Make Sure You’re Not Too Close For Comfort! The Things And People That Can Grab A Hold Of Us, Is Only Because We Keep Ourselves Within Their Reach. Imagine How Protected You Would Be, If You’re In Communication With The Holy Spirit: “UNCEASINGLY.

Genesis 39:2-10, “As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day.  Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, “Sleep with me.” He wouldn’t do it. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master doesn’t give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he’s put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn’t turned over to me is you. You’re his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?”  She pestered him day after day after day, BUT HE STOOD HIS GROUND. HE REFUSED TO GO TO BED WITH HER.” (MSG).

There are too many believers falling away from their faith and giving in to temptation. This should not be. We must stay close to the Man, Jesus Christ. Jesus was tempted, but He did not sin.

Make Sure You’re Not Too Close For Comfort! The Things And People That Can Grab A Hold Of Us, Is Only Because We Keep Ourselves Within Their Reach. Imagine How Protected You Would Be, If You’re In Communication With The Holy Spirit: “UNCEASINGLY; PERSISTENTLY; NEVER STOP; And AT ALL TIMES”?!

Truthfully, the Things and People that Can Grab a Hold of Us, Is Only Because We Keep Ourselves Within Their Reach! Think about it: It’s hard for them to touch you when they can’t text you, call you, write you, or visit you.

The NIV says verse 10 like this: “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her OR EVEN BE WITH HER.”

Genesis 39, beginning at verse 7. You see, Joseph is about to be a Jewish transplant; picked up and sold as a slave into Egypt. He’s working for Potiphar, a military leader. He’s been trusted with total responsibility for the man’s household!

Now, Potiphar’s wife gets an eye on this good-looking young man. And if you don’t believe Joseph looked good, check out his Biblical Description found in verse 6:

“…Joseph was an ATTRACTIVE PERSON AND FINE-LOOKING” (AMP).

So, now that we’ve established PHYSICALLY why girlfriend lost her NATURAL mind, the Bible goes on to say, “After a while, his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me.’ But he refused.” Verse 10 of Genesis 39 says– “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her.” However, if that wasn’t bad enough notice this, the Bible says, “…or even be with her.”  OUCH! But Joseph? He didn’t even want to be with her or around her!

Now, this has got to be for Joseph a tempting temptation. Think about it: He’s lonely; he’s away from home. I would guess that a powerful man’s wife is probably attractive, and he is totally trusted in the man’s home with all the man’s stuff! And the truth of the matter is…He may very well get away with this and no one even know that he’s done it!

BUT, he says, “How could I sin against God.” Joseph knows…Ultimately if no one else will know…GOD WILL! He knows that he and his conscience will know too! And had he said ‘yes’ to this temptation, it would have been a Spiritually Fatal Mistake – probably Disqualifying him from being God’s hero as we know him today! AND WHAT FOOL WOULD SACRIFICE ALL OF THAT?

Temptation is always out to bite you, to discredit you, to scar you. Therefore, do you know what your “Potiphar’s Wife” is right now? It could be watching pornography, throwing all the videos out, not just some of them. It could be the apparent advantages of compromising your integrity just a little bit; being a little dishonest; it could be hanging out on “Shady Lane” a past scene of drugs & alcohol, maybe it’s the urge to retaliate or a compromise that seems better than losing this person, or that old habit, or going back to the old friends, places or things. Whatever your “Potiphar’s Wife” is…remember this: THE ADVANTAGES OF SINNING ARE ALWAYS SHORT LIVED, HOWEVER THE PRICE YOU PAY ALWAYS LASTS A LONG TIME!

That may be why the pull of temptation is so strong on you! You haven’t burned your bridges to it! Oh, you may distance yourself a little bit, but you remain connected. So, when do you plan to disconnect from your attachment to ‘Potiphar’s Wife’? When are you going to distance yourself from the people, places, and things that's a temptation to you? When are you going to remove things from your life that are tempting you, things that are within hands reach?

Listen, Joseph got away from his temptation, however, not before his temptation was able to take something from him! She didn’t get what she wanted, but she did get something! The Bible Says: “And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me! But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out [of the house]. And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled away, She called to the men of her household and said to them, Behold, he [your master] has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock and insult us; he came in where I was to lie with me, and I screamed at the top of my voice. And when he heard me screaming and crying, he left his garment with me and fled and went out of the house. And she laid up his garment by her until his master came home.” (Genesis 39:12-16 AMP) The Message Bible Says It Like This: “On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. SHE GRABBED HIM BY HIS CLOAK…” (MSG)

The danger of even entertaining temptation is that you’re still close enough for it to take something from you!, it was his cloak; however, for many it grabbed their character, integrity, dignity, testimony, witness, and influence. For some, it grabbed their family, their marriage, their jobs, their friends, their ministry and even their mind! Being Too Close Is Still Too Much Of A Compromise! Don’t let your temptation take the very thing that your Father Gave You to Distinguish You in the First Place! Think about it: Isn’t it amazing that Joseph’s brothers were angry and jealous and abused and banished him because of a coat, and yet he was still so close to temptation that another coat was snatched off him?! Joseph was well known for his coat of many colors that was given to him by his father, because of his great love for him. When you get too close to temptation, it will likewise attempt to take from you all that the Father gave you to distinguish you as His Favored Child! 

Joseph Had Two Coats Taken From Him, His Coat Of Many Colors By His Brothers Who Hated Him; And His Cloak By Potiphar’s Wife, A Woman Who Was Hot For Him But Couldn’t Have Him! A Temper Took His First Coat, Temptation Took His Second! And He Never Got Either Of Them Back! Temptation Will Take From You And Never Return! In fact, the loss of his cloak stayed with Potiphar’s wife and was used against him in a lie and false imprisonment! How do you get in this much trouble, for doing Nothing?!

Seriously, think about it, our phone maps not only give us directions, but some of them also let you know in advance that there’s an accident ahead of you on the same road you’re on. And what does it do? It gives you another route to take! Truth is, sometimes that new route is a lot longer and sometimes even unfamiliar. You may not like it, but at least you get to bypass the accident that could delay and detour you from your God-Intended destination! Likewise, you must strengthen your relationship with the Holy Spirit! He’s not just your comforter but He’s your counselor! He lives on the inside of you! When it comes to communicating with someone in an emergency, how much closer can a person get than to talk to the person living inside them?! The Holy Spirit is there to lead you, guide you, direct and redirect you when necessary! But just like your GPS doesn’t work without being activated, neither does the Holy Spirit! You build a relationship with Him and give Him permission to change your route when you’re heading for danger! And you know what strengthens this relationship? Prayer! And what’s prayer? Communication! Keep it simple or you will complicate something that can help you! Prayer is communication! And the more you do it, the more consistent you are at it, the more you’ll stay out of dangerous places and away from dangerous people!  

Your prayer life and relationship with the Holy Spirit will save you from the attacks of ‘Potiphar’s Wife’! You’ll begin discerning what people, places, and things you have to avoid for your own mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and even financial well-being! However, this will require you to run from temptation and retreat in prayer with the Holy Spirit! And how long should you retreat in prayer with the Holy Spirit? The Bible admonishes: “Pray Without Ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Let’s see this verse in a few translations: 

 “Pray continually.” (CEB);

“pray at all times” (GNT);

“Always keep on praying.” (TLB);

Imagine how protected you would be, especially from the temptation of sin, if you’re in communication with the Holy Spirit: “UNCEASINGLY; PERSISTENTLY; NEVER STOP; and AT ALL TIMES”?! Truth is, temptation will NEVER CEASE, which is why your prayer life can NEVER CEASE! And remember, there is absolutely no temptation powerful enough to FORCE you to surrender! 

Because let’s be honest, you are NEVER forced to surrender to a temptation! James 1:13-15, “Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil COMES FROM US AND ONLY US. If You Give In, You Wanted to. If You Give In, You Decided to. If you allow the temptation to sin, to be conceived in your life; and then you nourish it so it grows up to adulthood and becomes a real killer of your marriage; integrity; family; character; calling; anointing; dignity…It Was Your Choice!

You Don’t Get to Complain About What You’ve Condoned! Remember, Your Choice…Your Consequence! 

Which is why it’s so important to remember Joseph’s example: “…The only thing he hasn’t turned over to me is you. You’re his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?”  She pestered him day after day after day, BUT HE STOOD HIS GROUND. HE REFUSED TO GO TO BED WITH HER.” (MSG). “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her OR EVEN BE WITH HER.” Listen: Temptation doesn’t knock once then walk away from the door! Potiphar’s Wife “PESTERED HIM DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY! She spoke to Joseph DAY AFTER DAY!” Every day you will be faced with the opportunity to accept temptation, which is why every day you have to remain praying without ceasing so you can receive clear directions on how to get away from Potiphar’s Wife, the ‘Cujo’ On a Mission to Kill You!

“If you don’t want temptation to follow you, stop acting as if you’re interested.” (Author Unknown)

 “Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” (Deepak Chopra)

“Every time you defeat temptation you become more like Jesus.” (Rick Warren)

“Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.” (Author Unknown)

 “Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall.” (William Shakespeare)

“When fleeing the scene of temptation, do not leave a forwarding address.” (Jeffrey R. Holland)

“Temptation will knock at your door; don’t ask them to stay for dinner.” (Author Unknown)

“The Devil did not tempt Adam and Eve to steal, to lie, to kill, to commit adultery; he tempted them to live independent of God.” (Bob Jones, Sr.)

 “Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.” (Billy Sunday)

“Temptation usually comes in through a door that has been deliberately left open.” (Author Unknown)

 “The best thing to do when there is temptation is run.” (Johnny Hunt)

“If evil were not made to appear attractive, there would be no such thing as temptation. It is in the close similarity between good and evil, right and wrong, that the danger lies.” (Billy Graham)

Matthew 26:40-41, “When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” (MSG)

Luke 22:39-40, “Leaving there, he went, as he so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed him. When they arrived at the place, he said, “Pray that you don’t give in to temptation.” (MSG)

Galatians 6:1-3, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. Carry one another’s burdens and in this way, you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]. For if anyone thinks he is something [special] when [in fact] he is nothing [special except in his own eyes], he deceives himself." (AMP)

Galatians 5:16, "But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]." (AMP)

Matthew 6:13, "‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’" (AMP)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

There Is Nothing About You Or Your Life Or Your Past That Is Powerful Enough To Hinder The Hand Of God’s Work! Understand That Whatever God Has Spoken Over Your Life, He’s Not Stopping Until He Sees It All Come To Pass! It Will Manifest In your Life

There Is Nothing About You Or Your Life Or Your Past That Is Powerful Enough To Hinder The Hand Of God’s Work! Understand That Whatever God Has Spoken Over Your Life, He’s Not Stopping Until He Sees It “All Come To Pass”! He’s Still Working On You Because All That He Has Spoken Has Yet To Manifest In Your Life.

When you see a "Cannot in Yourself," GOD SEES A “CAN”. When You See Will Not in Yourself, GOD SEES A “WILL”. When You See Do Not in Yourself, GOD SEES A “DO” When You See Shouldn’t in Yourself, GOD SEES A “SHOULD”. God Will Always Put Your Potential on A Pedestal!  In Other Words, He Will Always Lift Up What You Will Be, Not What You Have Been! Cracks and all, you are still becoming “…a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

The Devil’s Not Intimidated by Your Caterpillar Stage, Because You are on The Ground, Low, At His Level, Defeated, And Struggling to Crawl By. But What Intimidates Him Is Your Butterfly Stage Because You Then Possess the Ability to Fly, To Soar, To Excel, And to Reach Altitudes He Cannot Reach! You see, some snakes can sliver through trees, but when they reach a certain height, it can reach no further. But the Butterfly Is not Limited to Where the Tree Top Stops! And Neither Are You! That is why you cannot get distracted from what you are becoming! Children of God, it is time for you to soar, but if you keep allowing your past, the devil, discouragement, and low self-worth to hinder you, you will remain in a cocoon with undeveloped wings that were designed and destined to soar! You were never meant to stay on this level! The cocoon is only for a time; then you break out of it fully developed and soar to new heights!

Understand that Whatever God Has Spoken Over Your Life, He’s Not Stopping Until He Sees It “All Come to Pass”! And If That Takes Smiting, Buffeting and Polishing…He’s Committed to Doing Whatever It Takes, For However Long It Takes and No Matter How Painful It Will Be…” Not A Word Failed of Any Good Thing Which the Lord Had Spoken. All Came to Pass!” He’s Still Working on You Because All That He Has Spoken Has Yet to Manifest in Your Life. And He Has to Keep His Word! So, Endure the Wheel, the Spinning, the Hammering, the Smiting, the Buffeting, and the Polishing! In the End It Will Be Worth It to Possess All God Has Promised You! God is the Greatest of Silversmiths.

Highlight for yourself from John 1:12, “to them gave The Power TO BECOME…” That is what the devil is after to destroy, WHAT YOU WILL BECOME! Do not let him do it! Do not let the devil distract or discourage you! Stay focused on what God Said no matter what the devil would want you to see! You are Becoming a wonderful, useful, cracked vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for your master’s use, for He is preparing you for every good work! Do not lose sight of the big picture, stay focused on what you are becoming! 

If You Are Asking Today, “Why Am I Going Through All That I’m Going Through?” The Answer Is: You are “In the Hand of The Potter!”

Knowing that alone helps, especially when you are on the wheel and everything in your life seems to be spinning and spiraling completely out of control! I use the word “seems”, because your life is not spinning and spiraling completely out of control. All You Need to Do Is Look Under the Table and See Whose Foot Is on The Wheel! “…Behold, He (The Potter) wrought a work ON THE WHEELS” Many of us have seen wheels spin on bikes, motorcycles, cars, trains, and the like, and when those wheels get to spinning, if you stare at them long enough it can make you dizzy! The speed is swift as it goes around and around in circles! And sometimes as believers that is how our lives feel when God has His foot on the potter’s wheel! Everything feels like it is spinning completely out of control, but the potter has been doing this far too long to not know how to control the speed of the spin! And God, likewise, has not loss control of your life even when the marriage, kids, family, job, finances, health, business, and church all seem to be spinning at 200 MPH in all different directions at the exact same time! But Be Encouraged, The Potter’s Foot Knows How to Handle the Speed of The Wheel!

“…behold, He (The Potter) Wrought a work on the wheels” Now the word “Wrought” means “Beaten Out or Shaped by Hammering.” This may hurt you, but it will eventually help you, listen, the pain you THINK is the devil, is Really Just the Potter Reshaping You! Think About It, If the Enemy Had Been in Control of Your Situation, He would Have Thrown You Off the Wheel a Long Time Ago! But He Cannot, Because the Potter Controls the Process, The Wheels and The Wrought! And all this time you have been giving the devil credit for work he did not do! The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy you, not work on you for the better! Yes, the hammering hurts, it is painful, it is difficult, it is uncomfortable, but it is God’s process! And most important, the Hammer is in the Hand of God! This should serve as great encouragement to you that no hurt, harm, or hindrance will come of it. He is simply shaping you to become the masterpiece He already designed you to be! Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” (AMP) That is what all the hammering is about! It is transforming us, renewing us, and making us ready to be used by God for good works as His workmanship, His own Master Work, His own Work of Art! And you really thought the devil was behind all that goodness?! Absolutely not! Stop adding skills to the devil’s resume for work he could not and did not do!

But Listen to What the Devil Would Have You Focus On: “… And the vessel that he made of clay was MARRED in the hand of the potter…” The devil does not want you to focus on the Masterpiece God is creating you to be, he wants you to focus on the fact that you have become Marred in the Potter’s Hand! But what he does not know, however, is that God is Monitoring Your Every Move! Now, I know how messed up you think you are because you have been “Marred” but understand that when something is “Marred” it is defined as “to Harm the Appearance or Quality of.” And let us be honest, the devil is not trying to simply Harm You, Or Harm Your Appearance, Or Harm Your Quality, he is trying to DESTROY YOU! Which is why the Bible forewarns us: “The Thief’s Purpose Is to Steal, Kill and Destroy…” (John 10:10 TLB). Therefore, If It Were the Devil’s Foot on The Wheel, You Would Be Dead by Now! But since he cannot kill you, he tries to distract you by getting you to focus on stuff that matters to you, but does not matter to God, stuff like your marring, your mess up, your mistakes, and especially your past! But beloved, before you go and lose heart, know this, you are simply “Marred” and Fortunately, God is Not Intimated by Your “Marring”. He is not intimidated by the clay regardless of where He finds it or how flawed and out of shape it is. Truth is: We Seriously Give Our Past Way Too Much Power Because God Is Not at All Intimidated by It or What It Has Caused Us to Look Like! He is not intimidated by our past promiscuity, addictions, mess-ups, screw-ups, or mistakes. He is not intimidated by our ex-friends, lovers, or spouses. He is committed to working on us until we become what He wants or better yet, “As Seemed Good to the Potter…”  

Listen: I do not care what you have done, who you did it with, how long you did it or where, no man has the right or authority to hold you captive by your past, neither the devil, not even you! Your “Marring” did not mess you up for all eternity! There is no accidental mistake, or deliberate bad decision that you have ever made (or will make) that the Potter cannot make over into what seems Good to Him! You still have use, you still have value, you still have worth, and you still have purpose! So, let nothing and no one (not even YOU) allow your past to make you believe that you have no future! The Word of God still holds true for you, regardless to your past: “This is God’s Word on the subject…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the FUTURE you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11 MSG). In the words of my pastor, you need to start saying daily to yourself: “I See Myself in The Future and Things Look So Much Better. I’m Expecting A Miracle, And My Miracle Is Expecting Me!” (Bishop James R. Chambers). So, you see if God Himself is not hindered by your Past, why should you be? “He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12 TLB). Therefore, marred vessels keep moving forward, “Marred” and all! God can still make you the light of the world, no matter how dark your past was! God Still Uses Cracked Pots!

For example, Benjamin felt small; Gideon felt insignificant; Moses felt his speech hindered him from being God’s mouthpiece, and yet God used each of them in a big way, flaws, and all, and He is using you the same way! God never asks for our perfection, just our availability. The question is, are we willing to give God our flaws that He may use them to bring Himself Glory?

To take it further, bear in mind: John 1:12 “As many as received Him, to them gave the power TO BECOME the sons of God.” Always Remember: The Battle Is Over Who and What You are Becoming! Regardless of what you have been up until now, God Sees in You the Potential to Become! And what are you to become? “…a vessel unto honor and sanctified for the master’s use and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21). Listen: When You See Cannot in Yourself, GOD SEES A “CAN”. When You See Will Not in Yourself, GOD SEES A “WILL”. When You See Do Not in Yourself, GOD SEES A “DO” When You See Shouldn’t in Yourself, GOD SEES A “SHOULD”.

“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hind’s feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!” (Habakkuk 3:19 AMP)

You Were Made for High Places, So Stop Settling for Low Positions!

Notice also, that even though the vessel was “Marred”, It Was Still in The Potter’s Hand! God Never Throws Us Away, Nor Is His Plan for Us Thwarted Because We Have a Flaw of Struggle in Certain Areas! Understand that whether you are being lifted from the mud, turned on the wheel or made over again, Always You Are in His Hand, and Always Will Be! “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall Never Perish, Neither Shall Any Man Pluck Them Out of My Hand.” (John 10:28) So, Be Encouraged: You Are in The Potter’s Hands, And His Hands Never Stop Working!” “But Jesus said, “My Father Has Never Stopped Working…” (John 5:17 CEV) Therefore, even if you continue to mar in the master’s hand, which you will if you are still flesh and blood, but the good news is, that can’t hinder the Hand of God on your life! From birth to death and everything in between, God never stops working on you and your life! So even when you make more mistakes, and even deliberate sinful choices, God never stops working on you! Do not let the devil, your past, or yourself make you believe anything different! There is nothing about you or your life or your past that is powerful enough to Hinder the Hand of God’s Work!

I found yet another little nugget too! Did you know the word “Smith” in “Silversmith” comes from the Old English word “Smite”? Well, in case you did not know, Silversmiths are very Accomplished Smiters! AND SO IS GOD! You see the word “Smite” is defined as “Striking a Firm Blow”. In other words, God Knows the Weight of the Hammer and the Force of the Blow Required to Produce in You Christ-Like Character! And absolutely no one yanks the hammer out of His hand and says, “Go easy on that silver; you’ve pounded it enough!” No, He Buffets the Metal Until He’s Finished with It! And when you “Buffet” something, it means you “Strike It Repeatedly and Violently”. In other words, there is a Determination on the part of the Silversmith to Beat the Silver into the Design He Envisioned It to Be! And He Will Beat It Until It Conforms to What He has Constructed in His Mind! He Will Beat It Until the Blueprint Comes Off the Pages and Stands Before Him Fully Erected! He Will Beat It Until He Sees with His Eyes What He Saw in His Thoughts! And the Same Goes for You!  

Please Understand that Your God Will Bless You, But Never Forget, Your Father Will Buffet You Too!

I know the Blows come Fast and Hard, and it seems like they will never end, but you must Trust that God Knows What He’s Doing! 

However, sadly enough, I wish I could tell you that after the Hammering and Buffeting is Done, you are Finished, BUT…then there must be POLISHING!  And when you “Polish” something you “Make It Smooth and Shiny by Continuously Rubbing It!” And the Best of Silversmiths will tell you that they Keep Polishing Until They Can See Their Face in The Finished Product! So, When Will God Stop Polishing You? When He Sees His Nature and His Likeness Reflected in You! In other words, when He looks at you, He ought to see, Integrity, Faithfulness, Dedication, Power, Consecration, Diligence, Obedience, Honor, Loyalty, Leadership, Commitment, and the like. He ought to see “…the Fruit of the Spirit…Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Simply put, He’s Done When He Looks at You and Sees Himself! 

And if we are all to be Real Honest, God Is No-Where Near Finished Smiting, Buffeting or Polishing Any Of Us! Jesus said, “My Father Never Stops Working.” Therefore, you need to understand that: The Pounding You Feel Does Not Suggest God’s Distance, It Proves His Nearness! So, Stop Attributing Everything to the Devil! 

Lastly, after a lifetime of walking with God, Joshua said, “Not a Word Failed of Any Good Thing Which the Lord Had Spoken…All Came to Pass.” (Joshua 21:45 NKJV). 

Trust Him as you imagine what you are going to look like When He has All Done. In the meantime, remember: The Potters Hands Are Not Finished Molding You Yet! So, do not Be Discouraged in The Process, You Will Produce Something Great After This Is All Over!  

Jesus may be preparing you to step up to something far more supernatural than you have ever been or you have ever done before. In fact, He has made your heart restless for more so you would get out of the boat and start walking toward Him in an exciting new way. Truth is, there are quite a few endeavors that you’ve your heart set on for quite a while now. And fear and nervousness about stepping into something new, uncomfortable, and unfamiliar is honestly terrifying! But you do not want to miss a moment because of a minute of insecurity.

Peter found out that day that if Jesus wants you to do it – no matter how beyond your capability it may be – He will give you whatever it takes to get it done!

We are settling for the mediocre when we are wired for the miraculous.

Who knows what will happen if you finally decide to get out the boat and apply for the mortgage, the business, student, or car loan? Who knows what will happen if you finally decide to get out the boat and head that ministry or start a new one? Who knows what will happen if you finally decide to get out of the boat and try that, or go there? Truth is, being inside the boat, especially during a storm, seems like the safest, best, and most comfortable, and sensible place to be. But if Jesus isn’t in the boat, do you really think it is the best place to be? If He is outside the boat, even in the storm, don’t you think it is better to be where Christ is than where your Cushion is?

You have the Holy Spirit of Almighty God living in you. You have backing you up the authority that Jesus has over everything in this universe. You have Jesus’ resurrection power in your life. The question is: So why aren’t you living like it? Are you settling for only pushing a couple of God’s buttons when there are so many more that could open a whole new frontier for you?

You need to be reading the Manual. You know that is the Bible, and you need to be reading it every single day. Not just for theology, not just for a lesson to teach or a Word to preach. But looking for the keys to powerful faith and then using them. And tell the Lord, “Lord, I want the “something more” you’ve made my heart hungry for. Then surrender yourself in a new, fresh way to Him. With all the things that are going on in your life now, update that old surrender. Let go of those areas that you have insisted on controlling. Get out of that safe little boat and dare to walk where you have never walked before!

You are becoming a vessel of honor in the master’s Hand and for the master’s use, cracks, flaws, imperfections, and all. So, do not hate the process, because you are going to love the product! Noah got drunk…Jacob lied…Moses murdered…Rahab was a prostitute…David had an affair…Peter denied Jesus…yet God still used them for His purpose….and He can use you too. Be encouraged, my Friends.

As Painful as This Is, Be Encouraged My Friend You May Have Been Marred, but Now You are Being Molded and Made into a Masterpiece Cracked Vessel of Honor for the Master’s Use and Glory!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Maybe There’s A Strained Relationship In Your Life Right Now. Could That Be Why God Wanted Us Talking About This? There Have Been Too Many Bad Feelings You Let Hang On! Think Where We’d Be If Jesus Threw In The Towel Every Time, We Messed Up With Him.

Ephesians 4:26-27, “If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the devil” (TLB)

You Can Get Angry But Watch This: How About We Take A Look At The Part We Play… Maybe There’s A Strained Relationship In Your Life Right Now. Could That Be Why God Wanted Us Talking About This Today? This is how well we take care of our Being Offended, Holding A Grudge, Anger, Resentment, and Bitterness! All the emotions that are opening the door for the devil’s foothold into our relationships/friendships are being Held, Nurtured, Harbored, and Cultivated…BY US! Do You Know What We’ve Deliberately Decided to Do With Our Grudge, Anger, Resentment, and Bitterness?  We’ve purposely grasped it, carried, supported, and kept it, we have possession of it, we keep it contained and we cause it to stay by allowing it to be held onto tightly and securely. We’re dwelling on it secretly in our thoughts and feelings and it means so much to us that we’ve even provided it with refuge, shelter, and protection. We are even preparing it for use as we raise and grow, maintain, acquire, and develop it because we have no intention of letting any of it go! And that’s why the devil has been able to repeatedly enjoy a sweatless victory over our relationships/friendships.

Don’t Ruin What Simply Needs Repairing! I always find it amusing and sad that people will quicker redeem cans and coupons, than they will redeem people, relationships, friendships, and even marriages…Sadly, we possess the Fruit of the Spirit, yet our Flesh has caused it to Rot.

Ephesians 4, starting with verse 26, reads, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the Devil a foothold.” Well, there’s a biblical clock here on strained relationships/friendships, just like there is on letting dirty dishes sit untouched. The longer you wait to clean it up, the harder it is to clean it up. Our conflicts in relationships/friendships are like that too. That’s why it’s wise not to allow things to sit, settle and fester. Remember, according to the Bible, we have a clock on our discord, and that clock runs out at sundown every day! In other words, we really shouldn’t be hanging on to our anger after the end of the day.

That reminds me of a lot of those old Western movies I used to love to watch. If you’ve ever seen them, you will know the famous line all the marshals use, “You better be out of here by sundown!” Well, that’s what we’re supposed to be saying to any anger, resentment, bitterness, or conflict that comes up in our relationships/friendships. “Get out of here by sundown!” There’s a good reason for this. You know those food remnants on dirty dishes which I was talking about? If you deal with them right away, they’re soft and easy to remove; just kind of scrape them a little bit and they fall right off. But you know what happens if you wait with a dirty plate? The longer it sits dirty, the harder it is to get clean!

Makes me wonder if that’s where we coined the term, “hard feelings “? Because our unresolved hurt is just as hard as the non-rinsed dishes! And sadly enough, that’s when the Devil gets an opportunity to enter a marriage, a parent-child relationship, a friendship, or a church, business, school, or workplace.

In conducting various marriage counseling sessions, I’ve discovered that at the core of almost every marriage breakup, there was an issue that once was small, but it wasn’t dealt with when it was small. That’s why it’s so hard to mend marriages because problems are never dealt with when they occur. They’re not dealt with until what was delayed has now become damaged beyond repair. This is also why it’s so hard to keep to the current issue because couples have left so many “small” issues ignored, that now that there’s a problem that happened in January of this year, it can’t be resolved. After all, so much time and energy are still focused on the arguments from January 2020!

In addition, at the core of broken parent-child relationships or a hurting friendship, or a divided church, some people didn’t clean up their anger when it first appeared; when it was still small when it was still manageable when it was relatively soft. And now it’s led to a terrible hardening outcome. And the truth is, we can’t blame the devil. The Scripture tells us not to give him a “foothold”, but a foothold is just enough space for a person to put their foot in the door. But who opened the door? The devil couldn’t get his foot in if you didn’t open the door and grant him access. And how do you grant him foothold access? By sending your anger to answer the door!

“Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. AND DO NOT ALLOW THE DEVIL [TO LEAD YOU INTO SIN BY HOLDING A GRUDGE, OR NURTURING ANGER, OR HARBORING RESENTMENT, OR CULTIVATING BITTERNESS].” (AMP).

“…DO NOT GIVE THE DEVIL AN OPPORTUNITY…” And what’s an “opportunity”? It’s defined as “a favorable time or set of circumstances for doing something; a career opening offered; a chance for promotion; a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal; a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.” And all of that is the Opportunity you allow your grudge, anger, resentment, and bitterness to grant to the devil. So, when he gets a “foothold” in your relationships, friendships, marriage, children, church, business, workplace, remember who opened the door and invited him in as their special guest…yep, you guessed it…YOU! We made the circumstances favorable for him, we hired him and gave him a career and promotion to destroy our life and loved ones, we helped him attain his goal of disruption, discord, and destruction, we placed him in a good position, we helped advance his attack and gain success. Yes, YOU and the emotions you sent to answer the door of your relationships/friendships! This my friend is not one of those times when you can say, “The devil made me do it.” No, WE did it, all on our own! As parents, those are things we like to call Responsibility and Accountability. And if the devil has gotten a foothold into our relationships/friendships, we set out the welcome mat for him to step on. We are held accountable because it was our responsibility to make sure it didn’t happen!

Listen to the Scripture again, “Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. AND DO NOT ALLOW THE DEVIL [TO LEAD YOU INTO SIN BY HOLDING A GRUDGE, OR NURTURING ANGER, OR HARBORING RESENTMENT, OR CULTIVATING BITTERNESS].” (AMP). One, small 3-letter word is key, “…LET…” defined as “to allow someone to have the use of” You were not supposed to give the devil a foothold, but you did, even though the Scripture commanded you, “…DO NOT LET YOUR ANGER…” Did you catch that? “…YOUR…” All of this is YOUR Responsibility! You are not to give the devil room to be allowed to use your anger against you and your relationships/friendships. We are held accountable for allowing the devil to have the opportunity! And how did we do that? Pay attention to the Scripture:

“…HOLDING A GRUDGE…”; “…NURTURING ANGER…”; “…HARBORING RESENTMENT…”;

“…CULTIVATING BITTERNESS…” You know, for this to be “the devil’s” fault, as many will use as their excuse, We sure are doing quite a bit in this text to help him don’t you think?

“Holding” – is defined as “to grasp, carry, support, keep, have in one’s possession, contain, cause to stay, remain tightly secured”

“Nurturing” – is defined as “to rear and encourage the development of; to feed and cherish”

“Harbor” – is defined as “to keep (a thought or feeling) secretly in one’s mind; to give refuge, shelter or protection to”

“Cultivate” – is defined as “to prepare and use; raise and grow; to maintain; to acquire and develop.”

This is how well you take care of your Being Offended, Holding A Grudge, Anger, Resentment, and Bitterness! Do you know this is better care and treatment than some spouses and children receive? All the emotions that are opening the door for the devil’s foothold into our relationships/friendships are being Held, Nurtured, Harbored, and Cultivated…BY US! Do You Know What We’ve Deliberately Decided to Do With Our Grudge, Anger, Resentment, and Bitterness, according to the above definitions? We’ve purposely grasped it, carry, supported, and kept it, we have possession of it, we keep it contained and we cause it to stay by allowing it to be held onto tightly and securely. We’re rearing it up like a child and encouraging its development by feeding and cherishing it. We’re dwelling on it secretly in our thoughts and feelings and it means so much to us that we’ve even provided it with refuge, shelter, and protection. We are even preparing it for use as we raise and grow, maintain, acquire, and develop it because we have no intention of letting any of it go! And that’s why the devil has been able to repeatedly enjoy a sweatless victory over your relationships/friendships. With the loving way we hold our grudges, nurture our anger, harbor our resentment, and cultivate our bitterness, what exactly is there left for him to do?

Please understand, it will never be smaller than it is today. I know that it’s bigger than it used to be, but this is the smallest it’s ever going to be. It will never be easier to address that conflict, that resentment, that anger than it is right now, no matter how hard that might seem. It’s only going to get harder the longer you let it sit there untouched and unaddressed. It will only get more costly because you’re going to lose relationships, friendships, trust, support, and even love.

Now, I know we live in a day and age of the “church”, where everybody will tell you, “Just let them go, drop ‘em, leave ‘em, forget about ‘em”, however, I do not believe that this is the Conduct of Christians.

Listen, I by no means am saying that those of you with “justifiable hurt and legitimate pain” should not be angry. Even the Scripture doesn’t say, “GO AHEAD AND BE ANGRY. YOU DO WELL TO BE ANGRY…” (MSG) The Bible does not tell us to hide, mask, camouflage, or pretend with our feelings and emotions. We’re never asked to lie about the level of hurt we’ve experienced. However, we cannot take Part of the Scripture, we must embrace it Whole, and the rest reads, “…BUT DON’T USE YOUR ANGER AS FUEL FOR REVENGE. AND DON’T STAY ANGRY. DON’T GO TO BED ANGRY. DON’T GIVE THE DEVIL THAT KIND OF FOOTHOLD IN YOUR LIFE.” (MSG)

Get Angry, Deal With it in a Healthy Manner, Then Let It Go Before Sundown! Listen to the Bible, “…DON’T USE YOUR ANGER AS FUEL…” And for a lot of us, that’s exactly what we’re doing, using our anger as fuel. And one of the definitions of “fuel” is “to supply or give power to.” That’s why it keeps going, that’s why that issue never stops, because you keep refueling it, day-by-day, never dealing with it, never addressing it, never resolving it, and never letting it go. Well, today, I was sent to you for the sole purpose of taking your discord out of delay mode and shifting it to deal with it mode instead!

Psalm 37:8 “Don’t give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.”

The Good News: When you can act based on your negative emotions, you might make the wrong decisions, so take your time to calm down before doing anything.

The word “delay” is defined as “to put off to a later time; defer; postpone; to impede the process or progress of; to put off action; to retard or hinder.” The key word, however, is “impede”. It means “to delay or block the progress or action of.” But its Latin Origin “impedire” means ‘shackle the feet of’. How dangerous to have the devil’s foot free, but yours shackled! While you’re doing nothing, he’s able to move around freely all through your house, marriage, family, relationships, friendships, and churches and cause havoc everywhere!

Think about it, do you want to lose that family member, that relationship, that friendship? As much as it meant. As long as it’s been. With all the good times and memories, are you willing to sit shackled on the sidelines while the devil steps all over everything and everyone you love? Have you forgotten their value, their worth, and their importance?

Let no one tell you that anyone is beyond restoration. Not even Jesus felt that way. And He had good reason to kick quite a few folks to the curb, but He didn’t…Judas betrayed Him (but He didn’t discard him); Peter denied Him (but He didn’t discard him); Thomas doubted Him (but He didn’t discard him); and in the end, they all left but John, and still He didn’t discard them He gave up His life still. Can you imagine hanging on a cross, dying yourself, between 2 thieves, knowing full well that they are guilty as sin, and yet one calls out to Him, and He still answers? Don’t discard your loved ones. One day they will be on the other side of dirt, and by then it will be too late to wish you had dealt with what you delayed.

We are still called to the Ministry of Reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:16-20, “Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that ANYONE UNITED WITH THE MESSIAH GET’S A FRESH START, IS CREATED NEW. THE OLD LIFE IS GONE; A NEW LIFE BURGEONS! Look at it! All this comes from the God WHO SETTLED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US AND HIM AND THEN CALLED US TO SETTLE OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world A FRESH START by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to DROP THEIR DIFFERENCES and enter God’s work of MAKING THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN THEM. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; He’s already a friend with you.” (MSG)

All Of This God Did For Us, So We Could Do The Very Same For Others. Don’t Ruin What Simply Needs Repairing! They Can Be Redeemed, They Can Be Restored, They Can Be Renewed, And You Both Can Be Reconciled! Don’t Give Up And Give In So Quickly. Just Think Where We’d All Be If Jesus Threw In The Towel Every Time, We Messed Up Our Relationship/Friendship With Him!

Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Keep your temper under control; it is foolish to harbor a grudge.”

The Good News: A lot of situations can make us react angrily and that’s perfectly normal. But we shouldn’t hold grudges because it’s pointless and exhausting.

Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

The Good News: When someone angry confronts you, don’t fight with them. Try and talk to them calmly as it’ll help calm them down and make their anger go away.

Today is always your best opportunity to go to that person and do whatever it takes to repair things. Apologize if you need to, confront if you need to, pray together, and talk it through. You just can’t afford the hard spot in your heart that develops from anger that you stuff inside and let sit and settle. Anger never stays the same size. Bitterness never stays the same size. It always grows, just like sin! James 1:13-15,) You can’t afford for the sin of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness to grow! Neither can you allow anger, even when it’s justified, to grow! Because all you will be doing is helping the devil accomplish his goal, letting those things grow until they become a “…Real Killer” to you, your relationships, friendships, marriages, families, jobs, and churches.

Remember the ‘dish-rinse’ philosophy, there’s nothing to gain in waiting! The longer you wait, the harder it gets! Today is a great day for a new start. So, call them, email them, text them, write to them, visit them. Whatever it takes for however long it takes, put the work in and rebuild your relationship ruins! It can be done; it will be done. No More Delays…Today…DEAL WITH IT…before the sun goes down!

Luke 17:3-4, “Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.” (MSG)
James 1:19-20

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

The Good News: Keep your faith in God and trust that He will guide you in dealing with a situation. But try to react without anger because an angry person is prone to sinning and that goes against God’s word.

Matthew 18:21-22, "At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven." (MSG)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com