If This Is How God Feels About The Stench Of Sin, Why Does The Odor Not Bother The Body Of Christ Any Longer? Today, Determine To Be The Fragrance Of God, Which Abhors The Scent Of Sin! God Give Us Back Our Distinction.

 You Can’t Be the SAME And Make a DIFFERENCE”

2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: “I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people. So, leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.” The Word of the Master, God.” (MSG)

Years ago, some friends who lived near a heavy industrial area where the mills filled the air with a shall we say very distinctive aroma; well smell would be a better word for it. It was sort of a sulfur-like, rotten eggs type of odor. When you first went there, you would sniff and you would go, “What is that?” And the people who lived there would say, “What’s what?” See, they had lived around the stink so long, it did not even register any more. Well, there are simply some smells you should never get used to!

Which brings us to Ezekiel 9:2-4. It’s where the prophet is receiving his instructions from the Lord in the form of a vision, and here’s what it says: “Six men appeared at his call, coming from the upper north gate, each one with his sword. One of them wore linen clothing and carried a writer’s case strapped to his side. They all went into the Temple and stood beside the bronze altar. And the glory of the God of Israel rose from between the Guardian Angels where it had rested and stood above the entrance to the Temple. And the Lord called to the man with the writer’s case and said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who weep and sigh because of all the sins they see around them.”

God is saying here, “I’m looking for some people who don’t gloss over the sin around them; people who literally grieve over sin.” Well, they were hard to find then; and truth is, they are hard to find now. Those kinds of people were special then, and they are special now. People who do not get so used to being in the middle of sin that they do not notice the ‘smell’ anymore. Do you understand that it was so strange, odd, and unusual to find people who grieved over sin that God sent a vision to the prophet about sending out people to scout out the land and “mark” those who were indeed bothered by sin? Let us look at verse 4 in a few translations to see the type of people God was looking for:

“The Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, throughout all of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who SIGH [IN DISTRESS] AND GRIEVE OVER ALL THE REPULSIVE ACTS WHICH ARE BEING COMMITTED IN IT” (AMP);

God was looking for those who were lamenting, crying, groaning, in anguish, troubled, disgusted, repulsed, upset…ABOUT THE SINS OF THE CITY! I wonder if He looked for people like that today, in His church, would He find anyone to mark?

Does the church lament, cry, groan, feel in anguish, troubled, disgusted, repulsed and upset about the sins of the city? Or have we sat amongst it so long that the scent of sin doesn’t even smell to us any longer? Does adultery still stink to us? Does lying still smell foul to us? Does backbiting still offend our nostrils? Does discord still smell foul in the sanctuary? Or have we learned to use religious behavior to act as Febreze and attempt to mask the smell? Do we spray church lingo over stuff that only needs one word “sin” to describe its scent? Are we bothered, are we disturbed, are we convicted, or have we become so tolerant that we’re no longer even moved by the odor? Do we have a heart for the lost?

I spoke with a friend of mine who so happens to be a sanitation worker. And I asked him, “how in the world do you do a job that smells like this every-day?” He gave me a two-fold response. For one he said, “for the amount of money they pay me, the scent isn’t all that bad”. And then he added something that brought about today’s word, he said “once you’ve been around the stench so much, and so often, and for so long, you literally learn to block out the smell.” Now, I cannot lie to you, I’m still perplexed, because anytime I’ve passed a sanitation truck, I for the life of me can never just block out the scent! However, I am only around such a stench every now and then, but sanitation workers are around it all the time. Which made me think of something my friend’s doctor said a few years ago. He said, “we have to change her medication because she’s been on it for so long that her body has built up an immune to it, and therefore it no longer works because its’ been in and apart of her make-up for so long now, that her body treats the medication as if it were just one of her vital organs functioning as it should as a part of the rest of her body.” I am afraid that the church has become just like that! We have built up an immune to sin that it no longer looks or smells wrong because we’ve been in it for so long that it doesn’t bother us in the least. Its’ become a part of our make-up. It functions in us as though it were one of the vital organs in the Body of Christ. But this should not be so!

Chances are that you come in daily contact with a lot of sinful garbage; lying that’s considered just to be smart business, an acceptance of adultery (or do we call it “an affair, weakness, or indiscretion”? you know we like to use a prettier sounding term, so it doesn’t seem so bad), or just a flippant attitude toward sexual purity.” See, that is casual about something God calls sacred. It’s a flippant “who cares” approach to a sacred act of love, created by God for a lifetime bond. When did we, the church, become so accepting and tolerant of ALL things? What happened to the church’s distinction?

Leviticus 10:8-11, “God instructed Aaron: “When you enter the Tent of Meeting, don’t drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, lest you die. This is a fixed rule down through the generations. Distinguish between the holy and the common, between the ritually clean and unclean. Teach the People of Israel all the decrees that God has spoken to them through Moses.” (MSG);

Leviticus 20:24-26, “I’ve told you, remember, that you will possess their land that I’m giving to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am God, your God, who has distinguished you from the nations. So, live like it: Distinguish between ritually clean and unclean animals and birds. Don’t pollute yourselves with any animal or bird or crawling thing which I have marked out as unclean for you. Live holy lives before me because I, God, am holy. I have distinguished you from the nations to be my very own.” (MSG)

From the priests to the people, God has always Distinguished His own! The word “distinguish” is defined as “to recognize, show, or treat as different; to have an identifying characteristic; to be dignified in appearance; to successfully command great respect.” Its Latin Origin “distinguere”, from “stinguere” literally means “to put out.” In other words, to stand out from anything else! Look at it like this: If you visit any jewelry store, you will see that the costume jewelry does not mix with the real jewelry! How it has made, how it’s crafted, how it’s priced and valued, and even where it’s placed at in the store lets you know the difference between the two. And likewise, should be said of the church! The world should be able to see that we do not mix, don’t match and distinction is why! However, as sad as it may be, you cannot seem to tell the difference anymore between the holy and unholy, the clean and unclean, the fragrant and the funky, because we’ve dwelt together so long in the same space that they all appear one in the same!

I remember buying a bag of mixed bagels. I had everything from plain, to poppy seed, to cinnamon raisin, to onion. But when I opened the bag, all I could smell on all of them was the onion. Because its scent was the most prominent and dominant among them all. Even the ones it didn’t physically touch, still carried its scent because of its closeness in proximity. Makes me wonder if that’s what’s happening with the church? Have we spent so much time marrying, dating, having children, going to church…? WITH THE WORLD…. that you can no longer tell the 2 worlds apart? Have we gotten so close and comfortable with the world, that you can no longer see the Kingdom in the Church?

What happened to obeying Scriptures like:

Romans 12:1-2, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (MSG)

With all that said, I must then ask, how did we go from Distinguished and Distinct to Compromise and Conformity? When did we lose our Sense of the Scent of Sin?

2 Corinthians 2:15-16, “In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.” (MSG)

I must then ask; how did we go from Distinguished and Distinct to Compromise and Conformity? Does the church lament, cry, groan, feel in anguish, troubled, disgusted, repulsed and upset about the sins of the city? Or have we sat amongst it so long that the scent of sin doesn’t even smell to us any longer? Does adultery still stink to us? Does lying still smell foul to us? Does backbiting still offend our nostrils? Does discord still smell foul in the sanctuary?

How did we go from the Exquisite Fragrance of Christ, the Sweet-Smelling Scent of God, an Aroma of Life, to smelling like the scent of sin? When did we lose our Sense of the Scent of Sin? What happened to obeying Scriptures like: Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. We as the church need to regain our Distinction! We Cannot Continue to Walk With God & Hold Hands With The devil. Somebody is going to end up in trouble like Peter did, somebody is going to get hurt.

The word “distinct” is defined as “to be recognizably different or individual; to be able to be perceived clearly by the senses; a marked difference or contrast; outstanding excellence; special honor or recognition; expressly different from others of its kind” Its Latin Origin “distinctus”, from “distinguere” literally means “distinguish”. Church, we need to be recognizably different from the world! We need a Peter experience!

The Bible says, “And after a while came unto him, they that stood by, and said to Peter, surely thou also art one of them; FOR THY SPEECH BEWRAYETH THEE.” (Matthew 26:73) Listen to this verse in varying translations:

“…FOR EVEN YOUR [GALILEAN] ACCENT GIVES YOU AWAY.” (AMP);

“…FOR WE CAN TELL BY YOUR GALILEAN ACCENT.” (TLB);

Peter could not blend in because his distinction wouldn’t let him! Those who were not “with” him knew that something about him being here is simply out of place. They even went so far as to say, “We can tell; certainly; it’s obvious; of course; it’s clear; you’ve got to be and surely you are.” They had absolutely no doubt and no question about the fact that Peter was with Jesus. Therefore, him being there with them, was out place! They said “…surely you are one of those who followed Jesus. The way you talk shows it.” Peter’s distinctive speech betrayed him! He could not blend, could not hide, couldn’t join in, couldn’t go unnoticed, and all because who he really was couldn’t be camouflaged! Would people be able to see the evidence of your relationship to Jesus in your speech and conduct, despite where you are or who you’re around?

Warming Ourselves by the Enemy’s Fire

Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So, the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”  Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself…. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So, they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?”  Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed. John 18: 15 -18; 25 – 27

As a leader, minister, Rev, evangelist, pastor I often hear different people ask, “Why does it seem that my life is going nowhere?” When I ask for clarity, they share that it seems like their spiritual lives are stagnate and stale. And as we dive deeper into discussion, it often becomes revealed that they are not near the Lord. They share that they were following the Lord and somehow noticed one day He was not anywhere to be found. What a sad discovery to come upon; especially when it is YOU who realizes this.

Do not lose heart dear friends, you are not the only ones this happens to many people; even those who were walking closely with the Lord. In this passage, we see two disciples: Peter and the other disciple (many scholars believe this to be John the Beloved; the one whom Jesus gave charge over His mother to at the crucifixion.) coming to be with Jesus during His last night on earth before His resurrection. John follows Jesus into the courtyard and Peter decided to warm himself by the fires of those who have just turned their backs on Jesus. These people followed the ways of earthly rulers and leaders because they did not see Jesus for who He is. Both Peter and John did see this, and John never wanted to leave the side of Christ. Peter decided to warm himself at the enemy’s fire.

While there, Peter is confronted by those around him that he (Peter) was with Jesus. It is not fair for me to say that Peter though this or that at that time, so I will not pretend to know. However, what I do know is that just hours before, Peter pledged to not only live for Jesus, but was willing to die for Him. Jesus, knowing all things, told Peter that he would deny even knowing Him. Peter, being the hard-headed person he was, argued with Jesus that it would never happen! As the story shares, it came to pass. In Luke’s passage (Luke 22:31 – 32), Jesus even shares how He prayed for Peter and testified that he (Peter) would be restored to fellowship with Him.

Peter’s mistake, I personally believe, was that he left the side of the Savior and warmed himself in the camp of the ones who were out to destroy Him and all those connected to Him. That same experience is happening today. There are those who follow Jesus even into the courtyards and the possibility of facing the same fate as Him and there are those (even “Christians”) who will be content separating themselves from Him to be warmed by the worldly fires. And like Peter, will deny even knowing Jesus. We warm ourselves by the fires of greed, fame, power, judgment, lust, gossip, worthlessness, anger, envy and then cry out, “Where are You, Jesus? Why did You leave me?” He never left our side; we left His side to warm ourselves by other things than His love. Jesus, unlike ourselves, can be in the world and not of it (meaning that He can be around those people who influence us to stray from God’s side and stand firm.)

I’m quite sure in our day many of us have spent our time by the enemy’s fire; warming ourselves by its light only to find that we were colder and more bitter than we were when we were with Jesus. I now try to be like the other disciple and to follow Him even unto the cross. I want to be the one who will go to the ends of the earth with Jesus. We do not want to blind ourselves though; there are some people who still have moments of what I call “Peter Syndrome”, meaning that they might try to warm themselves by the enemy’s fire. I hope that will never happen nor that they will develop a relapse of it.

Do you find yourself suddenly apart from the Lord? Wonder where you lost sight of Him? Are you warming yourselves by the fires of your soul’s enemy? Do not become lost in the crowd; keep fixated on the Lord. Stay by His side. Grab hold of Him if you need to. Whatever it takes, STAY BY HIS SIDE if you want to see miracles happen, healings take place, and if you want direction in your lives.

Father,

There is nothing more warming than to be by Your side. Please take my hand when I want to warm myself by anything else than by Your Love. I want to follow You like John and when I stray from Your side, let me have the heart of Peter and to weep bitterly for ever leaving your side. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You cannot cover up distinction, its visible evidence! So much so, that even the senses can tell something is different!

See, the problem is, we are around sin so much sometimes it does not break our heart anymore, but it breaks God’s heart all the time, and He’s looking for people whose heart it can still break. We hear people treat God’s name, Jesus’ name, like dirt. Jesus, the name at which every knee will bow. There are attitudes that amount to nothing less than idol worship, and we’re no longer bothered by it: living for money, living for a guy or a girl, living for music, careers, and entitlements, living for the next party, living for a ring, robe, positions, and chairs. It’s time we prayed, “God, give me back my sense of spiritual smell. “

Isaiah 65:1-7, “I’ve made myself available to those who haven’t bothered to ask. I am here, ready to be found by those who haven’t bothered to look. I kept saying ‘I’m here, I’m right here’ to a nation that ignored me. I reached out day after day to a people who turned their backs on me, People who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way. They get on my nerves, are rude to my face day after day, Make up their own kitchen religion, a potluck religious stew. They spend the night in tombs to get messages from the dead, Eat forbidden foods and drink a witch’s brew of potions and charms. They say, ‘Keep your distance. Do not touch me. I’m holier than thou.’ These people gag me. I CAN’T STAND THEIR STENCH. Look at this! Their sins are all written out— I have the list before me. I am not putting up with this any longer. I will pay them the wages. They have coming for their sins. And for the sins of their parents lumped in, a bonus.” God says so. “Because they’ve practiced their blasphemous worship, mocking me at their hillside shrines, I’ll let loose the consequences and pay them in full for their actions.” (MSG)

If This Is How God Feels About The Stench Of Sin, Why Does The Odor Not Bother The Body Of Christ Any Longer?

For you who are reading this, today is a good day to pray and ask God to deliver us and give us back our distinction. Because the truth is, we can’t be the same as the world and make a difference. They should feel free to come into our church services, but they should feel something that makes them know that they cannot stay the same way they came. We cannot blend, compromise, conform, tolerate, and certainly not water down the Gospel. We must stand up and stand out so that we might be able to bring them in. Today, Determine To Be The Fragrance Of God, Which Abhors The Scent Of Sin!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Never Allow The Immaturity Of Your Company to Compromise The Growth Of Your Calling! Some People Can’t Go Where You’re Going. SEPARATE. IN ORDER TO ELEVATE.

 The Lord already knew every hardship that would arise... and He’s planned people and blessings to show up just to bless you. Just watch...this is the season you see God become so very personal to you! I declare the Lord knows how to comfort and soothe your heart...just watch.

When you need God knows. When you ask, God listens and when you believe, God Works.  It may look like your situation is never going to change, but in a split-second God can completely resolve it. Lord, today please show us verses you want us to pray so we can see Your Word Come Alive in our circumstances and become active in our life.

Let nothing that happens today, or has happened before, discourage you about tomorrow. Our words create things and tear things down. Pray that your words today would honor God and that the things you say might cooperate with what God wants to accomplish in you. God's plans for your life far exceed the circumstances of your day. Let God's promises shine on your problems.

Ruth 1:14, “Then they wept aloud again, and Orpah KISSED her mother-in-law [GOODBYE]…” (AMP)

Some People Can’t Go Where You’re Going. Some will want to, but can’t... or won’t, because of what’s required. I don’t know who needs to hear this again but, SEPARATE... IN ORDER TO ELEVATE. Certain things can’t happen for you until God sees that you’re willing to clean house. Sometimes You Just Have To Kiss And Say Goodbye to Friends and Relatives. Ruth 1:14, “Then they wept aloud again, and Orpah KISSED her mother-in-law [GOODBYE]…” (AMP)

The truth is, for some people in our lives, it is time to simply kiss and say goodbye.

Ruth told Naomi, “Where you go, I will go.” And to be honest, you can spend your life anywhere with anybody doing anything, then suddenly meet someone and sense that there is a connection between you. It comes so naturally that they become a part of your life, attached as permanently as your hand is attached to your arm. It’s what made Elisha quit farming and follow Elijah, an eccentric prophet; it’s why Timothy hung out with Paul, an older man soon to be executed. You know intuitively, “I won’t reach my destiny without you in my life.” Looking back, you realize if you hadn’t met that certain person, or taken that phone call, added that Facebook friend, or read that email, you wouldn’t be where you are today. Truth is, so many people in our lives have played such major roles in helping us to become the greater person we’ve become, that it’s hard to even fathom life without them. It’s what kept Ruth attached to Naomi, even at the most miserable of times. Despite death, loss, famine, and the struggle to begin again, Ruth stayed. And man did her decision pay off! She meets and marries Boaz and produces a great seed in Obed. Naomi is provided for and gets a fresh start at life. She can finally leave the “Mara” (bitterness) feelings behind her, a new and great day has indeed come. And all because Ruth remained. And it doesn’t make Ruth good or bad, it’s just that her Character was not finished in the Role it would Play in Naomi’s Story.

On the other hand, “Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye”. Now, Orpah’s leaving didn’t make her a bad person; it just meant her role in the story was over. Likewise, we need to learn how to recognize when somebody’s part in our story is over, otherwise we’ll kill ourselves constantly trying to raise the dead.

David pleaded with God for his newborn baby’s life. 2 Samuel 12:16-17, “David therefore appealed to God for the child [to be healed]; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.  The elders of his household stood by him [in the night] to lift him up from the ground, but he was unwilling [to get up] and would not eat food with them.” (AMP). But, when the child died, he had to accept that there was nothing more he could do, so he, “…got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself [with olive oil], changed his clothes, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came [back] to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.” (12:20 AMP).

I can tell you from experience, one of the greatest things you can do for your body, soul, spirit, heart, emotions, and peace of mind, is to acknowledge when something in your life is over! I have learned if God mean for you to have it, He’ll give it to you.  Psalm 84:11 declares, “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (NLT). If you’re supposed to get it, God will give it to you! James 1:17 confirms, “But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God…” (TLB) The Message Bible says it like this: “So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.” 16-18 MSG). Saints, if it was good for you, perfect for you, desirable for you, or beneficial for you, God would have given it to you! If He hasn’t, trust His decision. He’s a Father who will always do what is in His children’s best interest.

So, if you’ve tried to make it work and it hasn’t, accept His will in the matter. Get up, buy yourself a new outfit, treat yourself out to a good meal; whatever you do, just keep living! Never beg anyone to stay with you against their will, be it a relationship, friendship, or business/ministry partner. Their leaving is no accident; it just means God has something bigger, better, and greater in store for you (and possibly them too), so trust Him and move forward!

Sometimes, like it or not, people will leave your life. And there will also be times when you’ll have to make the decision to leave theirs. Listen to this:

Genesis 13:1, “So Abram left Egypt…and Lot was still with him…” (MSG).

Then read Genesis 13:14-17, “After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, “Open your eyes, look around. Look north, south, east, and west. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, get moving! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I’m giving it all to you.” (MSG)

Did you read the good news I read? “AFTER LOT SEPARATED FROM HIM…” then the Bible says, “…GOD SAID TO ABRAM…” After Lot left, God spoke to Abram some of the most awesome promises in Scripture. Literally, nowhere could Abram turn, and not bump into a blessing! North, South, East, and West…Abram Would Be Prosperous! BUT God only spoke this, AFTER LOT LEFT!

I know it’s hard when the person you love leaves, but sometimes for God to give you what He’s had on reserve for you, you must release them first! Sometimes that will be a family member, a friend, a business associate, a ministry colleague. Sometimes the length of time together will be decades, years, months, weeks, days, or even mere hours, minutes, and seconds.  But when God says it’s time to let go, Let Them Go! Will it be easy? Absolutely not! Will it be impossible? Absolutely not! It will hurt, you may cry, you’ll experience regret, but you will continue to live on.

What’s Coming Is Better Than What’s Been. That’s something I need you to hold on to. God’s best for you is not behind you, but before you. However, if you keep holding onto your past, you’ll never be able to grab a hold of the great future God has in store for you.

More people will come, and yes, more people will leave as well. Your life is the ink in God’s pen, He’s the author writing a beautiful story, full of drama, action, suspense, comedy, romance, and the like. But you must remember that it’s His pen, His story, His characters. You must learn to be okay with the characters He brings to life, and the ones He allows to die off.

In closing, my favorite time of year is Autumn. I love everything about it! The weather is perfect, the scenery is beautiful, the clothing shifts and has such warm colors, the scents change to more apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa. It’s my absolute favorite season! But there’s more to it than that for me. You see, Autumn is also a time when things change, get fickle, and fall off!

Therefore, in your Fall seasons in life, you better prepare yourself to let some shady, fickle folks fall!

And don’t complain when they fall off either! Fall is the season in which things, and people, are supposed to fall off! Can we keep it simple? When leaves fall, we rake ‘em up, put ‘em in a bag, tie it up, and sit it out for the garbage. We do not, however, attempt to pick ‘em up, and put ‘em back on the tree! See, when folks start falling off, you need to rake ‘em, bag ‘em, tie ‘em and put ‘em out for the garbage! Understand that the reason you keep failing your fall exam is because you keep trying to pick ‘em up and put ‘em back!  The key to passing the test is, in the fall, let ‘em fall!

There are two animals that possess a characteristic I love. And that’s Cats and Dogs. They do something regular, that I’ve learned to do regular myself, they shed. Now, the word “shed” means “to allow to fall off; to discard; to get rid of; to take and cast off”. Its Old English Origin means to, ‘separate or divide’.

See, cats, and dogs don’t shed, and attempt to put back on, what fell off! And neither should you! You need to get serious enough about your purpose and accept the fact that anyone that fell, wasn’t strong enough to hold you up in the first place; anyone that separated, wasn’t faithful enough to remain in covenant; and anyone that divided was subtracted because they couldn’t add or multiply anything worthwhile to your life anyhow! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall!

Proverbs 30:25 says: “…they prepare their meat in the summer…” Don’t miss it: They gather in the summer, they drop things that are not a necessity in the fall, so they have what they need, their meat, in the winter! Let me help you, the reason you have nothing in your hands in the winter, is because you gathered everybody in the summer, but you didn’t let none of them non-essential folks go in the fall! And now, in the dead of winter, you have no meat in your hands, cause you still trying to hold up those you should’ve let down! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall! 

You’re suffering because you’re trying to carry junk food into a winter season that requires Meat! The Bible says, “…they prepare their MEAT in the summer.” Listen to me well, your next season Requires MEAT! In the words of the Apostle Paul, “But strong MEAT belonged to them that are of full age…” (Hebrews 5:14). Your next level is a level of maturity and growth, a level of tenacity and stamina, a level where your childish things have been put away! A level of blessings and promise, a level of breakthroughs and victory! But only MEAT is strong enough to sustain you at such a level! Might I give you some valuable advice worthy to be followed? Before your next Promotion get rid of those still wearing Pampers! Before your next Degree get rid of those still Drooling! Before your next Baptism get rid of those still wearing Bibs! Before your next Calling get rid of those still Crying in Cribs! Before your next Revelation get rid of those still shaking Rattles! Before your next Touch get rid of those still Teething, because this next level Requires Those That Can Chew and Digest MEAT! Only MEAT is strong enough to sustain you in the season of winter! Therefore, you’ve got to let some folks go! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall! Why? Cause my destiny is at stake; my calling is on the line; my purpose is trying to press through; my vision is getting clearer and I’m in the 9^th month of birthing what’s in my belly! I can’t risk going without in the winter because I didn’t forfeit in the fall! I’m warning you, in the fall, let ‘em fall!

Never allow the Immaturity of your Company to Compromise the Growth of your Calling! 

Some people can’t go where you’re going. Some will want to, but can’t... or won’t, because of what’s required. I don’t know who needs to hear this again but, SEPARATE... IN ORDER TO ELEVATE.

Certain things can’t happen for you until God sees that you’re willing to clean house.

And be bold enough to tell them the truth! It’s because of where I’m going that I can’t take non-essentials with me. See, when it came time for the sacrifice, it was only between Abraham and Isaac, he told the servants to stay where they were! What’s about to take place don’t involve you! And you need to do the same! Only take those who are essential to the process, provision, promise and promotion of your next season! No non-essentials allowed! 

Well then, just for clarity, who are the non-essentials I can’t take with me? Glad you asked! You can’t take folks still fighting over he said she said nonsense. You can’t take folks still sucking their teeth, rolling their eyes, pointing their fingers, and folding their arms! You can’t take folks who still get provoked into foolishness! You can’t take folks still cussing, crying, and complaining! You can’t take folks who fight more than they fast, play more than they pray and worry more than they worship!  

Jealous and envious folks are non-essentials; gossipers and back-biters are non-essentials; lazy sluggards are non-essentials; prayerless, faithless, powerless, wordless folks are non-essentials! Look around today at the company you keep and ask yourself a vital question: Are they non-essentials? Because if they’re non-essentials they can’t go where you’re going! 

Remind yourself: I can only take essential folks because they’re strong enough to handle the winter! They know how to stay on fire when the winds are blowing, the temps are dropping, the rain is freezing and no matter where you go, it’s bitter cold everywhere! You see, winter folks know how to struggle and endure; how to get provision in poverty; how to cry and not quit; how to pause and not give up; how to take a break and not breakdown! Winter folks can handle when it gets dreary, lonely, and cold, without becoming desperate, bitter, and weak! That’s why they’re essential! You can only take essential folks who understand that your purpose is coming with provision, but it’s coming in the winter! So, prepare yourself to let ‘em fall, in the fall!  

Don’t get upset when your Orpah kisses you and says goodbye. It’s her time and season to leave. And you can’t get what’s rightfully yours from God, until she’s left. Make today the day you Kiss and Say Goodbye to your Orpah! The summer will end, then fall will fast approach and winter will be on its heels! So, begin your spring cleaning TODAY! 

Make sure you make every necessary change in each of the right seasons.

“Some people are going to Leave, but that’s not the End of your Story. That’s the End of their Part in your Story.” (Author Unknown)

“Sometimes you have to accept that people’s part in your story is over.” (Author Unknown)

“The best part about your story is that the next page is blank, and you get to write it.” (Chris Butler)

“When people want to go, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn’t mean that they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over.” (Author Unknown)

“I’m the author of my story and I’m not finished writing yet.” (Author Unknown)

“When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen.” (Harley Davidson)

“Sometimes the people you wanted as part of your whole story are only meant to be one chapter.” (Author Unknown)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com