Maybe God Is Trying To Do A New Thing In Your Life. But Could It Be That You’re Unwilling To Go With His Flow? Maybe God Is Trying To Do Something New In Your Marriage, In Your Career, Your Health, Your Children, With Your Finances, In Your Family:

 Thought: Maybe God Is Trying To Do A New Thing In Your Life. But Could It Be That You’re Unwilling To Go With His Flow? Maybe God Is Trying To Do Something New In Your Marriage, On Your Job, In Your Career, In Your Health, In Your Children, With Your Finances, In Your Family…But He Can’t, Because You Can’t Let Go Of What It Was Before! Which Is Why I Bring The Word To You Today, And Admonish You, “FORGET ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENED…”; “…DON’T KEEP GOING OVER OLD HISTORY…”

Let God Do Something Brand New! You’ll never taste God’s Gourmet Meals if you keep limiting God to the same old Food Choices on the same old menu. Challenge yourself to try something new. Listen: Many of us are or were creatures of habit. That term “creature of habit” is defined as “someone who always wants to do the same things in the same way”. Sounds a lot like us church folks, in our old, set ways, that we refuse to alter…even if it means something new, exciting, different, and great!

Mark 2:21-22, “No one sews a patch of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” (AMP)

I absolutely love documentaries and history, simply because I love finding out the origin of things, where they began, why, and how. But more importantly, I love to see if there’s been any change from the start of the thing to the present. Sometimes it’s good to see that things are now, just as they were when they began. However, that’s not in all cases.

I watched a documentary on the Revolution, and I learned something I didn’t know before. Question: Why did the American colonists win the Revolution? Well, it wouldn’t surprise you if you saw how the redcoats fought. You see, they fought battles in the OLD-FASHIONED European way. They lined up in straight rows. The front row shoots. The next row rotates in while the others reload. Now, the colonists, on the other hand, didn’t believe in lining up. They just came from everywhere! So those red uniforms all lined up in a rigid row…well, that’s like target practice, don’t you think? In other words, they were easy to see, easy to aim for, and easy to hit! Their old, outdated, rigid, well-organized, structurally sound way of fighting, didn’t work…any longer! But even though the colonists looked like they were disorganized, their NEW WAY of fighting won the battle!

Let’s listen in on Matthew 5:29-30. This is where the religious leaders are criticizing how Jesus is going about reaching people. The Pharisees and the people who followed them, they’re complaining to Jesus’ disciples: “Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ‘sinners?” (MSG). Then the Bible goes on to say, “And Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but [only] those who are sick. I did not come to call the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to repent], but sinners to repentance [to change their old way of thinking, to turn from sin and to seek God and His righteousness].” (vss. 31-32 AMP).

Then later the Bible goes on to further say, “He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old one; otherwise, he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.  And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’” (vss. 36-39 AMP)

See, Jesus broke out of the religious mold to reach people that no one else was touching – in a nutshell, new wine skins. Now, in those days the bottles in Palestine were animal skins. And the wine would ferment, and it would give off this gas. And if the bottle was new and it had elasticity in the skin, then it gave with the pressure. If it was an old wine skin, it was dry and hard, and of course, it burst. And such is the issue with the church! We keep attempting to reach new believers with old behaviors, and it’s no wonder, it’s not working! New wine needs a new bottle to be poured into. If poured into the old, the old is no longer designed to handle the growth of expansion (that’s why it bursts!). It’s become hardened over the years, predictable, unyielding, unbending. It no longer handles the challenge of stress and pressure. So, it bursts! And the result? The old is destroyed and the new is wasted!

Sometimes you must replace an old idea with a new idea if you want God to do a new thing; if you want to reach people no one’s been reaching you have to let go of the old and get a good grip on something new. Like those Revolutionary War soldiers. The redcoats? They were rigid and they lost. The ones who were flexible won the battle. If we want new believers, we must stop trying to reach them with old, outdated, rigid ways, that clearly no longer work!

Isaiah 43:16-21, “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands…I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sunbaked earth, drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.” (MSG)

First things first, “FORGET ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENED…” It doesn’t matter how your grandma did it, your mama, or your daddy, your first church or your third pastor. You will always get the same old results, doing things the same old way. Forget about it! That was then, this is now. We have an entirely different generation in 2021, and the only reason we can’t reach them is because we won’t leave the methods of 1960, in 1960! It doesn’t make the old bad, but we have an opportunity for new, and we need to embrace the necessary change to get them.

Secondly, “…DON’T KEEP GOING OVER OLD HISTORY…” It’s irrelevant how your Sunday school was taught in 1960; or how the ushers marched in 1970; or how the outreach witnessed in 1980; or how the choir sang in 1990; or how the anointing flowed in 2010! It’s even irrelevant how many souls were added to the kingdom in January 2020! It’s October 2021, and we need to constantly be evolving as a church! There’s bigger, better, and greater waiting for us, as soon as we finally make the deliberate decision to leave the same, old, comfort zones alone!

Thirdly, “…BE ALERT, BE PRESENT…” Maybe today’s relationship will work out a bit better for you if we’d finally stop treating Paul like he’s Peter. Stop reliving your past and dragging your present into old bondage. We need to be PRESENTLY ALERT! Maybe that’s why we keep missing so much because our focus is so ill-placed. All you see is the past, and God is already done there. Listen to what He says next: 

“…I’M ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING BRAND-NEW. IT’S BURSTING OUT! DON’T YOU SEE IT? THERE IT IS!” How is it even possible for you not to see something BRAND-NEW, that’s BURSTING OUT?! That’s like standing right next to an erupting volcano, but not being able to see the lava! How can you miss it?! God is screaming, “…THERE IT IS!” But if you’re still stuck on THAT, you most certainly will never see THIS when it comes! And please hear me, you can’t afford to miss THIS!

He then says, “…I’M MAKING A ROAD THROUGH THE DESERT, RIVERS IN THE BADLANDS…” God is now telling you that He’s Providing For You and Making New Ways For You!

But He even goes further, “…I PROVIDED WATER IN THE DESERT, RIVERS THROUGH THE SUN-BAKED EARTH…” That new thing He’s doing for you, is literally Brand-New! He’s doing things unseen and unheard of! 1 Corinthians 2:9 says it best, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” He’s doing things that don’t even make sense! And all these things He’s doing just for you, if only you’d stop focusing on the old, you’ll finally see the new!

Isaiah goes on to say: “…DRINKING WATER FOR THE PEOPLE I CHOSE, THE PEOPLE I MADE ESPECIALLY FOR MYSELF, A PEOPLE CUSTOM-MADE TO PRAISE ME.” (MSG) The term “custom-made” is defined as “made to fit the needs or requirements of a particular person.” God has customized all of us, neither of us (even identical twins) are the same. God is constantly doing something new, and something different, and something out the box. And if we are indeed His children, why are we so opposite our Father? Why are we stuck, complacent, ordinary, the same, comfortable? If the God we serve can make a donkey talk, have a coin found in the mouth of a fish, have a man sit (alive) inside of a great fish, raise a dead man back to life (after 4 days), and birth His son through a virgin woman, why are we trying so hard to be ordinary? Why are we doing the same things, getting the same ineffective results? We are a custom-made people, and we need to start acting like the priceless, designer originals we are! 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Let’s define Holy. What does Holy mean:

Why do you think people go to these annual fashion week shows? They can’t wait to see what’s NEW and what’s NEXT! And I am fully persuaded that the world is looking to the church for the same things! Something different, something new, something next!

Now, as a disclaimer, there are some things that never change and must never change; the product so to speak, which is the Gospel, the Message, the Doctrine of Jesus Christ. That must never change! It must never be watered-down, altered, customized, changed, added to, or taken away from! But the packaging of it? That can change! Never the message, but often the method can and will change. After all, God went from the 12 He selected Himself to preach His Gospel, to someone like Paul! The Message Never Changes, But the Messengers Can and So Can Their Delivery!

If you think about it: The world of lost people and the world of the church have never been so far apart. I call them the new unbelievers, America’s first post-Christians. They’re biblically illiterate. They don’t ever plan to go to a religious meeting to hear a religious speaker talk on a religious subject. It takes new things to reach them. Or else we could just leave them lost like we have been.

In other words, we’ve got to leave the church building! We’ll Never Find The Lost, Hanging Around Those Who Are Already Found! Truth is, they’re probably not going to come in, so we need to take the initiative and go out! We need to have our outreaches on neutral ground. Am I telling you to go into the crack house, in the club or in the bar? Absolutely not! But we can’t keep sitting at the altar, in the pulpit, in the pews, in Sunday school, bible study, prayer and rehearsals, waiting for them to come in!

We must learn to express Christ without all our religious language, in our religious location. Remember, it’s the language of the natives we’re trying to reach. And all missionaries know that you do it in the language of the person you’re trying to reach. Can you imagine trying to reach the lost in China talking Russian? Can you imagine trying to reach the lost in Africa while speaking Chinese? Can you imagine trying to reach the lost in a homeless shelter when you arrive in a BMW and dressed in a fur and diamonds? You must meet on neutral grounds, at their level and in their language, and as hard as it will be for some to do, that must be done with new ways, not old!

Maybe we need to learn to wrap this gospel that is unfamiliar to so many people in a familiar need that they do know about. We talk about marriage, or parenting, or handling stress, or sex, or singleness. And you move from those things that they do know about into the story of Jesus to show the difference that a Savior like Jesus can make in those areas and others.

In Jesus’ day the religious people totally missed what God was doing because they could not accept a new approach. The British soldiers in Revolutionary War times lost because they were rigid. We’re in a battle for our town, our neighbors, the ever-living, never-dying souls of people. Their eternities are at stake. Therefore, if God says, “I’m doing a new thing”, let’s not lose the battle by insisting on the same old formation!

Listen: Many of us are or were creatures of habit. I am quite sure we have found ourselves saying:  I can’t believe what I missed because I was such a creature of habit. That term “creature of habit” is defined as “a person who follows an unvarying routine; someone who always wants to do the same things in the same way”. Sounds a lot like us church folks, in our old, set ways, that we refuse to alter…even if it means something new, exciting, different, and great! Let’s listen to our text:

Mark 2:21-22, “No one sews a patch of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” (AMP)

Here, Jesus is talking to religious folks; Pharisees, scribes, people who had ways in which they thought God would always work. They couldn’t accept the fact that there might be some new things God wanted to try. Now, Jesus came along and blew the walls off the narrow box that they had God in. He wasn’t working in any of the ways that they were used to, they were in essence saying, “I don’t know about this, God never did it this way before. I’m not sure this is even God.” But Jesus had a whole new way of doing things, and like it or not, but they were about to experience it!

And that’s exactly what we need to do with our churches, ministries, families, workplaces, we need to be open for new things! Ineffectiveness becomes our casualty because we’re too comfortable to change. Methods and approaches that once were the new wine skins are now brittle, tired, and irrelevant. It’s time we uproot the old, and sow seeds in the new. However, you must be prepared, because most often the gift of new is presented in a surprisingly new package! Don’t become so focused on the formula, that you mess up the fruit! Don’t let your religious habits inhibit the exciting new thing God wants to do in every area and aspect of your life.

You’ll never taste God’s Gourmet Meals if you keep limiting God to the same old Fast-Food Choices on the same old menu.

Challenge yourself to try something new. Whether it’s a new outfit, new color, new witnessing technique, new food, new activity, new route to work etc… And please know that it doesn’t have to be big and grand. But it does have to be different if you’re tired of the same!

Matthew 9:17, “Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise, the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.” (AMP)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Tuesday Night Bible Study at 7:00 PM CST with Dr. Kenneth Adderley. The number to call is 951-799-9635.

People Have Popularity Contests, Not God! People Care About Positions, Not God! People Care About Appearance, Not God! You Can Be The Most Minor Thing In The Back Looking After The Sheep, All Will Go On Pause Until Your Presence Has Arrived UpFront

 

Proverbs 30:24-28, “Four things are among the SMALLEST on earth, BUT they are extremely wise: Ants as creatures are not strong, BUT they store away their food in the summer. Badgers as creatures are not powerful, BUT they make their homes in the rocks. Locusts do not have a king, BUT they march together in ranks. You can catch lizards in your hand, BUT they are in kings’ palaces.” (CEB)

When my children were kids, my youngest son always loved cartoons! He loved “The Transformers,” and his favorite was Bumblebee! Bumblebee (one of the Transformers' main characters) was SMALL, BUT eager and brave! You see, Bumblebee acts as a messenger and a spy. And due to his small size, he dares to go where others cannot and won’t. He idolizes the more giant Autobots, especially Optimus Prime and Prowl, and strives to be accepted. He is the most energy-efficient and has the best vision of all the Autobots. He can go underwater for reconnaissance and salvage missions. Although physically the weakest Autobot, his stealth more than compensates for this inadequacy. This battle-tested robot was the first Autobot to ally with humans. He is a close ally to Spike Witwicky, often seen as an underdog and not the most giant bot. Yet, he has more courage than any soldier from Cybertron. As the most trusted lieutenant of Optimus Prime, he will do whatever it takes to protect the earth and its’ people.

Yes, he’s SMALL, and he looks for acceptance from his bigger bots; he is often seen as the underdog and has some inadequate moments. BUT he is one of the most effective because what others deem as his disadvantage works for him. Because he’s so SMALL, he can be the messenger who is always on a mission, with the sharpest vision, to go undetected in enemy territory, places where others cannot or won’t go! He’s SMALL, yes, BUT also brave, eager, and stealthy! I love the word “stealth,” it has various definitions, but the one I like most states, “intended not to attract attention.” Some of its synonyms are “behind-the-scenes; unexposed and undercover. Can you imagine if we had believers today who could complete their mission and assignment for God, “behind-the-scenes; privately; in a confidential, unexposed, unadvertised manner that doesn’t need to attract attention to itself?” But that’s Bumblebee; completing the mission is the main thing, not becoming the main thing!

This reminds us of our tiny friends in Proverbs 30:24-28: The first thing that is addressed is their size, “SMALLEST on earth.” And the word “small” is defined as “lacking in strength; minor in influence, power or rank; operating on a limited scale; little or close to zero in an objectively measurable aspect (as quantity); made up of few or little units; of little consequence; limited in degree; and reduced to a humiliating position.” How would you like to be defined and described in such a manner? The truth is, many of us are illustrated and described just like that, by varying people, for varying reasons, and many of those have nothing to do with our height, how people in their opinions view us. Listen to some of its synonyms, “dwarfish; half-pint; little; pint-size; shrimpy; subnormal; toylike; undersized; runtish; runty; stunted; inappreciable; little bitty; microscopic; mini; minuscule; teensy-weensy; meager; poor; scant; scarce; deficient inadequate; insufficient; lacking and wanting.” Well, aren’t we off to a fine start? Doesn’t this make your confidence shoot through the roof? Okay, so maybe not! But it does bring to mind, someone…David. Samuel is sent to anoint the next king, and he comes to Jesse’s boys. Take a listen, “When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, ‘Here he is! God’s anointed! But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Do not be impressed with his looks and stature. I have already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. People look at the face; God looks into the heart…Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, ‘God hasn’t chosen any of these.” Then he asked Jesse, ‘Is this it? Are there no more sons?’ ‘Well, yes, THERE’S THE RUNT. But he’s out tending the sheep.’ Samuel ordered Jesse, ‘Get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.’ Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health – bright-eyed, good-looking. God said, ‘Upon your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.” Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life…” (1 Samuel 16:6-13 MSG)

Well, there is that beautiful description again, “RUNT,” after all, who wouldn’t want to be defined in such a way? In fact, “Runt” is defined as “an animal tiny of its kind; the smallest of a litter of pigs; small in stature.” Yep, that sounds as attractive as they come! And yet, I love this story of David because the very ones that were the first choice among people were not even considered an option with God! He did not care what any of them looked like, nor their stature. It was His heart he was looking for, and He found it in the chest of a RUNT! David was not the people’s choice, but he was indeed God’s ONLY choice. And before you start beating up on yourself, or if you have already started, you will stop today! Stop worrying about what people think, say, or feel about you! Even if you had bald patches, acne, over or underweight, missing teeth, cross-eyes, big ears, small stature with long arms, a limp, and a stutter, if you dare to have a heart that beats for God, you are His ONLY Choice no matter how many options present themselves!

You may not be in the in-crowd, the inner circle, or the clique. You may live in a one-room, take the bus, and flip burgers, and still, I tell you, if you dare to have a heart that beats for God, you are still God’s ONLY Choice! And His Choice Without Any Comparison or Competition! People have popularity contests, Not God! People care about positions, Not God! People care about appearance, Not God! You can be the most minor thing in the back looking after the sheep, and all will go on pause until your presence has arrived upfront! So do not allow people’s opinions to make you think you are not God’s Best Option! “Opinion” is defined as “a general view, an appraisal formed in the mind of another about a particular matter, a feeling, a sentiment, perception, assumption, presumption, idea, thought, observation, guess hunch, theory, suggestion, angle, outlook, perspective, a point of view that’s not necessarily based on fact or knowledge; and an estimation of quality of worth.” Now, did you find anywhere in that thesis of opinion anything that states Fact or Truth? Not! Know why? Because people’s opinions are not Proof of what is Fact or Truth! It is nothing more than their estimated guess! Only What God Says, Thinks, and Feels Concerning You Matters and Counts as Proof of What is Fact and Truth!

So, today, you will stop viewing yourself through the distorted vision of people who cannot see your true worth and value! Think about it, if David had to base his worth and weight on the opinions of Samuel, his brothers, his daddy Jesse, his wife Michal, or even Goliath, he would have become a human groundhog and dug himself in a hole never to appear without permission! You are not bound by public opinion!

Now, back to our little friends…

“Four things are among the SMALLEST on earth, BUT they are extremely wise: Ants as creatures are not strong, BUT they store away their food in the summer. Badgers as creatures are not powerful, BUT they make their homes in the rocks. Locusts do not have a king, BUT they march together in ranks. You can catch lizards in your hand, BUT they are in kings’ palaces.” (CEB)

Now, grant it, our little friends are the “…SMALLEST on earth….” However, they are also “extremely wise….” So wise that the ants are not strong, the badgers are not powerful, the locust has no king, and the lizard is small enough to hold in your hand! Nothing about our little friends makes us feel that great! I mean, would you want to be described as not strong, not powerful, having no leader, and small enough to squish in someone’s hand?! And yet, even with characteristics such as these, the Bible says the ant is still wise enough to store his food in summer, knowing that winter is coming (he is not strong, but he is smart). The badgers are not powerful (and yet they have the wisdom to build their homes in rocks, so when they are under attack, if they cannot fight, they can hide well). The locust has no leader, king, or one to give them direction and order, yet they march together in ranks (we cannot even get preachers to work together in the pulpit, nor the saints in the pews). And then there are the lizards, small enough to be found in the palm of a hand, but instead, they are wise enough to make their way into king’s palaces. They may not sound like bears, lions, and tigers, oh my, but they will not be robbed of what they do possess! SMALL, yes, BUT still they build, they have structure and strategy, they can function without having any one ruler in charge, they are not slumming it in shacks, they are in palaces, they know how to work around changing seasons, and yet, we can’t get a group of 5 believers to function to this degree!

As God is not moved by public opinion, appearance, stature, or even low self-esteem, neither should you be! Listen to Saul, “Pardon me, sir,” Saul replied. “I’m from the tribe of Benjamin, the SMALLEST in Israel, and my family is the LEAST important of all the families of the tribe! You must have the wrong man!” (1 Samuel 9:21 TLB) Have you ever felt like that? I know I have…and sometimes I still have my moments. God, you do know you are talking to me, J.P. You want me to work on what? Be a part of what? With whom? You want me stand before Your people in a pulpit and preach a gospel about You!? God, you do know you are talking to me.

Luke 19:1-10, “Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a SHORT man and could not see over the crowd. So, he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came. When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?” Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.” Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.” (MSG)

This man wanted to see Jesus desperately; however, he was too SHORT and could not see over the crowd. So, he devises a plan to climb a tree, he is noticed by Jesus, Jesus is to be his guest in his home. And you would think all of this is phenomenal until public opinion starts talking out of turn again… “What business does He have getting cozy with this crook?” There will always be people that have distorted vision when it comes to you. They can see your past clear, your present is blurry, and when it comes to your future, they have a combination of cataracts and glaucoma in their natural and spiritual eyes! They can see nothing good, even in the fact that Jesus invited Himself to YOUR house! Now, if you think about it, Jesus had a lot of options; after all, there was a crowd present, and one so large that Zacchaeus had to climb in a tree to see Him! But Jesus CHOSE Zacchaeus over anyone else! He CHOSE a SHORT, rich, taxman, sitting in a tree, over “…EVERYONE WHO SAW THE INCIDENT….” God will Deliberately Choose Underqualified You, Over Someone Else’s Overqualified Ego! They may not like it, but Jesus deliberately chose Zacchaeus to receive salvation and restoration. And likewise, He is still picking the underdogs to overachieve! So do not assume He will pass you by because of public opinion. He may simply be waiting for you to distinguish yourself from the crowd! 

God cares about All of us, the Least, the Last, the Lonely, and the Left Out!). And He’s not in the least bit intimidated or concerned about our misfitted selves: Jacob was a cheater; Peter had a temper; David had an affair; Noah got drunk; Jonah ran from God; Paul was a murderer; Gideon was insecure; Miriam was a gossip; Martha was a worrier; Thomas was doubtful; Sarai was impatient; Elijah was moody; Moses stuttered; Zacchaeus was short; Abraham was old; Lazarus was dead; Rahab was a prostitute; Timothy had stomach troubles; Isaiah preached naked; Leah had weak eyes; Joseph was abused; Samson was a womanizer; Naomi loss two sons and a husband; Job went bankrupt; the Disciples fell asleep in prayer; Judas betrayed Jesus for some change; Saul was mentally unstable; the Samaritan woman had far too many men!

And still, God used every one of them! And with all your issues, He has yet to unsubscribe! He renews day by day! You are no exception. No matter where you come from, where you are, what you did, who you did it with, how many times you have repented, God still loves you! Even in those moments when you feel small, inadequate, insufficient, insignificant, or unimportant. God sees you when you see nothing good in yourself!

Genesis 16:13 says, “The Lord talked to Hagar. She began to use a new name for God. She said to Him, “You are ‘God Who Sees Me.’” She said this because she thought,’ “I see that even in this place, God sees me and cares for me!” (ERV)

Unbelievably, as SMALL as you think you are, God still sees you and cares about you! Hagar, now, was not in a good place, but even she was able to say, “…even in this place God sees me and cares for me”. No matter where you are in life at this moment in time, God sees you and cares for you. Others may overlook you, under-estimate you, devalue you, but to God, you mean much! And the next time you do not think so, remember the price His Son paid Just for You! Remember the Gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, where even the ones deemed the least, the lowly and the insignificant, were among the most prized and valued! And so are you! Like my son’s friend Bumblebee, you may lack in some areas. We ALL do, no matter how perfect we attempt to appear! Yet, God can still use you; God needs you; you are important and visible to God. Do not short-change yourself! You are still His disciple, His Son, His Daughter, His Temple, His Love, His Craftsmanship, His Workmanship. And above All, you were Worth Saving, Healing, Delivering, Redeeming, justified, and even Worth a Round-Trip Ticket For Jesus to Come Again, Just For You! It sounds like you are significant to me!

You have spent enough time talking down to yourself, talking yourself out of stuff, even the very things God desires you to do; you have looked in the mirror and picked yourself apart repeatedly. You may have spoken enough about not being good enough. You have taunted and provoked yourself to bitterness. Today, Enough is Enough! You are Valuable, Important, Significant, and Necessary! There is a place in the Kingdom that no one can take because it is yours! Own your worth! God still sees you. You never go unnoticed by Him! Every moment of your life, even before your life began, has been visible in the eyes of God and valuable to the heart of God.

Psalm 139, “God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to You; even from a distance, You know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’M NEVER OUT OF YOUR SIGHT. You know everything I am going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me, and YOU’RE THERE, then up ahead and YOU’RE THERE, TOO—Your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I cannot take it all in! Is there any place I can go to avoid Your Spirit? TO BE OUT OF YOUR SIGHT? If I climb to the sky, YOU’RE THERE! If I go underground, YOU’RE THERE! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, YOU’D FIND ME IN A MINUTE—You are already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “OH, HE EVEN SEES ME IN THE DARK!

At night I’m immersed in the light!” It is a fact: darkness isn’t dark to You; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to You. Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank You, High God—You are breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, and You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, YOU WATCHED ME grow from conception to birth; ALL THE STAGES OF MY LIFE were spread out before You, the days of my life all prepared BEFORE I’D EVEN LIVED ONE DAY. Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I will never comprehend them! I could not even begin to count them—any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and always live with You!…” (MSG)

Little itty-bitty, you are so significant to God that He Always Sees You! He raises and lowers the sun, moon, and stars, rotates the earth, sets boundaries for waters, seas, and oceans, He keeps His breath in every being and His air filling the atmosphere always…and still…it’s YOU. So, remember that the next time you feel you are too small to be significant! He Keeps a Watchful Eye On You Always! Be Encouraged Today, You May Be a No-Name To Some People or You May Be Small In The Eyes Of Others…BUT…You Are Still Significant In The Eyes Of God!

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

When The Journey With Jesus Gets Hard. Jesus Has No Problems Visiting With Us Or Sitting With Us. The Only Problem Is Us Extending To Him An Invitation! If You Have A Problem God Has An Answer.

When The Journey With Jesus Gets Hard. Clearly, Jesus Has No Problems Visiting With Us, Sitting With Us, Breaking Bread With Us, Drawing Near to Us. So, what’s the problem? The only problem is us extending to Him an invitation! This is what we need to dine on when we feel hungry and empty…Jesus…the Bread of Life! Invite Jesus in, He wants to feed the hunger in your soul where frustration eats away at your faith! Life itself can test us at times, we get irritated easily, we have short circuit patience, at any given moment we are ready to blow a fuse. There are times when we just throw our hands up and say enough is enough, I can’t take anymore, my faith is gone, and I am exhausted. Don’t ask God why He’s allowing something to happen. Ask Him what He wants you to learn and do in the midst of it.

 Luke 24:13-19, “That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who He was. He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?” They just stood there, long faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?” He said, “What has happened?” (MSG)

Now, you may not be on any military front lines, but truth be told, the battles you’ve been fighting lately are taking their toll on you! Making you feel as if you’ve been shot at, run down, blown up, I mean there simply hasn’t been much of a break in the action, and you’ve got some serious combat fatigue. You’ve been battling in marriage, on the job, in finances, in the ministry, in the family, in your health, in school. Every direction you’ve turned in has been an uphill battle! In fact, maybe it feels like you’re losing the battle right now. And if so, you know what you need? You need some personal time with your Commander-in-Chief. Not the President of the United States, because no human leader can hold a candle to your Real Commander-in-Chief! He is, after all, according to the Bible, the King of all kings! He is King Jesus!

Now, in Luke 24, beginning with verse 13, two of Jesus’ followers are battle-scarred and going down for the count (ever feel like that?) Well, in this instance, their Savior had been crucified, His body is now missing from the tomb. They’re on the road to Emmaus and here’s how our text reads: “And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, [which is] about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things that had occurred. And while they were conversing and discussing together, Jesus Himself caught up with them and was already accompanying them. But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him. And He said to them, what is this discussion that you are exchanging (throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast. Then one of them, name Cleopas, answered Him, do you alone dwell as a stranger in Jerusalem and not know the things that have occurred there in these days? And He said to them, What [kind of] things?” (AMPC)

First, can I be real with you? When I read, “And behold, that very day two of [the disciples] …”, I immediately thought, as a disciple of Christ, why should the road be so rough for us? I’m being honest now. These two disciples were walking away from a gruesome scene of cruelty, their hopes dashed, and they’re walking, talking, and trying to figure out what now and what next? And sometimes I think that’s what hurts us as believers, because we’re often taught that there’s this ‘bed-of-roses-faith’ that occurs once you receive Christ. As if all the bad things in the world that happen, will not happen to you. You are suddenly exempt from it all. It’s the ‘bad guys ‘that get the bad stuff, not us. We’re believers, children of the Highest God, rescued, ransomed, and redeemed. It is all well with our souls! But truth is, even as disciples we have to deal with some rough roads, and some harsh circumstances. Contrary to popular belief, we’re not exempt. We blame the devil for more than he needs to receive credit for, because we were warned by our Commander-in-Chief well in advance: John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have TRIBULATION and TRIALS and DISTRESS and FRUSTRATION; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you].” (AMPC)  

Yes, disciples of Christ, we too will have to deal with discouragement, distress, tribulation, trials, and frustration. Again, we are not exempt. But we are to be encouraged because there is absolutely nothing that can overwhelm us that hasn’t already been overcome by Him! So even when we feel something is “not fair”, bear in mind all His soldiers must fight in battle, and many of those wars will leave us with painful, bloody, battle-scars. However, it will not take our lives! So, what must we do? Keep fighting! 2 Timothy 2:3-5, “Take [with me] your share of the HARDSHIPS and SUFFERING [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down).” (AMPC)

We must take our fair share of the fight! Yes, life gets hard, and life is hard, but all that means is that we fight harder!

These two disciples were discouraged and downcast because of what they just experienced. And so, they’re walking and talking on the road to Emmaus with heavy hearts. Jesus appears and asks them, “What has happened?” and they begin to explain: “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.” (vss. 19-24 MSG) 

Can you hear the frustration in their voices? They’re DOWNCAST, CONFUSED, FRUSTRATED, their faith is being tested as their hopes began to seep away. Ever walked in those shoes? I know I have, and still do on many days. For example, my friend’s mom had some extreme health challenges over the last 5 years prior to her passing in 2017, and as her caregiver, it was extremely confusing, discouraging, frustrating, scary, worrisome, and yes, even her faith and hope has had to be resuscitated a time or two (or 200, if we’re really being honest!) You see, she would go for one test, they would get the diagnosis, then as soon as they would put her on medications and start treatment, something else would go haywire! Every time they treated one thing; it would trigger off something else. Every time it seemed as if one thing was finally under control, it caused something else to go out of control! It has been the worse see-saw experience of her life! As soon as our hope would go up, within moments we would watch it come crashing back down with one phone call from the doctor or doctor’s visit. And truth is, that’s hard for anyone. As they say, “the struggle is real!”

They would add meds, take away meds, switch up meds, and she would be fed up with all meds! It has been a journey, and a hard road to watch a loved one suffer so much pain, repetitively that you can do nothing about, a pain that will never fully go. It can get to a point where you just get so frustrated, angry, downcast, hurt, even bitter. You start to ask God (more like question God), ‘I thought you said, by Your stripes she’s healed. God, I’m honestly struggling here and need Your help because I heard what You said, but I can’t help but be concerned about what I see. What I see in the blood-work; what I see on the x-rays; what I see in more prescriptions being added; what I see in the doctor reports.” Unbelief kicks in and you must find some way to push yourself to say, “okay God, I’ll still believe your report, just Lord, Help Me!” Sometimes, life can throw you curve balls that you don’t even know how to swing at. So, some of you may say you can really identify with these two disciples. Like, what now…what next?!

Well, what’s next is, Jesus allows them to vent (just as He allows us to) and then He speaks: “Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him…” (vss. 25-27 MSG)

One of the things I love most about this text is Jesus’ response! First, I just told you I was frustrated and confused, then I explained why. My hopes are dwindling, and my faith is fading fast. I don’t know where my Jesus is, who took Him or why. I don’t know what these women are talking about. I have no idea what to do next. Can’t trust any of the leaders since they’re the ones who killed Him in the first place. And yet, Jesus bypasses all of this and calls them “thick-headed and slow-hearted…” Um, Jesus, that’s not very encouraging! LOL! But I love the way He simply addresses them because He most certainly pulled no punches! Let’s be real, if we went to one of our leaders in the church and shared all our struggles and all they said to us was “you thick-headed, slow-hearted numbskull”, we would have left that church that Sunday! But Jesus gets to the heart of the matter, in a nutshell, ‘why are you allowing the battle to beat up your belief’?

However, Jesus doesn’t leave off His words there, nope, He goes on to the very beginning of the Books of Moses and all the Prophets carefully pointing out to them everything that the Scriptures say about Him. Why is that so important? Because can you imagine the time and patience it took for Jesus to do this? He started at the beginning and worked His way all the way through all the prophets just to encourage, empower and inspire their faith. And believe it or not but He loves you enough to do the very same thing. Question is: Have you taken out time to walk and talk with Jesus? What might He share with you to rekindle the flame and fire of your faith, if only you took time to take your frustration to Him (instead of everybody else)? How might He enlighten you; encourage and empower you; inspire and impact you?

Let this be a challenge for you today, don’t take your next battle to people take it to Jesus! Tell Him all about it, and don’t mince your words. Speak from the heart like the Psalmist often did. Pour it all out to Him in honesty, not eloquence, and have a listening, attentive ear to what he may say that will strengthen your walk of faith as you journey through this life with Jesus.

Well, the story doesn’t stop there. Let’s see what’s next: “They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on, but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So, he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared. Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?” (vss. 28-32 MSG)

How personable is Jesus? Truth is, you can rarely find leaders today who are that personable. Not only had He walked and talked with them, but He sat down to bless and break bread with them. You know, I often hear people say when they’re going through that they feel distant from God. But in reading this text it makes me wonder how can that be? Jesus loves spending quality time with us, encouraging our faith, and even sitting at the dinner table. Though they didn’t recognize Him yet, they invited Him to dinner. We who do recognize Him, don’t. How can that make sense? Maybe the next battle you have to endure would be better if you invited Jesus into the midst. Note: He didn’t invite Himself, He was asked. When is the last time we asked Him to come and sit with us? After all, we’ll sit on the phone for hours, we’ll sit among our friends and family, we’ll sit at the altar, but when is the last time we sat with Him? Inviting Him into our personal, and even painful, space.

Revelation 3:20-21, “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!” (MSG)
 

John 1:1, “In the beginning [before all-time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.” (AMPC)

John 1:14, “And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacle (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) AMONG US; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.” (AMPC)

He blessed and break bread and gave it to them. In essence, He was feeding them. Makes me wonder if when we feel hungry and empty if it’s because we haven’t invited Jesus to come and sit with us and feed us. Remember:

This is what we need to dine on when we feel hungry and empty…Jesus…the Bread of Life! John 6:35, “Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst anymore (at any time).” (AMPC)

With this as your option, how can you choose anything else?

Invite Jesus in, He wants to feed the hunger in your soul where frustration eats away at your faith!

And what happens next? “…At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared. Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us? They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and, on their way, back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up – Simon saw him!” Then the two went over everything that had happened on the road and how they recognized Him when He broke the bread.” (vss. 28-35 MSG)

The Bible goes on to say they returned to Jerusalem totally pumped! They started exhausted; they ended excited! They started on empty; they ended on full! What made the difference? The personal presence of their Commander-in-Chief. He’s the one who makes all the battles worth it. Experiencing the reality of His presence is what always makes the difference. That’s exactly what you need right now, and maybe what you’ve been missing. You’ve been running all over the place, but it’s too long since you just had a walk with Jesus; a time when you pour out your heart to Him and He pours some of His heart into you. Maybe you forgot Who it’s all for – the One who loved you enough to die for you. He’s the reason for fighting the battles. He’s the joy. He’s the reward, you’re in essence, suffering from a Jesus-deficit. You might be serving Him with everything you’ve got, but you’re missing Him still. Other things are looking bigger than they really are because you haven’t been with the One who’s bigger than all those battles combined! The bottom line is simple. It’s all about Jesus, and you’re missing Him during all your battles. But your King, the Commander-in-Chief, has come your way today, and He’s asking you to just take a walk with Him; to have a heart-to-heart talk with Him. Not just today, but every new day. There’s something very re-energizing about a personal visit with the person that you’re fighting for. Believe me, there is nothing to turn the tide in the battle that you’re fighting right now like the personal presence of your King of kings.

These two disciples were headed to Emmaus, and after a walk, talk and sit with Jesus they return to Jerusalem re-energized for whatever may come next. They also go back and tell the rest of the disciples what happened. And that’s exactly what you need to do with this devotional today. Allow it to encourage you to walk, talk and sit with Jesus in the midst of your battles. And once you’ve been refueled, take the message to the other empty disciples you know and encourage them by what happened to you!

Truth is that this journey with Jesus gets hard! And when it does, allow His word to soften your heart. Hear Him and Heed Him. Your Commander-in-Chief wants to spend some time with His best soldiers. So, are you going to let your battles keep you from Him, or lead you to Him?

Many of Us Have Faith, But This Is the Year of Faith Expansion! This Is the Year That Our Faith Is Going to Grow to The Point That We Simply Believe God No Matter the Situation or Circumstance. Our Faith Will Be Unwavering and Unmovable!

Remember You Have A History with God.

You have seen His faithfulness over and over down through the years. He will look out for you. When you put God first, even a Bad Month is a Blessed Month.

If you have a problem God has an answer. Do not take it to the phone, take it to the throne. God is Your Protector Not Man.

Today, Put Your Faith to Work, And Watch Your Faith Work for You! And all you must do is refuse to die in fear, and instead, live in faith!

Now, With All That Said, I Have a Question for You:

Does Your Faith Still Have a Pulse?

Faith Works If You Work It!

 

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com