You May Be Going Through, But You Can Be A Glimpse Of God In Someone Else’s Gloom. You Can Encourage Someone Else In Knowing That Despite All These Things, God Is Still Able!

Throughout this day, may we be keenly aware of your presence in everything we do –May my life be a living example, and may others see Christ in each of us. Many are hurting in this world – may we be a salve to someone today, Lord, in a way that we can’t even imagine. May our words be seasoned with salt and minister grace to all that hear. May our actions be aligned with your Word.

Never let a Moment of Misery cause you to lose sight of your Monumental Ministry given to you by God! Always Remember: You Were Rescued to Reconcile!  You may be going through, but you can be a glimpse of God in someone else’s gloom. You can encourage someone else in knowing that despite all these things, God is still able!

Never Judge Prematurely How Your Story Will End! Eve Began Chapter 4 With LIFE…Then Stepped in DEATH…HOWEVER, Before the Closing of the SAME Chapter, She Birthed LIFE AGAIN, Plus the Added Blessing of a Grandson Who Invoked the People to Pray and Worship in the Name of GOD! “…And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. THAT’S WHEN MEN AND WOMEN BEGAN PRAYING AND WORSHIPING IN THE NAME OF GOD.” (Genesis 4:25-26 MSG).

In a Nutshell: Don’t Get Discouraged By a Few Verses, God Can Turn Everything Around in Your Favor Before the Closing of the SAME Chapter! Family, Be Encouraged: Go through until you get through, for when you get through your greatest blessing will be granted!

Have you ever been there when your CALLING and your CIRCUMSTANCES are opposites that DON’T attract? YOU Said You Have a Plan, a Purpose, and a Promise Just For Me, and Yet All I’ve Seen Thus Far are Problems, Pain, and Persecution! Lord, What Happened? Go through until you get through.

“Later on, Eve gave birth to another son and named him SETH (meaning “GRANTED”); for, as Eve put it, “God has GRANTED me another son for the one Cain killed.” (Genesis 4:25 TLB)

In one sweep of jealousy Eve’s dreams lay bleeding on the ground; her older son a criminal on the run, her younger son murdered in the prime of his life. And yet she is supposed to be the mother of all living! This is what the Scripture says: “The man named his wife Eve (meaning “The Life-Giving One”), for he said, “She shall become the mother of all mankind.” (Genesis 3:20 TLB). Well, how do you maintain a title like that, when you are now the mother of a corpse and a killer? Her husband spoke “Life” in naming her, and yet the one he called “Life” would have birthed from her womb, one that would be killed and one that would be his killer! How bad it must have felt to be called “Life”, and yet deal with “Death”?

Can you identify just a little bit with Eve? Or should I say it like this, have you ever found yourself asking, “Lord, this is NOT what YOU promised me!”; “Lord, this is NOT the way this was supposed to go!”; “Lord, I saw this work out a little different in my mind than what has manifested in my life!”; “Lord, after all this time, shouldn’t this and they be better?”; “Lord, I give my tithes, but the windows of heaven must be open on the wrong side of the house!”; “Lord, am I really supposed to STILL live here, STILL drive that, STILL walk there, STILL face this, STILL deal with them?” In Essence: Lord, This Is NOT How This Was Supposed to Go!

Well, if that is where you are today, here is my advice to you and it’s free: GO THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET THROUGH! Or in the words of our title: GO THROUGH UNTIL IT’S GRANTED!

Now, many of you will say, “Thanks for the encouragement, but I am still stuck in the middle of the tunnel, and I hear a train coming but don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel! You say Go Through, but I am still stuck and can’t Get Through, so, now what?” I reiterate, GO THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET THROUGH…GO THROUGH UNTIL IT’S GRANTED! How is that possible? Simple, just remember this: Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (KJV). However, there is another translation of this Scripture that I love, and it reads like this: “I can GUARANTEE this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a PERIOD nor A COMMA will disappear from the Scriptures before EVERYTHING HAS COME TRUE.” (GWT). Do you know how determined God must be to “Guarantee” that not even a “Period or a Comma” will come up missing “Before Every Word He’s Declared Comes True”? In other words, be encouraged, because regardless of how bleak the situation looks, whatever God has declared concerning you in His Word HAS to come to pass.

Hear me clearly: You will go through and get through because God has granted you a guarantee that everything, He said WILL come true! His guarantee comes with an assurance that every condition will be favorable in the end. Your outcome of victory is sealed and certain. Your promise of goods, money, and services is safeguarded and protected. And if you have this promise from God, you will forever be protected from dangers that attempt to sift your life!

Remember This: Satan can touch your POSSESSIONS, but he cannot take your PROMISE! Listen to Job 1:12 in a few translations:

“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that Job has is in your power, ONLY DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND ON THE MAN HIMSELF.” So, Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.” (AMP)

I REITERATE: Satan can touch your POSSESSIONS, but he cannot take your PROMISE!

You will maintain the testimony that “…MY LIFE IS SAFE, AND I WILL LIVE TO TELL WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE.” (Psalm 118:17 CEV) Or in the words of the Good News Translation, “I WILL NOT DIE; INSTEAD, I WILL LIVE AND PROCLAIM WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE.” (GNT). I love the word “Instead”, it means “In Place Of”. In other words, devil, no matter what you do or bring my way, IN PLACE OF DYING, I will Survive and LIVE to tell the story! Will this always be easy? Of course not, if it were, none of us would need any encouragement at all! But is it doable, is it possible? YES! Just Let His Guaranteed Promises Keep You Anchored in His Word Which Cannot Even Allow a Period or Comma to Move Out of Place Before ALL He Has Said (Promised) Comes True!

Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a son of man, that He should be sorry for what He has said. Has He said, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will He not keep His Word?” (NLV)

Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (AMP)

Jeremiah 1:12, “The Lord then said, “You are right, for I’m watching over My Word until it is fulfilled.” (CEB)

I know it is tough, tight, stressful, frustrating, and confusing right now. And yet I still assure you that with all that is against you, you will still say like Joseph, “…Don’t you see, you planned evil against me, but God used those same plans for my good…” (Genesis 50:20 MSG). You see, even when things do not work out as we think they should, God’s plans are never put on pause because of our problems. He’s so awesome as God that He won’t even change the plans of the enemy but will even make the enemy's plans work for your good! How powerful is that?

This is why you must always remember: Romans 8:28, “We know that God makes ALL things work together for the GOOD of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His PLAN.” (NLV); Jeremiah 29:11, “…I will 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.” (MSG)

I reiterate, are you getting this? Not even the plans of the enemy, nor your own failed plans can hinder the Guaranteed Plans God has in Place for Your Future! That is a good place to give God praise!

Look at another example of what God did for His people in the wilderness: “He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes.” (Psalm 107:7 AMP). Your job is to Go Through, no matter how painful, just Go Through! Why? Because even in the struggles of the wilderness, God can still lead you in a straight and right way, and as a bonus, when you come out, you’re coming out Established! You know what I love about the word “Establish”? It’s meaning of course! “To Set Up On a Firm and Permanent Basis”! His people Went Through, and When They Came Out, They Were “Set Up On a Firm and Permanent Basis”! Be Encouraged, Your Next Blessing Won’t Be Seasonal, It Will Be Permanent!

I reiterate yet again, GO THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET THROUGH! Because on the other side of your BIG Burden is an even BIGGER Blessing.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Get Into The Word of God; Get Into Worship; Get The Wisdom Of God; Get Into The Will Of God; And Get Into The Right Wardrobe! Then Work Your Season!

The More Troubled Things Are, The More Present God Makes Himself! It Doesn’t Matter What Rages Around You. It Only Matters Who Reigns Within You. Get into the Word of God; Get into Worship; Get the Wisdom of God; Get into the Will of God; and Get into the right Wardrobe! Then Work Your Season!  

This is the year you are going to experience, not a drizzle, not just mercy drops, but showers of His blessings. It is the year you will see your harvest—tangible manifestations of the breakthroughs you have been believing in God for! If what is broken is a relationship you really care about, or your family is broken, or your heart is broken, your joy is broken, your peace is broken, your trust has been broken. In your brokenness is where you will find God right there! 

Zechariah 10:1 says that in the time of the latter rain, “the Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.” This is the year you are going to experience, not a drizzle, not just mercy drops, but showers of His blessings. It is the year you will see your harvest—tangible manifestations of the breakthroughs you have been believing in God for!

And it is far worse, if what is broken is a relationship you really care about, or your family is broken, or your heart is broken, your joy is broken, your peace is broken, your trust has been broken, your loyalty has been broken. A mother who walked away and never came back; a father who died; a marriage that ended; a child that left home; a doctor’s sad report; the loss of a job after 20 years; the senseless loss of a friend’s life; a relationship that is beyond repair…and the list could go on forever. 

In your brokenness is where you will find God right there! Now that's encouragement! Because most people do not want to be around someone who is broken. Why? Because they know it will only be a time of tears, complaining, sob stories, self-pity parties, retelling of the same hurtful scripts repeatedly. They know it will be a time spent in sorrow, pain, regret, hurt, rejection, and 'why me'? chants. Who wants to hang around with that, especially during the holidays? But Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother! He could care less about any of that, He's not leaving your side, nor is He turning a deaf ear to you, nor will He leave you there broken. After all, He is the mender of broken hearts! So, wherever you find yourself broken today, know that Jesus is Right There, even if no one else is! You, my friend, are on the verge of being mended!

It is not that God has not offered His help, the problem is we have not accepted it! Which makes absolutely no sense since the word itself means 'to take'! Therefore, today, Take the help God is offering to heal you and help you mend every broken area of your life. Do not Focus so much on your Hurt that you lose Sight of His Help!

So, if You are Battling with Brokenness, Simply Lean on the One Who Has Been Charged to Bind Up the Brokenhearted…His Names Is JESUS! Let Him Mend You and Make You Whole Again! The Son of God Came to Seek and Save; Heal and Deliver? it is a time to remember the Christ Who was Broken to Mend the Broken. It takes time. Remember: No Matter What Is Broken, Where It Broke, How Long and How Bad It Has Been Broken, Why It Broke, When It Broke or Who Broke It…He Can…and He Will Bind the Broken…Just Trust Him and Accept His Help to Heal! He Came to Save, and that Includes Saving You from Suffering the Pain of Remaining Broken! Be Healed Today, Be Well Today, Be Happy Today, Be Made Whole Today! God can heal a broken heart. But you need to give Him all the pieces. Note To Self: Healing Is NOT an overnight process.

“God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.” (Vance Havner)

JESUS was misunderstood, despised, rejected, forsaken, hated, filled with sorrows, pain, grief, sickness, and terrible suffering, abandoned, betrayed, falsely accused, and even mocked, spat upon, pierced, and put to death! So, in case you feel as if no one knows how you feel; no one can identify with your brokenness, rest assured, JESUS KNOWS, JESUS CARES AND JESUS UNDERSTANDS!

We are stepping into this thing called the latter rain.  The latter rain is always going to be greater than the former.  You’re talking about the flood gates, some of you have had the floodgates of problems in one thing after another and when you recuperate from one thing, it hits you with another, but in this season, God is getting ready to overwhelm you with His goodness. Can you imagine the blessings of God coming on the left hand and the right hand, when they are pushing you in your back, just pushing you into your destiny. I’m telling you God has great things in store for His children, He’s a great Father. He just wants to overwhelm you from the left to the right. He’s got Angels just holding sickles on your behalf in the north, south, east, and west. He is getting ready to release things on the earth that will overwhelm you from the east to the west with blessings that will come in signs of deliverance, miracles and blessings, miracles and blessings, a season of them in signs of wonders, a season of them, suddenly God will shift your season suddenly, where you have had a hard time, but suddenly things will shift in your favor. If you believe it, you will receive it. You will see God move, the naysayers will sit back and see God’s children being blessed, people getting healed, people getting delivered, people getting encouraged, people getting goodness and mercy extended to them, property liens given into your hands, degrees are being given in finishing school and universities. This is a new season; He is expanding your territory on the left and right. God is giving you wisdom; you’ll be able to hold on to it this time. Justice will roll in like mighty waters and righteousness come down like mighty streams.

May God turn your affliction; may your affliction never rise again. Have your way this morning Lord, let it rain, let it rain. He’s cutting off things that need to be cut off but adding blessings in your life that you have been desperate for, a season now, cause God’s getting ready to feed you on a new level of where you are going but not where you are coming from, and this is the Lord’s doing. God is going to give some of you your divine testimonies of what He is doing in this season.  God said your suddenly is breaking through now.  You didn’t know what God was doing but He was working on you. Suddenly the check comes, it is shifting in your favor. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. The miracle is in process right now.

This is your season of blessings; you are being made in the likeness of Elohim. I pray that God will anoint you and give you new ideas. Have expectations like never before. Tell God to use everything in you for His purpose. We shouldn’t have to be pumped to praise God. Praise Him anyhow this morning,

Keep in mind, When You Can’t Alter Your Circumstances, That Means They Are a Perfect Fit For Where You Are and Where You’re Going. They are only for a Season, and when it’s time to Change, the One who birthed all the Seasons will change it!  The stone in your hand might be small, but the God who is with you is bigger than the giant in front of you. It is not about your stone, but about your God.

Far too often we quickly get upset over the Bad, not realizing that it usually leads to something Good! Most of us have lived long enough to see it happen – something Good coming out of something that’s Bad, or even difficult and unpleasant. Therefore, if you’re in a season in your life that’s cold right now, and you’re feeling the chill of crisis; the breeze of bitterness; the winds of worry; the damp of depression; the ice of irritation; the blizzard of backbiters; the storms of struggle; and the rains of restlessness,

KNOW THAT EVEN WHEN THE CONDITIONS OF THE SEASON RESTRICT YOU, THEY CAN NEVER CONSTRICT YOUR GOD! EVEN WHEN IT DON’T FEEL LIKE IT’S IN YOUR FAVOR, BECAUSE HE’S YOUR GOD…IT IS!

When you honor God’s timing, you always land on solid ground and end up with a fresh reason to praise Him! In other words, it’s not enough to wait, but you must wait the right way…Patiently and In Praise! Just ask JOSEPH!

The Book of Genesis tells us about a very long winter season in the life of this Old Testament hero. In a nutshell, his brothers hated him because he was his father’s favorite. They threw him in a pit and nearly let him die there. At the last minute, they changed their minds and lightened up a little – they settled for selling him into Egyptian slavery instead. Joseph got a great job in the house of a powerful man and then lost it when he refused the advances of the boss’s wife, and she falsely accused him of assaulting her. Then, two long years in the king’s prison as a result. Ultimately, Joseph came to the attention of Pharaoh who eventually promoted him to second in command in the mighty Egyptian empire. That’s when a famine drove Joseph’s brothers to Egypt in search of food – FOOD ONLY THE BROTHER THEY HAD BETRAYED COULD GIVE THEM BY THE WAY! (SIDEBAR: NEVER HATE YOUR HATERS!)  And when they finally realize who he is and experience the forgiveness and mercy that they DON’T DESERVE, Joseph speaks these words: “You Planned Evil Against Me; God Planned It For Good To Bring About The Present Result—The Survival Of Many People.” (Genesis 50:20).

WHAT THE WEATHER (AND YOUR HATERS) HAVE PLANNED FOR YOU CAN’T COMPARE TO WHAT THE WILL OF GOD HAS PLANNED FOR YOU! FROM THE PIT TO THE PRISON To The Palace, JOSEPH Prospered, HE WAS SUSTAINED BY ONE THING HE KNEW HAD NOT CHANGED—GOD WAS WORKING ON A BIGGER PLAN! If you belong to Jesus, then Joseph’s God is your God, too. And He’s a God who uses even the wickedness of man to do great things. For Joseph, vengeful brothers, false accusations, and terrible injustices BECAME TOOLS THAT GOD USED TO TAKE HIM TO PLACES AND POSITIONS HE COULD NEVER HAVE GONE OTHERWISE!

If it’s dark right now, don’t let discouragement win. Don’t let bitterness or resentment or resignation ruin the greater plan God is working on. Romans 8:28, “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a PLAN] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” (AMP). 

In some ways, Jesus’ disciples expected their Winter to begin with His announced departure to heaven. The One who had called them to be with Him was now leaving them and entrusting to them the work He had started. In Luke 24, Jesus tells them to tell the world about Him and then, “…while He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.” In a way, their Winter had begun, as it often does when you lose someone you love. But they knew what to do with their Winter! In the book of Acts chapters 1 and 2 teach us what they did to Work Their Winter Season, “they all joined together constantly in prayer.” Then they got their team of 12 back to full strength by replacing Judas with another disciple. And “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place…and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” At that point, they exploded on the city of Jerusalem with the Gospel that would, that day, start spreading around the world! But they had to use their Winter to get together, to regroup, to get stronger, and to get closer to God. You need to handle your Winter the same way. Don’t just sit there worrying or feeling sorry for yourself or wallowing in your emotions. Take action to get strong. Spend extra time with God right now. Strengthen your relationship with your family, friends, coworkers, and church family. Think through what you need to stop doing and what you need to start doing to focus on what really matters. And prayerfully plan for a future, right there in the middle of your valley, even when the future looks very uncertain.               

In other words, don’t get caught up in your Winter woes, instead use this season that will be ending soon as a time to sharpen your weaponry for the spiritual warfare ahead! And how do you do that?

1...Get Into the WORD of God: (even as everything in heaven and earth shall pass away, His Word Never Will)! (Mark 13:31, “Heaven and earth will perish and pass away, But My Words Will Not Perish Or Pass Away.” Ampc); (Isaiah 55:11, “So Shall My Word Be That Goes Forth Out Of My Mouth: It Shall Not Return To Me Void [Without Producing Any Effect, Useless], But It Shall Accomplish That Which I Please And Purpose, And It Shall Prosper In The Thing For Which I Sent It.” Ampc).

2...Get Into WORSHIP: (the posture where you don’t go seeking God, but He comes seeking you)! (John 4:23, “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); FOR THE FATHER IS SEEKING JUST SUCH PEOPLE AS THESE AS HIS WORSHIPERS.” (AMPC).

3...Get the WISDOM of God: (it is essential to making wise decisions)! (James 1:5, “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, LET HIM ASK THE GIVING GOD [WHO GIVES] TO EVERYONE LIBERALLY AND UNGRUDGINGLY, WITHOUT REPROACHING OR FAULTFINDING, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN HIM.” AMPC).

4...Get Into the WILL of God: (this is the place that is attached to your promise)! (Hebrews 10:36, “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish THE WILL OF GOD, AND THUS RECEIVE AND CARRY AWAY [AND ENJOY TO THE FULL] WHAT IS PROMISED.” AMPC).

5...Get Into the Right WARDROBE: (no soldier fights without his fatigues)! And what are fatigues? (The phrase “military fatigues” was coined by the United States Armed Forces in the mid 1800’s and was used in reference to the clothes worn by soldiers detailed to menial or hard labor. Over time, the definition of military fatigues has changed to essentially mean any uniform worn by a solider on work detail, on duty, or while on the field of battle!) And what are your “fatigues”? (READ: Ephesians 6:11-18).

Discouragement and fear and drifting from God – those are your greatest enemies, not what faces you on your battlefields! This season is not dead time or despair time. It’s get ready time! Therefore, get into the Word of God; Get into Worship; Get the Wisdom of God; Get into the Will of God; and Get into the right Wardrobe! Then Work Your Season!    

Romans 4:19-25, “Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what He had said. That’s why it is said, “Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right.” But it’s not just Abraham; it’s also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.” (MSG)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

You Are Too Close To Lose FOCUS! Those Of Us Who Want Everything God Has For Us” (Philippians 3:15 MSG). Know That You’ll Always Lose When You: Fight The Wrong Battle; Fight At The Wrong Time; Fight When You Shouldn’t Be Involved.

LET’S KEEP FOCUSED…those of us who want everything God has for us” (Philippians 3:15 MSG) “Acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6).

You are too close to lose FOCUS! Know that you’ll always lose when you: Fight the wrong battle; Fight at the wrong time; Fight when you shouldn’t be involved; Fight because you need to win to feel good about yourself; Fight, though the battle has been lost, but your pride won’t let you swallow it! Bear this in mind, Focus does 3 things for you and when it comes to staying focused, keep in mind these 3 additional notes: There are five types of people you'll encounter: 

It's human nature to get distracted! So many of us are like gyroscopes, spinning around at a frantic pace but not getting anywhere! Without a clear purpose, you keep changing directions, jobs, relationships, churches, etc., hoping each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart. You think, "This time will be different," but it's not because it doesn't solve your real problem—LACK OF FOCUS!

Focus doesn't come easily or naturally; it's a discipline that must be practiced daily!

Paul told Timothy to Focus on his strengths: "That special gift…you were given…keep that dusted off and in use." (1 Timothy 4:14 MSG). Focused people don't hide their weaknesses or excuse them; instead, they focus on their strengths!

Bear this in mind; Focus does three things for you:

(1) IT KEEPS YOU ON TARGET: We find ourselves pulled in a dozen different directions, spending much of our time and energy on things we don't care about. Author Don Marquis put it this way: "Ours is a world where people don't know what they want and are willing to go through hell to get it." The Bible says: "Let your eyes look straight ahead…Do not swerve to the right or the left." (Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV) Focused People Develop a Discipline that helps them to Stay On Target Without Swerving to the Right or the Left! Distractions Invite Detours From Your God-Given Destination! So, Stay Focused!

(2) IT INCREASES YOUR ENERGY: Attempting everything, like attempting nothing, will suck life right out of you! Focus gives you energy.  The mind doesn't reach achievement until it has clear objectives. Focused People have Learned to Focus All of Their Efforts Into One Thing or One Direction, which in Return Replenishes the Energy and Strength that was Zapped from Multiple Activities that didn't Produce an Ounce of Productivity! All you desire will COME TOGETHER once you stop letting everyone and everything PULL YOU APART!

(3) IT LIFTS YOU:  By trusting God and aiming higher, you move to a higher level—Regardless. Staying Focused Isn't All About Elevating to Another Level, Another Position, Another Title. Staying Focused Gives You The Best and Highest Level of Elevation There Is…Which is Simply Becoming a Better You Today Than You Were Yesterday, and a Better You Tomorrow Than You Were Today! Now That's What You Call a Worthy Elevation!

"Acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:6).

When it comes to staying focused, keep in mind these three additional notes:

(1) FOCUSED PEOPLE ALWAYS LOOK FOR A BETTER WAY: Focused People Don't Get In a Rut, Nor Do They Get Stuck and Stagnant! They Continuously Reinvent Themselves and How They Do Things. They Grow and Change Constantly! They Don't Regress; they Progress! They're Forever Moving Forward, Looking to Do Better In 2025 Than They Did in 2024! If Everything You Do Is Still Done the Same Way and The People You Are Around Are Still the Same People, You, My Friend, Are In Serious Danger of Never Becoming Better!

(2) FOCUSED PEOPLE CONCENTRATE A LITTLE HARDER AND A LITTLE LONGER: Hall of Fame baseball player Hank Aaron said, "What separates a superstar from the average ball player is that he concentrates just a little bit longer." Focused thinking can remove distractions and mental clutter to concentrate with clarity. Examine Your Thoughts, Examine Your Emotions, Examine Your Speech, Examine Your Attitude, Examine Your Heart, Examine Your Habits and Certainly Examine Your Associations and Immediately Remove Anything or Anyone That Clutters Your Clarity or Breaks Your Concentration! Keep In Mind: Folly and Focus Can't Dwell In the Same Place!

(3) FOCUSED PEOPLE MAKE COMMITMENTS, NOT EXCUSES:  Therefore, you must never forget: "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (NIV). And when He does—STAY FOCUSED!

Vision Requires Focus. You become mediocre at everything and excellent at nothing when you're spread too thin! Failure always results from saying yes to too many things. Because something is good doesn't mean it's right for you. When your plate's full doing what God has given you to do, learn to say no to everything else! "No" doesn't mean never; it just means "not now." If you try to fight on every front, you'll wear yourself out and fail to win where it counts most.

Know that you'll permanently lose when you: Fight the wrong battle; Fight at the wrong time; Fight when you shouldn't be involved; Fight because you need to win to feel good about yourself; Fight, though the battle has been lost, your pride won't let you swallow it! Instead, learn to Stay Focused on your goals. Keep your eyes on the prize that God has set before you. And be warned: If the enemy can't defeat you, he'll distract you with side issues or disqualify you by getting you to make bad decisions. Either way, he wins, and you lose! 

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I FOCUS on this ONE THING: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." Notice 3 more things about Focused people:

(1) FOCUSED PEOPLE DON'T LIVE IN THE PAST: Too many of us yearn for the past and get stuck in it! Instead, we should learn from the past and let go of it. 

(2) FOCUSED PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES, BUT THE REWARDS: If you dwell on the difficulties too long, you'll start to develop self-pity instead of self-discipline. Make Christ your example. "He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross BECAUSE OF THE JOY HE KNEW WOULD BE HIS AFTERWARDS." (Hebrews 12:2 TLB).

(3) FOCUSED PEOPLE CHOOSE THEIR FRIENDS CAREFULLY: Here are five types of people you'll encounter: 1) REFRESHERS—who strengthen your faith and energize you; 2) REFINERS—who sharpen you and clarify your vision; 3) REFLECTORS—who mirror your energy, neither adding to nor subtracting from it; 4) REDUCERS—who try to diminish your goals and efforts to their comfort level; and 5) REJECTERS—who don't understand you or what God's called you to do. You will have to encounter all five of these people at some point in time! So, remain focused, and you'll stay grounded; the praise of others is less likely to go to your head, and the negative impact of your critics will be minimized!

"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." (Genesis 12:1 NLT)

I wonder why God would take people like Moses or Abraham away from their familiar environments after He called them—uprooting them from Family and friends to use them for more significant works. But the more I look at where I was, where I'm at, and where I'm going, the more I understand why God does such a thing as this. The harsh reality is there are many limits put on us By Our Very Own Loved Ones! Especially those that have watched us come up and fall many times before. Often, their perception of us distorts our vision and causes us to doubt ourselves, God, and even the planned purpose He has for us. But what we must remember is, whenever someone says you can't do it or be it, they are a liar! Because the Bible Clearly Declares, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." {Philippians 4:13} Understand that too often, people will speak into your life according to what THEY were able or NOT able to accomplish on their own. They will judge you based on what they could or, Moreso, what they couldn't do themselves. But Listen: A vision is only seen by the bearer of it, and because you were selected to bear it, it is, therefore, invisible to others. They only get to see the back of it after the glory of it has passed by (Exodus 33:12-21) That's why folks get mad with you because they want to see the personal face-to-face of your vision but must settle for the hind parts instead! So, prepare yourself because when God chooses you to carry out a dream, not everyone's going to understand what you're doing or why.  So, they'll label you based on the outside because they don't have access inside! Don't let them shift your Focus because they can only see the container and not the contents! 

"Isn't this the carpenter?" {Mark 6:3} Please be careful around those who love to say, "I knew you when…" to label or limit you. When David volunteered to fight Goliath, his faith was an embarrassment to his big brother Eliab, King Saul's army officer. Think of Eliab's position, "If my little brother wins, everybody will ask, 'How come you couldn't do it—big brother?'" Beware: your decision to step out and follow God will pressure others around you! And the first place you'll feel it will be amongst those closest to you, especially if your calling sets you apart and takes you higher than them! The Bible records that Eliab "burned with anger at [David] and asked, 'Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is" (1 Samuel 17:28). Take Note: Before David could overcome Goliath, he had to overcome the thoughts and opinions of those around him, especially his Family. And you will too! Look at the life of Jesus. When He went back to His hometown they said, "What's this wisdom…given him, he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son…they took offence at him. Jesus said to them, 'Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.' He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them…he was amazed at their lack of faith." (Mark 6:2-6)

Bottom line: Don't allow those "who knew you THEN", to hinder where you're going NOW! Neither friend, Family nor foe! STAY FOCUSED!

If you're needing to know God's direction right now, don't focus so much on figuring out The Plan. Focus on staying close to the man, to Jesus, whose plan it is. Living in God's Will isn't supposed to be this stressful spiritual mystery game. Relax and do the things that get you really close to the person Who is the Pilot of your earth-journey. Or in the words of the Bible, "Stay close to the King … wherever He goes! "Unfortunately, in this day and time of the church, too much attention is being Focused on Fleshly Leadership! But God's Word still declares: "You can't depend on anyone, not even a great leader. Once they die and are buried, that will be the end of all their plans. The LORD God of Jacob blesses everyone who trusts Him. God made heaven and earth; He created the sea and everything else. God always keeps His Word." {Psalm 146:3-6 CEV}. Stop focusing on the arm of flesh, for it will fail you every time. Instead, Stay Focused on Your Captain, Your Leader, Your King, Whose Word Never Fails! Knowing With Assurance that Once He Gives You Direction, You Are Guaranteed to Make it to Your Intended Destination!

It is indeed my prayer that you will now set your heart, mind, and spirit to the things of God and the Will of God for your life, and that you will allow nothing and no one to distract you or deter you from destiny, Not Even You! People of God, Stay Focused and Finish Strong! Because You're Too Close to Manifestation to Lose Sight of the Vision Now!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com