Once You Start Living in the Light, You’ll Stop Letting Darkness Visit! Today Is A New Day.

If the dark cloud you’re under doesn’t move, then you move.” And that’s something I’m encouraging you to do today. Move!  Albert Einstein says it like this: “Nothing Happens Until Something Moves”. 

There are real monsters that a lot of people have locked in a closet somewhere in their heart: the secret pain, the secret sin, the secret darkness of that unforgiving heart. They're like vampires. They live in the darkness. But as you become older, you discover that they start to lose their power when you drag them into the light.

In my experience counseling people, when it comes to life’s experiences with pain, many people have found that getting rid of ‘monsters’ isn’t as easy or as simple as turning on a flashlight. The monsters of molestation, rape, domestic violence, health battles, homelessness, and the like didn’t exactly go away as quickly as the flip of a light switch for many. Nor did they for my friend Linda.

Linda, was abandoned, often physically abused by a drunken father, and cocaine addicted mother. Then she was horribly betrayed by her sister’s boyfriend. She trusted him so much as the brother she never had, and yet he sexually violated her. It was the final chapter in a story that told her a cruel lie, "Linda, you're worthless." A story line that brought her to the brink of suicide not once but three times. She took pills the first time, slit her wrists the second, and the third time she held a gun to her own head literally.

Thank God, Linda came across some wonderful people who led her to Jesus who did what no one and nothing else could do, He saved her. However, there was a few monsters left living in her closet; bitterness, anger, mistrust, fear of rejection, not to mention, hatred that she harbored in her heart. Now, all of her feelings and emotions were understandable. But unforgiveness never hurts the person we refuse to forgive. 

No, instead it eats us alive and, strangely, it ties us to the very person we can't stand.

Like so many who have had to endure mistreatment in whatever form, many did like Linda and stuffed it in the closet. But it's there where it grows into a monster of ungrieved grief, unrepented sin, and unforgiven hurt; a monster that morphs into all kinds of anger, rage, depression and self-loathing.

John 8:12, “Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows Me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” (MSG)

Once You Start Living in the Light, You’ll Stop Letting Darkness Visit! Jesus provides plenty of light to live in, what better motivation than that to move out of darkness? Why live in that darkness a moment longer than you have to.

Listen, truth is, sometimes you can move IT, and sometimes you simply have to move YOU. Which may require a great deal of separation; like moving from those old contacts, connections, phone calls, text messages, pictures and emails. Move from that place, from that thing, from that person. Move from re-imagining memories in a prettier light than they actually were. Move from those feelings, that conversation, move from repetitive bad decisions and choices. Move your dark into His light.

Today: Take all of your monsters out of your past closet, and into your prayer closet.

Take the regret, the remorse, the bitterness, the anger, the hatred, the revenge, the unforgiveness. Take the broken heart and the broken spirit. Take the fractured mind and the bruised ego. Take what they said and what they did. Even take the part you played in your own self-inflicted painful drama. Take it all to Him. There is no greater Light than the Lord!

Stop allowing hurt to hang around in your closet! Packed it up and put it out! God Himself Called You Out of Darkness, So Why Are You Still Trying to Live There? Don’t you see that in spite of where you’ve been, what you’ve done and what was done to you, He yet calls you chosen; a royal priesthood; a consecrated nation; a special people; His own possession. As dark as you were, He still called you out of darkness!

He Called You OUT…So Why Are You Allowing Your Past to Keep You IN?! Despite the Mess, you have since received Mercy, so why not live in it?

Listen, you’ve been under that dark cloud long enough. You’ve been scared of those monsters in that dark closet long enough. Today is a new day, and one in which you need not give old days the opportunity to rob you of. Whatever happened, happened. 

You can’t undo it; you can’t change it; you can’t go back and alter some of the details of it. But you can decide today, that I’m not going to give another moment to those monsters. My body, soul, spirit, heart, mind and emotions all deserve to live in light. I deserve peace, joy, laughter, unconditional love and complete healing and wholeness, and I’ve decided it will start today.

Now, sometimes that will require you to delete the photos, messages and contact information. It may require you to stop talking to that person, or going back to that place. Listen: You can’t ask God to bring you into the light while you bring darkness with you, still clutched tightly in your hands. You have to make the deliberate decision to let darkness go and leave it in the hands of God.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18, “…How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?...” (MSG) The answer, NO! So you cannot ask God to bring you out of darkness, when you refuse to let darkness go. Know today that you can’t take that darkness with you into a bright future!

Whatever your ‘monsters’ are, bring them out of your past closet of darkness and into your present prayer closet of light. You’ve dealt with enough torment, torture, self-doubt and self-pity. You’ve been under that dark cloud far too long. You’ve cried enough; been depressed and discouraged enough; you’ve been lonely, angry and bitter enough you’ve replayed their role in your drama enough; you’ve renewed the issues to your past publications of pain long enough. You’ve complained and talked about it enough.

Use this Winter to do some Spring cleaning in advance! Clean all that old junk out of your closet! All of it! The lies, the truth, the rumors, gossip, fornication, adultery, substance abuses, stealing, back-stabbing, rejection, abandonment...All Of It, Whatever Your IT Is! Stop allowing hurt to hang around in your closet! Pack it up and put it out!

Today, Bring Your Monsters From Your Past Closet to Your Prayer Closet and Meet God There! You'll Go in Dark, But You'll Come Out Light and Lighter!

When Is The Last Time You Wept In The Presence Of The Lord? Tears Are A Language, God Understands.

When Is The Last Time You Wept In The Presence Of The Lord? Seek Protection From The One Who Cannot Be Moved.  Invite the Comforter to comfort you in your time of need! God is more patient with us than we are with ourselves. Heavenly Father, in these quiet moments of my day I love feeling Your love, talking to You and hearing Your answers. I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you. -John 11:22.  As long as you can see just one beautiful thing, there's a reason to live, life is beauty. May Jesus always be the standard for truth in our life. Pursue more than just pleasure in life, the flesh will always want something and lead you down the wrong path.  No matter how hard we try we cannot save ourselves but Jesus can!

Jesus wept over us; He wept over those that were lost, and even all His friends.  It’s a part of who we are too; crying out for others. It was so very special, to kneel at His feet, as the woman did, and tell Him all about our shortcomings; confessing our human weaknesses, and then feeling the deep cleansing of His forgiveness.  But, there is another part to this; just weeping in His presence; feeling the deep awesome presence of God.  You see, the Holy Ghost, cannot settle on a child of God, without it having a visual affect; we have to respond in some way.

“Tears are a language, God understands.” I weep because of all He has done for me.  It is my heart and soul, communicating with His.

When you embrace Jesus love you feel differently about yourself because you become someone new.

Your faith can unlock powers you didn't even know you had! An important part of becoming a mature Christian is learning to worry less and trust more.  No one ever said it would be easy but God will equip you for the task. If your faith in God is strong and trusting then the first step to victory can be wonderful. If you're a believer, you have plenty of reasons to be joyful! Sometimes we have to be in the fiery furnace in order to reach just one person when we witness how good God is!

Jesus's Walk Was Hard But He Kept On... You Can Keep On Too!

God isn’t the source of all our problems; He is the source of all our answers! Through Christ and repentance I am forgiven! God answering our prayers when we are not living right would be like condoning our disobedience. The Lord should always be on our minds. Christ transforms human suffering - into something of value and service to God. When things are falling down around you... call Jesus... He will answer.

Thank You Lord, for loving me the way only You can do. Hold your head high knowing our Father has the best of everything for us! Have faith and hold on!! There is no safer place than to be in the center of God’s will and walking in His light. God sees us where we are as well as where we are going, trust Him to lead the way!

Father let me demonstrate my love for You by obeying Your commandments.

All experiences can become blessings if you let it.  Lord, open my mind today so I may hear You. Lord, I need You in my life. Light my path in the way You would like me to go and I’ll go! Sometimes, we need to do more than just dance, sing and shout, sometimes we need to turn the music and monitors off and just weep in Your presence. Cry out in the presence of the most Holy and High God.

What Blessings Are You Missing Out On Because You’re Still In the Same Place?

What Blessings Are You Missing Out On because you’re Still In the Same Place?!  What Blessings Are You Missing Out On Because You Didn’t Listen When God Spoke?! God’s Plan For Your Life Is Always Connected To A PLACE:

 “A bend in the road is not the end of the road…unless you fail to make the TURN” (Author Unknown)

During a famine God said to the prophet Elijah, “And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Leave here and TURN east. Hide yourself by the river Cherith, east of the Jordan.  You will drink from the river. And I have told the ravens to bring food to you there.” So he went and did what he was told by the Word of the Lord. He went and lived by the river Cherith, east of the Jordan.  The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening. And he drank from the river.” (1 Kings 17:2-6 NLV).

“You have traveled around this mountain long enough. Now TURN NORTH”; (Deuteronomy 2:3 TLB);

“The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, TURN TOWARD THE SOUTH…” (Ezekiel 20:45-46 CEV);

From all 4 corners of the Earth (East, North, South, West), God’s people are charged and challenged to make a TURN! Likewise, it’s vital for your life and calling that you are always in the Right Place at the Right Time!

This week is a good time to take a look around at the people, places and things in your life, and see where you need to make a Beneficial TURN for yourself! Think about it: Elijah would’ve missed his provision in the East if he didn’t TURN; Israel would’ve missed the Promised Land if they didn’t TURN to the North; Ezekiel would’ve missed his ministry opportunity to deliver a prophetic word if he didn’t TURN to the South; and Moses would’ve missed the burning bush if he didn’t TURN to the West! What are you missing out on because you have yet to TURN in the direction God has commanded?!

Even Jesus “…HAD to go through Samaria…” (John 4:4 NIV). The Message Bible says it like this, “TO GET THERE, HE HAD TO PASS THROUGH SAMARIA…” (MSG). In order to get THERE, you have to leave HERE! And why did Jesus have to go through Samaria? To meet a woman who was destined to reach that city with the Gospel. Can you imagine, a whole city would’ve missed out on hearing the Good News of the Gospel, if Jesus didn’t go through Samaria?!

Believe it or not, but you being in the right place at the right time, is not just about you! There are some people who won’t receive what they need to until you get there! Some people won’t make a turn for the better until you’ve finally decided to make a turn from the worse! Some won’t get a turn, until you make a turn! And do you really want to be held responsible for a whole city missing God because you missed your turn?!

Now, will all of your turns feel good? Absolutely not! However, you can’t just go where you like, God honors you when you’re where HE wants you to be! “Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey Him.” (1 Samuel 15:22 CEV). So whether you’re being sent to the North, South, East or West is irrelevant! What’s important is that you obey the direction of the Lord when He tells you it’s time to make a TURN!

God has promised to bless you, but sometimes He has to reposition you in order for you to receive His blessing! Just ask Peter. He went from I’ll live and die with you Jesus, to being warmed by strange fire, with strange people, and lying about his identity to Jesus. However, it’s never too late to make a TURN, because he’s later restored, repositioned and preaching redemption to thousands! Paul went from killing Christians to speaking life and resurrecting them! It’s amazing what just a little TURN in the right direction can accomplish! In other words, it’s not too late for you either! So, MAKE THE TURN…BEFORE YOU MISS YOUR TURN!

Think about this as well: It was when Ruth moved to Bethlehem that she met Boaz and married him; it was when Bartimaeus went to where Jesus was that he received his sight!

Make sure you are in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, doing the right thing! After all, to miss God, is just wrong!

In closing, can you imagine how Abraham’s story would’ve read had he missed his turn in Genesis 12:1? “Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. Abram had to leave some people, places and things BEHIND HIM and FOR HIS OWN ADVANTAGE, TURNS IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION ALTOGETHER! And what was the blessing for his obedient turn? “If you do, I will cause you to become the father of a great nation; I will bless you and make your name famous, and you will be a blessing to many others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and the entire world will be blessed because of you.” (Genesis 12:2-3 TLB). And All Because He Refused to Miss His Turn By Missing His Turn! Verse 4, is the bonus, “SO ABRAM LEFT JUST AS GOD SAID…” (MSG).

And was this the only time Abram would have to make a TURN? Absolutely Not! He would eventually have to TURN away from Lot, who was originally granted permission by Abram to go with him! However, Once Again, Do to Making Another Timely TURN, God says to Abram: “After Lot separated from him, God said to Abram, “Open your eyes, look around. Look NORTH, SOUTH, EAST and WEST. Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever. I’ll make your descendants like dust—counting your descendants will be as impossible as counting the dust of the Earth. So—on your feet, GET MOVING! Walk through the country, its length and breadth; I’m giving it all to you.” (Genesis 13:14-17 MSG)

Abram Made a Timely Turn, and God Made Abram a Timeless Promise!

If You Don’t Want to Miss Yours As Well, Today, Determine to MAKE A TURN!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

What A Mess That The House Of God Has Become. When Did Pollution Enter Our Praise And Repentance Exit Our Prayers?

Where do we start? That’s usually the first question that comes to mind. And if we would dare look at the Mount Mess that the House of God has become, we would have to ask ourselves that very same question. I mean, how did we allow so much of the world to get into our worship? What happened to our pure motives and intentions? What happened to living right, clean, godly and holy? What happened to sacred garments and sacred music? When did pollution enter our praise and repentance exit our prayers? When did it become acceptable to dress any kind of way, talk any kind of way, act any kind of way and live any kind of way? When did it become okay to curse, steal and lie in the House of God? When did we start justifying fornication and adultery as “strongholds and struggles”? When did pride, arrogance, conceit, comparisons and competition become the order of the day? When did slander, mockery, rumors, gossip, belittling, and backbiting get approved in the House? When did taking money out of the House become more important than sowing tithe and offering in it? Who gave the green light for the preachers to be posted and propped up on pedestals, with cushioned strategically placed seating? When did God become a visitor in His own House, while pomp and circumstance moved permanently in? When did the House of God become so filthy? And who will be the ones to clean it up?

Since we learn by repetition, let’s take a look at our text shall we? John 2:13-17, “When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants; “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when His disciples remembered the Scripture, “Zeal for Your house consumes me.” (MSG)

Notice what Jesus first act is. It's not a miracle, it's not a healing, and it's not a sermon. It's an attack against what's being done in God's House!

Now, you and I are living in a world that morally resembles an un-cleaned garage – it’s a spiritual mess! But it's not the world that's supposed to have a clean standard, it's the church! So, when do we start cleaning, and where are we going to start cleaning?

Well, being that Jesus’ reaction was so extreme, might I suggest we Start By Cleaning Up Our Father’s House First? After all, that's where Jesus started! And according to the Word of God, that’s where it will always start!

Listen to 1 Peter 4:17, "For the time has come for judgment to BEGIN at THE HOUSE OF GOD…" (NKJV)

Now, I know there are a great deal we as believers can do to help to improve this world and make it a better place. But we can’t clean the outside of the cup and leave the inside dirty; nor can we clean up the world while the House of God is filthy! Our God has Set the Standard, and the Standard is Order!

1 Corinthians 14:33, “For…God is NOT a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and ORDER. AS [IS THE PRACTICE] IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF THE SAINTS (GOD’S PEOPLE)” (AMPC)

Haven’t we been holding on to this “form” long enough? Looking regal on the outside while rotting on the inside. Trying to build up the world while the House of God is demolished by our own hands. Propping up the world, while the Standards of the House of God fall down.

See, we've become amazingly casual about sin. Oh, we're against it, but we flirt with it and we see how close we can get to it. We read about it, we watch it being portrayed, we laugh about it, and we allow creeping compromise to erode what was once a much higher standard in our lives just a short time ago. But Jesus however, takes a whip to what should not be tolerated in His Father’s House, and guess what? Just as the physical building we go to, to attend church; WE are also the Temple of God! We are also His House! So while we’re cleaning up the building, let us not forget to also clean our temple too!

THE WHOLE WORKS. SO LET PEOPLE SEE GOD IN AND THROUGH YOUR BODY.” (MSG)

Sounds like we’ve got a lot of cleaning to do! The House of God (the building) and the Temple of God (us) both need some serious cleaning up and out!

The performance needs to be whipped out of the House of God and the perverseness needs to be whipped out of the Temple of God! Bad attitudes; poor communication; vengefulness; spitefulness; anger; deceit; bitterness; resentment and the like all need to be whipped out of the House of God! Bad decisions; ungodliness; addictions; habits; unhealthy thoughts; disrespectful speech; dishonoring conduct; wrongful emotions; unforgiveness; illicit sexual behavior all need to be whipped out of the Temple of God…Us!

The House of God needs to look like the House of God, and not one that Rents out Rooms to the World to live in! 

Jesus didn’t tell them to just stop what they were doing, but listen: “…He told the dove merchants “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” They Were Put Out the House! And men, you need to be just as diligent about your Father’s House. Don’t let anyone come in the House of God and think they can do anything they please. Let them know as soon as they cross over the threshold, you can come as you are, but you can’t stay that way! Lift the standards in the House that compromise will not be tolerated; disrespect will not be tolerated; dressing any kind of way will not be tolerated; talking and acting and living any kind of way will not be tolerated.

Remember, He’s coming back for ONE Body, ONE House, ONE Church, and anything or anyone Unclean and Unholy Will Not Be in the Number!

It's time we get clean and stay clean!  His Standard is Order; Therefore, Our Standard is Order! And Cleaning House Begins With His House! We Need to Clean From the INSIDE…Out!

Will you take on the responsibility for raising the standards in the House of God, and making sure that no one comes in to lower them? Will you be the one to set the example of proper leadership in the House (even if you don’t receive a title)? Will you be the one to call sin, sin? Will you be the one to address those who are out of order in the House? Will you be bold enough to confront, correct, and chastise? Will you be the Body of Christ that lends its Members to the Housework of Cleaning Up the House of God?

Let today be the day that we Clean House, and watch what happens when Order becomes the Order of the Day again!

I’m Fully Persuaded God Allows A Lot Of The Stuff We Endure To Come Our Way, Because It Sends Us Running Right Back To The Prayer Room.

Can we be honest? Truth is, many of us, myself included, have a bad habit of waiting until we “need God” to pray. As long as everything is going well, there’s no doctors reports to make us cry out, no bills that are making us nervous about what we’re going to do next etc…we’re good. We can talk to God but not so often and even then quite briefly. Which is why I’m fully persuaded God allows a lot of the stuff we endure to come our way, because it sends us running right back to the prayer phone to dial up heaven again! At least in trouble He gets to hear our voice! But should this really be the only time He hears from us? When we're in trouble? And He's the last lifeline left?

Well, at the end of a passage on spiritual warfare and defeating our enemy, the Bible says in Ephesians 6:18 "…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (NIV). It's prayer all day, every day, at any time of the day! Reminds me a lot of the admonishment of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing." In a nutshell: It's staying in contact with the Lord at; "All occasions, with all kinds of prayers, and all kinds of requests."

Notice, we’re charged and challenged to pray all the time, for everyone, because prayer is essential! We’re to always pray, never stop praying and pray all the time! That sounds a lot like prayer being more than just “I’m in trouble Lord, HELP!” Or praying because we have a few moments to spare. The sad thing however, about us as believers is that we tend to have a prayer compartment in our life. We pray in the morning, or maybe in the evening, or over meals. We have prayer meetings. But I think God wants us to take prayer out of that compartment and learn prayer as a lifestyle, not just as an occasional appointment.

The Spirit may be trying to prompt you in that way many times. It's not a little child. It's the Holy Spirit that's saying, "Let's pray. Let's pray." He's trying to initiate it. Pray in the Spirit. But we're so busy! We're running on our list, our schedule, our program and our agenda. We can't hear His promptings. However, we need to be real careful about being so busy that we ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit to pray and even to intercede for others!

Think about this: Can you imagine how differently Peter’s story may have turned out, if people ignored the prompting to pray? Listen: James had just been executed and Herod was planning to kill Peter in the morning. Now, you’d think Peter would have been up all night praying, but he wasn’t. The Bible says he was SLEEPING! (Acts 12:6, “Then the time came for Herod to bring him out for the kill. That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, PETER SLEPT LIKE A BABY” MSG). So where did Peter get such faith? The Bible says: “Peter therefore was kept in prison: BUT PRAYER WAS MADE WITHOUT CEASING OF THE CHURCH UNTO GOD FOR HIM” (Acts 12:5). But you have to see how these intercessors REALLY PRAYED for Peter: The Amplified Bible says, “…FERVENT PRAYER for him was PERSISTENTLY  made…”; The Message Bible says, “All the time …Peter was under heavy guard…the church prayed for him MOST STRENUOUSLY “While Peter was being kept in jail, the church NEVER STOPPED PRAYING to God for him.”

We must MAKE time to pray to God on our own behalf, but never forget your brothers and sisters, and even those who are unsaved! They all need your prayers of intercession at all times! Your Unceasing Prayers Are Vital to You and Others! So Never Stop Praying! Who knows who will be saved, delivered, healed, and made whole, just because of your prayers? Who knows who may be encouraged, inspired and empowered because of your prayers? Who knows who may finally get right because of your prayers? Your Prayers Are Powerful! Make Them Your Lifestyle, Not Just a Lifeline for When You’re in Trouble!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Join us Monday morning at 7:00 AM for prayer and where we petition prayer requests before our Father. The prayer conference call has become a gathering place to meet in God's presence on Monday mornings. You are welcome to join in us. Intercessors & leaders are now available to pray with you each Monday. Hours: (CST) Mon. 7:00 AM- 8:00 AM. Call the toll free number 1-302-202-1106, access conference code, 738510 for U.S. & Canada.

Listen, Jesus Left Heaven To Get To Us, Satan Left Hell To Get To Us, And Yet We Won’t Even Leave The Church To Get To Them?

Matthew 5:13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.” (MSG)

In the past week God has placed on my heart the urgency of the hour. My readings may reflect that. I know they have been lengthy and I assure you I will get back to shortening the readings. As children of God we have to get serious, we have to surrender all to Him. We have to get about our Father’s business because we are living in the End Times and it is urgent that we try to reach the un-reached for many are lost.

The whole reason we’re here is to be 'salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth'. But if the salt never touches anything, how does it change anything? This makes me think of the evangelism that has so greatly halted in our churches. Oh, we go to church week-after-week, Sunday School; Sunday worship; prayer; bible study; meetings; rehearsals; revivals; special services and the like, and we’re quite comfortable sitting in our sanctuaries (a.k.a. “salt shakers”), well contained! Problem? Salt is touching salt, but touching nothing else.

In order for you to taste salt, it has to touch something. In order for salt to change something, it has to touch something. In order for us salty Christians to change something, or someone, we’ve got to touch it and them! We can’t remain in the salt-shaker, where we’re useless because we’re touch-less and tasteless. Many people believe that you have to be a pastor/leader to introduce someone to Christ but that is all of our responsibility. Everyday some of us are somewhere or doing something where we can witness to others whether it is the gas station, grocery store, hair salon or some sports activity.

Therefore, we can’t sit in our churches and complain about the world and the way it is, while we sit in the salt-shaker sanctuary touching nothing and nobody. But just imagine if we actually left the salt-shaker sanctuary and went to shake some salt in the nursing homes, in the hospitals, at chemotherapy, at dialysis, in the prisons, in the homeless shelters, at the soup kitchens, in the cancer centers. What change might we bring about if only we’d leave the salt-shaker sanctuary?

What if we shook some salt while standing in the grocery aisle, in the barbershop, or at the nail and hair salon? What if we shook some salt at our jobs, in our families and in our communities? What if we shook some salt in that drug-infested park, or gang-infested territory? What if we shook some salt as we walk the streets from day-to-day, passing countless ‘tasteless’ individuals on the way? I mean after all, the Bible says that’s what we’re here for, right? Isn’t that our purpose? Isn’t that our charge? Isn’t that our call; to be the salt of the earth?

Is it possible that people haven’t tasted God, because we haven’t touched them with Him? With His unconditional love, His sufficient grace and new mercies. With His forgiveness, kindness, compassion and encouragement. With His protection, provision, and presence. With His unspeakable joy and reassuring peace.

I reiterate, is it possible that people haven’t tasted God, because we haven’t touched them with Him? Psalm 34:8, “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see – how good God is. Blessed are you who run to Him.” (MSG) But, how can people “taste” how good God is, if we’re His salt, but we never leave the salt-shaker?

I'm sure God would love to hear the sounds of His salt getting out of the shaker more often! After all, the work salt is supposed to do is not inside the salt shaker, all clustered together with the other salt. It's supposed to get out and change the flavor of something!

Matthew 28:18-20, “Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually – regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” (AMP)

Now, how are we to make disciples 'OF ALL NATIONS', if we never leave the pulpit or the pew?

How is it God said 'GO', but we’ve YIELDED to the point that we’ve actually STOPPED?

How can we 'MAKE' something without ever touching it?

How are people to 'LEARN' of our God if we’re the TEACHERS who are never in CLASS with our STUDENTS? How can they 'BELIEVE' Him if we don’t tell them ABOUT Him?

How can they be expected to 'OBEY HIS WORD', when they haven’t HEARD HIS WORD?

Romans 10:14, “But how will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)?” (AMP)

Furthermore, how are they to be 'BAPTIZED', without us touching them?

According to Jesus, "You are the salt of the earth…” not of the sanctuary! But of the entire Earth! This means we have to leave from within the church walls. We have to operate outside of our comfort zones, our pulpits and pews. We have to leave the meeting and the auxiliaries. We have to leave the Fellowship to go Fellowship, before they all Drown!

Can you imagine the horror on the face of an individual who’s fighting with all their might, absolutely terrified that they may die any minute while trying to stay afloat in the troubling waters of life…and yet, we, the church, Jesus’ Life-Guards, are standing on the shore, watching…equipped to help…but just watching…knowing how to save…but choosing to just watch…having the Word that will deliver from destruction…and yet we remain on the shore, still watching. People are struggling at sea, because the saints are only concerned with their safety on shore. This should not be!

Listen, Jesus Left Heaven To Get To Us, Satan Left Hell To Get To Us, And Yet We Won’t Even Leave The Church To Get To Them?

As Christians we were never meant to be all clustered together in a spiritual salt shaker, just salting each other and soaking up more blessings, miracles and the like for ourselves. The salt's got to be in direct contact with the meat or the vegetables that need it.

Acts 17:6, “But when they did not find them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the Lord’s followers. They took them to the city authorities and shouted, “PAUL AND SILAS HAVE BEEN UPSETTING THINGS EVERYWHERE. NOW THEY HAVE COME HERE.” (CEV). They took the gospel message “EVERYWHERE”! And we can’t get folks

“…PAUL AND SILAS HAVE TURNED THE REST OF THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN, AND NOW THEY ARE HERE DISTURBING OUR CITY,” THEY SHOUTED.” (TLB) – Now, when is the last time you touched the world, and unbelievers, in such a way that you disturbed them? Disturbed their sin, their wickedness, their unbelief, their habits and addictions. When is the last time you disturbed the devil? When is the last time you turned the city upside down? When is the last time you gave someone a taste of God by giving them a touch from God?

When is the last time we’ve made an impact like this on the world, as the church?! When is the last time we went door-to-door letting them know Jesus is King? When is the last time we’ve attacked sin, the very thing the unbeliever holds dear? When is the last time we touched the world in such a manner that they couldn’t deny the taste of God?!

People of God, we have to do more than rub shoulders with each other in the salt shaker sanctuary! Think about it, salt on top of salt is dangerous and deadly to our physical health…could it be just as dangerous and deadly to our spiritual health as well?  If the last days are really upon us, what are we doing sitting in salt shakers?

This is what we should be doing in these last and evil days. Preaching the gospel truth message to the masses as God’s servants! Not to each other! But to others! If we don’t touch, they don’t taste, they’ll just settle for tickling! And do you really want to be held responsible for that?

Like it or not, but if your time is pretty much spent with Christians alone, well you're missing your mission! We'll do that in heaven! We'll hang out together all the time, for all eternity! But right now we've got to be involved with some people who aren't going to heaven yet! It's time for you to take all that you've been storing up spiritually and start taking it to places and people where it's really needed.

It's time to look around your community for a place to volunteer so you can be in contact with some un-reached people with some really deep needs. You need a community connection, not just a church connection; something that will put the salt of your life in contact with some of the lives that really need the flavor of Jesus! Remember: “…if you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?” They can’t taste godliness without first touching your saltiness. So, are you within reach? Are you still salty? Are you in use? Are you available? Are you touchable?

Let today be the day that you challenge yourself, your family and friends, your community and certainly your church to come out the salt shaker and touch the world with a taste of God! 'Many' are waiting, but will you be counted in the number with the 'few', who are in fact available to proclaim the message of salvation to the masses?  

Remember: Salt With No Touch, Has No Taste! Reach Them Today!

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com