with a leaky roof; God speaks opportunity, and here comes Satan with obstacles; God speaks calm, and here comes Satan with chaos; God speaks anniversary, and here comes Satan with divorce papers! And he does not drag his feet either, the Bible says, “at once, by force, right away, immediately, no sooner than, quickly, and as soon as” the Word is Sown, here comes Satan with his Shovel!

It is important to understand that Satan does not want you to gain any more ground!

Remember the beachhead, is “a fortified position on a beach taken by landing forces.” It is important to know that the beachhead is not vulnerable, it is fortified! And the word “fortified” is defined as, “to provide with defensive works as protection against attack.” Its Latin Origin “fortificare,” from “fortis” literally means “strong.” So, General Eisenhower was not landing on a ground that was not protected! It was guarded, just not well enough to stop him from taking it. Which is why Rommel said, “We must stop Eisenhower within 48 hours of his landing, or we won’t stop him.” Rommel knew Eisenhower was coming and knew that he was coming to take their ground, their land, their territory, and their beachhead. And he obviously knew how strategic and strong Eisenhower’s troops were because he immediately tells his own, “We must stop Eisenhower within 48 hours of his landing, or we won’t stop him.” And surely you recall how this attack ended from the opening statement: “…five months after Eisenhower successfully captured that first beachhead, Rommel had to flee and surrender everything, including 250,000 soldiers.” And he lost it all at that first beachhead!

Because Rommel did not stop Eisenhower, he had to flee, and surrender everything, including his soldiers!

Listen: If you do not Guard the Word God has given you, Satan will come in IMMEDIATELY, and fight to steal it! And in the end, you will be the one fleeing, and surrendering everything, including those attached to you!

In other words, by no means is Satan playing games, in fact, he is playing for keeps! “The thief’s PURPOSE is to STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY…” (John 10:10 NLT) Nothing about that sounds like child’s play! Which is why it is so vital that you take the enemy seriously! He has a Purpose just as much as you do! And if you let him, he will fulfill his, leaving you to forfeit yours!

Which may help explain why here at the beginning of the year things have suddenly gotten so tough for you, why things are going wrong, maybe why you do not have the spiritual enthusiasm you did before. Your logical reaction is, “I’ve been really trying to do what God wants, so what’s wrong here?” The answer is, “‘Nothing is wrong! It is because something is right! “

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

The enemy does not bother those who do not bother him! If you are not reading the Word, in prayer, fasting, obeying the commandments, fellow shipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ, walking in the Spirit, being directed, and guided by the Holy Ghost, what does he want with you? After all, what can you do to attack his kingdom, when you are not armed with any of the weaponry of the Kingdom yourself!?

However, for those who have made the decision to LAY ASIDE AND GET RID OF their bad habits, attitudes and addictions (Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (UNNECESSARY WEIGHT) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,” (AMPC); those who have decided to REIGNITE THE FIRE in their gifts, prayer and devotion time (2 Timothy 1:6, “That is why I would remind you to stir up (REKINDLE THE EMBERS OF, FAN THE FLAME OF, AND KEEP BURNING) the [gracious] gift of God, [THE INNER FIRE] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].” (AMPC); (1 Thessalonians 5:17, “BE UNCEASING IN PRAYER [PRAYING PERSEVERINGLY]” (AMPC); (1 Timothy 2:10, “But by doing good deeds (deeds in themselves good and for the good and advantage of those contacted by them), as befits women who profess reverential fear for and DEVOTION TO GOD.” (AMPC); those spending more time with God, the saints, and in the sanctuary; those hearing from God and following the directives of the Holy Ghost, the enemy is screaming from hell, “READY, AIM, FIRE!”

And by no means should that terrify you, in fact, it ought to excite you, that you are finally on the enemies hit list! It is not because of what you have done wrong, it is because you have finally got it right!

So now he has got to get himself in position to make it hard for you! He has got to stop your forward progress fast or there is no telling how much ground he is going to lose! He must stop you before you start interceding for folks, laying hands on people, speaking in tongues, binding the works of the flesh. He has got to stop you before you start pleading the blood of Jesus over your family; before you start anointing your children. He has got to stop you before you start speaking those things that be not as though they were. He has got to stop you before your hope is renewed and your faith is revived. He has got to stop you before you start believing that God meant just what He said concerning you. He has got to stop you before you start dreaming again. He has got to stop you before you stop living in the past and start seeing yourself in a great future. He has got to stop you from walking with God before you gain more ground! Remember this is the beginning of a new year and Satan must stop you before you even get started. If you recall my reading a couple of weeks ago while entering the New year, I mentioned that this year was going to be Bigger, Better & Greater and that scares the fool out of Satan.

Satan gets busy whenever God has made a major landing in your life. Maybe you have recently made a new surrender of your life to Jesus or you have said yes to His call on your life. You have stepped up to leadership. Could it be that you have begun a new work for the Lord? Made a new commitment to be the marriage partner or the parent you should be, to give more to the Lord’s work, to live by new priorities? Guess what? If so, alarm bells are going off in hell!

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

Remember, Rommel’s beachhead was guarded, just not well enough to stop Eisenhower’s attack! Which is why you must be sure you guard well your beachhead (‘your promise/your Word from God’). And how do you do that? By doing your part and allowing God to do His. What I love about James 4:7 is that when I come near to God, He comes near to me. And what greater protection can your beachhead possibly have than to have the Presence of the Lord nearby? Look at it like this: If there was a thief across the street from you, but you were surrounded by 20 of the NYPD’s finest, armed, locked and loaded…how scared would you really be of that thief? You would probably stand there in full confidence saying, “what you waiting for? Come on over here, in fact, I double-dog dare you!” And why are you able to say that? Because you are heavily guarded and protected! And just so you know that is not just an illustration, but it is the truth!

Psalm 91: “You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, say this: “God, you are my refuge. I trust in you and I’M SAFE!” That is right—he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge, outstretched arms protect you—under them you are PERFECTLY SAFE; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You will stand UNTOUCHED, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because God is your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil cannot get close to you, harm cannot get through the door. HE ORDERED HIS ANGELS TO GUARD YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. If you stumble, they will catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You will walk UNHARMED among lions and snakes and kick young lions and serpents from the path. “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I will give you the BEST OF CARE if you will only get to know and trust me. Call me and I will answer, be at your side in bad times; I will rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” (MSG)

That is the security you have when you come near to God and He comes near to you! Not only is He your refuge keeping you safe, but He is also Ordered (not asked) His angels to guard you wherever you go! Remember this the next time God gives you a Word. Protect it by remaining in the Presence of God. Knowing that His angels are with you, guarding you, keeping you safe, wherever you go. That is how you protect your beachhead (‘your promise/your Word from God’). Do not just let the devil take your property! Fight for it, guard it, and stay as close to God as you can!

Do not get all excited about the Word from God and forget to Guard it! Remember the enemy is ready to steal, kill and destroy, and that includes you and the Word of Promise given to you. Do not let him get it! He is ready and alert, now make sure you are too!

1 Peter 5:8-11, “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You are not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It is the same with Christians all over the world. So, keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering will not last forever. It will not be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are! —will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” (MSG) Stay Alert, The Devil Is Poised to Pounce! The Danger for us as believers in becoming lazy, is that the devil never is! He’s Poised to Pounce! He is in Position to Attack, are you?!

Charles Spurgeon said, “The greatest sign of God’s will and God’s power is the Devil’s growl.” If you are hearing the “growl” you are probably on the right track! The battle for the beachhead… it might be raging around you or even in you right now. Hold your ground, soldier! You are not losing, or the enemy would not bother with you. You are on your way to some of the greatest victories of your life! Protect Your Word, Protect Your Promise! He’s Only Getting Worse Because You are Getting Better! It will be a fight to the finish, but one you will finish and win! Keep your armor on and fight the good fight of faith!

You will Gain More Ground If You Keep the Devil Under Your Feet!

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses.” (AMP)

Psalm 144:1, “Praise and thanks be to the Lord, my rock. He makes my hands ready for war, and my fingers for battle.” (NLV)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man.  The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ” (AMP)

1 John 4:4, “Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].” (AMP)

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

Ephesians 6:10-18, “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So, take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we will walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You are up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it is all over but the shouting you will still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You will need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (MSG)

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org

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

 2 Corinthians 3:1-3, “Are we beginning to be like those false teachers of yours who must tell you all about themselves and bring long letters of recommendation with them? I think you hardly need someone’s letter to tell you about us, do you? And we do not need a recommendation from you, either! The only letter I need is you yourselves! By looking at the good change in your hearts, everyone can see that we have done a good work among you. They can see that you are a letter from Christ, written by us. It is not a letter written with pen and ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not one carved on stone, but in human hearts.” (TLB)

Out of nowhere, suddenly, we heard a loud ‘Boom’! Suddenly all the lights went out in the conference center where we were staying, just as we were all making our way out of our rooms and down this long hallway to breakfast. No windows. The hallway was longer than usual that morning because it was totally dark. Turns out the entire region experienced a power failure that morning. And guess what caused it? A squirrel got into a relay station and gnawed through a cable. In one split second, there was a fried squirrel and lights out!

But the problem that day really was not the darkness. Truth is, darkness is always dark, right? No shock and no surprise there. But the actual problem was the failure of the light. And a lot of us Christians have been lamenting what we perceive as the growing spiritual darkness around us: Fewer people identifying themselves as Christians, more people identifying themselves as nonbelievers, long-time moral boundaries that are eroding or collapsing. Marriages are failing, children are straying, there is so many robberies, fires, slashing’s, murders, and the like. Let Christians tell it, this is the worst the world has ever been, the darkest it has ever been!

But might I throw a monkey wrench into the equation? Because when it is dark, the problem is not the darkness. It is the failure of the light to shine. And Jesus Himself said to His followers, “YOU are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 NKJV). It appears something is wrong then with the light, not the dark. The dark is fulfilling its purpose, but the light, however, is not!

I can think of two ways that we are failing our world and our Lord. One has to do with a flawed message that obscures the true Message. But we will talk about that in a minute. In the meantime, here are three reasons why I think the light is so often obscured.

First, FLAWED MESSENGERS: Over and over, a watching world sees well-known Christians suddenly disgraced by a dark secret. You can probably think of some pastors, mega church “stars,” TV personalities, athletes, and politicians. And folks who do not like the message can now find another “hypocrite” to hide behind.

The sad fall of a prominent Christian is a teachable moment, underscoring three critical realities:

First, Each Jesus-Follower’s Life Is Either A Reason For Someone To Check Out Jesus Or Check Out On Jesus. You See, If I Drift Away From Him, I Take Watching Unbelievers With Me. 

That is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:12, “…We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.” (NLT) And Peter said, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when He judges the world.” (1 Peter 2:12 NLT). So, my little “sin fling” or “spiritual detour” will cost me God’s blessing. However, what is even more important is that it could also cost those watching me their eternity!

So, when we think it is just “our business” when we fail and fall, we could not be more wrong. Unbelievers are watching whether we are aware or not. It is a lot like an adult touching a hot stove, when kids see them doing it, they automatically see no problem or danger with touching it too. But the thing is, the adult has experience, they know what to touch and for how long. They have been burned before, so even though their hands may touch a hot stove, they know how to do so without injury. But children do not know this. They will simply imitate what they have seen us do. And the result is their hurt. Unbelievers are the same. They are watching us, and many, believe it or not, are imitating us, but to their own hurt. We are not giving them the whole story on how we have been burnt before. So, they do what we do to their own demise. They end up hurt, by following our lead. We must learn to pay greater attention to what we do, say and how we behave. Others are watching, others are imitating. And we do not want to be found guilty of causing hurt to someone we were supposed to be helping.

Then secondly, every time a public Christian is discredited, the importance of the everyday Christian is elevated. The Christian who is in a seeker’s life every day has far more impact than any Christian in the spotlight. I am the face, the voice, the proof of Jesus to the unbelievers in my personal world for better or for worse. Therefore, it is always important that I walk the talk. It is exponentially important that I am consistent especially when there has been a public Christian disgrace. When they see me, they have got to be able to see Jesus all day every day. Like it or not, truth is, when people see that ONE preacher has failed, we are ALL GROUPED TOGETHER as “see, that’s what I mean about THEM preachers”. Many have been assassinated by association. So, when one falls, it is vital that we that are standing, remain standing as we help our brother/sister back on their feet. Galatians 6:1-3, “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” (MSG)

I reiterate, others are watching, others are imitating.

Here is one other very vital reality. The Failure Of The Messenger Does Not Change The Truth Of The Message. Jesus Said, “Follow Me.” Not follow My followers. He said, “I am the Way” (John 14:6). Not, “I will show you the way.” He told us, “I am the resurrection and the life…he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25). Not, believe in someone who practices the Christian religion. No, He said, “Believe in Me. Follow Me.” Therefore, I do not want you to think I am letting folks off the hook. Even when the messenger is flawed, the Message is still flawless! Jesus made it all about Jesus. So, while a hypocrite might provide an excuse for not believing, they do not provide a valid reason. Because it is what we do (personally) with Jesus that determines our eternity. In fact, that is the question you will face when you see God. “What did you do with My Son who died on a cross for you?” So, this does not take away people (or unbelievers) personal accountability to receive, follow and obey Christ. But we are His messengers with His message of salvation, healing, deliverance, and change, and when we handle the message haphazardly, it causes harm to them that have yet to believe.

Believers, we play a huge part in the eternity of others. People listen to what we say about our Savior, but more importantly, they watch to see if we are living what we say. Which reminds me of something I once read that said: “There are five Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – and the Christian. Most people never read the first four.” (Author Unknown) That observation, made a long time ago, could not be truer today. I, and you, are Living Epistles, we are Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily, whether we are at work, in church, in the laundromat, in traffic, or on a Friday or Saturday night. People are reading us as the Word and Work of God.

If our world’s getting darker, then something must be wrong with what folks are “reading,” in the Christians – the messengers – the light of the world – they know. And truth is, the problem is not the message, and it is not about the messenger, but with the way the messenger represents the message.

That message is, as the Bible says, is the “good news about Jesus” – the love that died for us, the power that crushed death. So, the problem sure is not the message. But the Good News does not sound as good when it is obscured by three mistakes that we the messengers make.

Number one, our TONE. So many unbelievers I know use some unwelcome words to describe Christians. You may have heard them: “angry,” “judgmental,” “condemning.” Did you know up to 80% of communication is tone? Not what we say, but how we say it. So, is our tone drowning out our message?

Jesus’ main man, Simon Peter, seemed to learn that over time. Earlier, he was brash, he was explosive. But later, he said we should “But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect. “(1 Peter 3:15). Is that how people feel when they are with us – “gentled” and “respected?” Listen to the Message Bible translation: “If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you are still better off. Do not give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you are living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They will end up realizing that they are the ones who need a bath. It is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That is what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.” (3:13-18 MSG) We are as believers to make sure that our tone is always, “…WITH THE UTMOST COURTESY…” Which should make you ask? Is it our message folks are rejecting or our tone as we deliver it? This is not about winning an argument. It is about winning a heart. Think about it: No one reads a love letter the same as they do a letter of condemnation. One makes them feel special, loved, important, valued, it makes them smile. The other makes them feel condemned, judged, criticized, unloved, irrelevant, it makes them frown. And the same goes for us and our tone in delivering the Good News. You Cannot Deliver Good News with a Bad Tone! Even if they are in the wrong, it does not make it right for us to scream at the top of our lungs, “you’re going to hell!” Because, if God drew us with loving-kindness, who are we to lash out at others with anything less?

Then secondly, our message gets obscured when it becomes OUR message. We Jesus-followers have one authority for the message that changes eternities. It is God’s Word. “All Scripture” the Bible calls it. And it says it is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). “God-breathed “…Not Apostle; Bishop; Pastor; Elder; Minister ; Deacon; or Missionary ! It is not OUR personal message, it is His. His Word, His Message, His Gospel, His Breath! 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is GOD-BREATHED [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (AMP) You see, when it becomes our personal message, it becomes about us, and we did not bare the cross, the nails, the spear, the wounds, the agony, the blood, the pain, the death or the resurrection for anyone, Jesus alone did that. Therefore, the message of Hope is about Him…not us! Many are being turned away and turned off because we have spent so much time talking about the wonderful clay and all the great things it has been shaped to become, but not sharing that it is the Potter that makes it all possible.

2 Corinthians 4:7, “Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure BELONGS TO GOD AND DOESN’T COME FROM US.” (GWT)

Jeremiah 18:1-6, “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will make you hear My words.”  Then I went down to the potter’s house and saw that he was working at the wheel.  But the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled by the potter’s hand; so, he made it over, reworking it and making it into another pot that seemed good to him.” Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” says the Lord. “Look carefully, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.” (AMP)

It is never about the messenger, only the message. It is never about the clay, only the treasure within. It is never about the vessel, only the hand that molds it.

I reiterate, sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is About HIM, NOT US!

Another danger is that as our culture moves, and Christians tend to move with it. Always keeping an apparently “righteous distance” but quickly ending up where non-believers were as little as ten years ago. Reinterpreting, rationalizing, diluting their source (the Bible) to justify their “flexible truth.” But when we adjust our beliefs to placate our culture, we are no longer the choice Jesus called us to be. We are just an echo of our culture, losing the power of God’s voice for some wimpy blend of Christianity and cultural appeasement. We stop speaking about sin, holiness, righteousness, repentance, because we need to say things in a way that brings them to the church (not changes them or even brings them to Christ) just brings them to the church. However, that is not the goal. The goal is saved souls. And we cannot accomplish that calling Sin: “affairs, struggles, issues, strongholds” NO, Sin is just that, Sin.

BUT there is an alternative, and His name is Jesus! Church, we must get back to a clear, concise message about Jesus. And the only way to do that is to preach, teach, and share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Not the latest cliché, not the latest movie title or dance, not the latest slang. But the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Completely Undiluted, Uncontaminated, Unaltered, Unadulterated!

As Martin Luther essentially stood against the whole world in his day, here was his anchor verse: “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). If it stands firm in the heavens, we cannot change it here on earth! That word “eternal” is defined as, “lasting or existing forever.” Meaning the Word should remain the Word always (not depending on where we are, who we are around or what we are assigned to do). You cannot alter the Word of God. You cannot add to it or take away from it. It needs to remain in its most effective state and that is pure and unaltered! Whether you share the Good News in church, at work, in your home, at the shelter, at the gas station, to 500 people or to 5, to the CEO or the garbage man, the Word is to remain Unchanged! We do not compromise the integrity of the Word of God to fit and suit our culture (or conference, convocation, morning sermon etc.). So, when people read your life, make sure they are reading a clear, concise, unchanged Word about Jesus!

Thirdly, I think our message can be obscured by our BAGGAGE. The Gospel is compelling when it is just the Gospel. But some people never get to the Gospel because of the baggage we encumber it with church, denomination, culture wars, rules, condemning people’s lifestyles. However, the fact remains, it is all about Jesus! Not our personal opinions; our ideologies; our experiences; our imaginations; our feelings. No, none of that matters. The message is about Jesus! It needs no fluff, no rhymes, no jingles, no eloquence of speech. Just the unadulterated Word of God about Jesus…about Salvation.

Even Jesus made it all about Jesus with His simple invitation, “Follow Me” (Mark 1:17). “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28). “Believe in Me” (John 14:1). The message we are to share is that people are to follow, come to and believe in JESUS! Not us, not our church, not our ministry, not our pastor, not our gifts, not our anointing, not our choir, not our praise breaks! But JESUS! That is why Paul, Jesus’ greatest ambassador said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “for I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].” (AMP) In other words, I do not want nor to need to hear anything else but JESUS!

Charles Spurgeon said the Cross is “that magnificent magnet.” Because “if they perceive,” Spurgeon said, “that He loved them and gave Himself for them, their hearts are stolen away.” And all that happens simply by the Cross. Not our name, anointing, gifts, preaching, teaching, power, etc.…but the CROSS!

Can you imagine what would happen if we went back to preaching the Word, preaching Jesus, preaching the Cross, preaching holiness, preaching the Blood?!

That message, uncompromised, unencumbered, delivered with love, is what it has always been. Romans 1:16, “The power of God at work, saving everyone who believes”. It is all about Jesus and His Cross and His Word. Stick to that!

Messengers who act like Jesus, a message that is all about Jesus. That is a bright light on an otherwise dark and dangerous stretch of road.

We, my friends, are Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily. Make sure that the Message they read in our lives is that of the Unadulterated Word of God, the Name of Jesus and the Power of His Blood, Cross, Salvation, Healing, Deliverance, and Redemptive Life-Changing Power!

Do not Speak About the Horrible Gossip You Heard When You Can Speak About the Holy Ghost You Heed!

Do not complicate the Message, do not confuse the readers, keep it simple…keep it about the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus!

“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but it’s sending capacity.” (Mike Stachura)

“My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.” (Billy Graham)

“I believe that in each generation God has called enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call, it is man who will not respond.” (Isobel Miller Kuhn)

“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God.” (MSG)

2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God.” (MSG)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.org