Just Do It!

But His mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you to.” (John 2:5 TLB)

Do you need a miracle? Then reread the story of Jesus turning water into wine. And while you’re at it, keep in mind what Mary said to the servants at the wedding reception: “…Whatever He says to you, DO IT.” (AMP)

However, that means you must do it…EVEN THOUGH…

1.  YOU’RE NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE: They were at a wedding, not a church, when Jesus performed this miracle. “Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee…” (John 2:1 MSG) Believe it or not, but some of our greatest blessings will occur at “other places” than where we’re used to, accustomed to, or expect. The problem is, we simply have to learn how to be sensitive and obedient to a move of God in unfamiliar places. We expect to come to church and hear testimonies of the goodness of God. But do you know God works miracles outside of the four walls of the church? As hard as it may be for you to grasp, but God is saving souls behind prison walls, He’s giving job opportunities to those with no degree, He’s healing in the hospice, He’s providing shelter for those who last night slept under the bridge. God is not restrained, restricted, limited or held captive, hostage or in bondage by our menial expectations of Him or His ability. Do you know that you don’t have to be in church, at the altar, or listening to gospel in order to experience a move of God?

Understand that your limited location can’t limit a limitless God! He can heal at the gas station, provide while you’re in the beauty salon, make a way while you’re stuck in traffic; pay a bill while you’re applying for unemployment. Your God Is Able! And you don’t have to be in the right circles, or in the proper location in order for Him to do it! So the next time you need a miracle from God, call on Him, no matter where you are! He can hear you from the basketball court; in the hospital; at the Medicaid/Medicare office; at the mechanic shop; waiting for the bus; standing in line at the supermarket; waiting for customer service at the bank; or even sitting on a swing in the park! He Hears You, He Sees You, And He Will Indeed Meet Your Every Need…No Matter the Address Your Need Shows Up At! Think about it: If He can show up and help the three Hebrew boys in a fire; Jonah in the belly of a fish; a bleeding woman in a crowd; and a paralytic coming down through the roof, surely He can show up anywhere you are, don’t you think (Psalm 139:1-6 MSG). My friend, God can meet you ANYWHERE simply because He’s EVERYWHERE!

2. YOU’VE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS: They’d run out of wine for their guests. How embarrassing. However, truth be told, far too often our problems drive us away from Jesus instead of to Him. And as funny as it may sound, but if you really want to empty out a church house just let the church folks encounter a problem in life! Money dwindles down, we stop going to church; the doctor gives us a diagnosis, we stop going to church; the car breaks down (as if there is absolutely no other means of getting to church), you guessed it, we stop going to church; we break up in a relationship, we stop going to church; we lose a job, we stop going to church; we’re evicted, we stop going to church; our big toe hurts, and we stop going to church! BUT, if God is as powerful as He says, and as we believe, then why would we want to go away from Him instead of to Him? 

For instance, if my car breaks down, I don’t want to leave the mechanic and go to the pharmacy! What help can I possibly get from there besides an aspirin to get rid of the headache my broke down car just gave me! Please hear me when I say this to you, your praise cannot go on pause because of your problems; neither can your worship water down because of your worries! Those are in fact the ideal times to seek God’s direction, wisdom and answers. There’s nothing too hard for Him, nothing impossible for Him, and nothing His hands cannot handle! So the next time you’re in need of a miracle, don’t take your problems to others, and surely do not keep them to yourself, take them to God! 

Miracles begin when we focus on God’s power, instead of our problems! “If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Proverbs 3:4-6 TLB);

3. YOU’RE NOT BEING ENCOURAGED: When Mary turned to Jesus for help, He tested her faith saying, “Woman, why do you involve me?”…” My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4 NIV). The Message Bible is a bit more colorful of course, “Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother – yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.” (MSG); And even The Living Bible has an interesting way of putting this verse: “…Jesus’ mother came to Him with the problem. “I can’t help you now,” He said. “It isn’t yet My time for miracles.” (TLB). However, even in the face of seeming discouragement, Mary still passed the test! Instead of being disheartened in the face of what looked helpless and hopeless, Mary yet laid hold of the possibility of a miracle, believed God and received one! Because regardless of Jesus’ words “…It isn’t yet My time for miracles”, the very next verse says “BUT His mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you to.” (vs. 5) And what happens next? “Six stone waterpots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held perhaps twenty to thirty gallons each. THEN JESUS TOLD THE SERVANTS to fill them to the brim with water…” (vss. 6-8 TLB). How interesting. We went from “…It isn’t yet My time for miracles…” to “…Jesus told the servants…” When you know without a shadow of a doubt that God is ABLE, you don’t allow anything or anyone to hinder or alter your belief! Mary never discussed a thing with Jesus, no crying, no complaining, no murmuring, no “but I’m your mama!” 

She simply gave the servants the only instructions that matter when there’s a problem and Jesus is present, “…DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU TO.” And that’s the attitude you have to learn to take on.

4. YOU HAVEN’T WALKED WITH CHRIST VERY LONG: The servants who obeyed Jesus had just met Him! And His disciples had just started following Him! YET, they were ALL EXPECTED to obey Him! So are you! The church has gotten so high and mighty with titles, positions, offices, elevations, degrees, and the like that we’ve lost the childlike simplicity of faith in God. You don’t need all the proper vestments and to be seated in the right chair, you simply need to follow the voice of the Lord and obey it. I don’t care if you just walked off the street and all you know is the name of Jesus, truth is, that is all you need to know! “You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who He is; then Jesus and what He did – Jesus crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2 MSG); “For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6:14 MSG). Whether you’ve been with Jesus 20 seconds, 20 minutes, 20 hours, 20 days, or 20 years, the key is simple, childlike faith. 

Believe God and Obey Him! Let nothing and no one complicate the simplicity of your faith! These servants and disciples believed and obeyed Him with the least of information about Him. In a nutshell: You know that He saves, heals, delivers, perform miracles and He’s still alive and well, that’s enough! Don’t let go of that!

5. YOU HAVEN’T YET SEEN HIM WORK MIRACLES IN YOUR LIFE: This was Jesus’ FIRST MIRACLE! They had to obey Him without the faith that comes from a previous track record!  You may be facing some things in your life where you’re looking at it like “where the heck did that come from? When did that start? Who has that? What do we do with that? That nut is not on the family tree?” And yet I admonish you, trust God anyhow! Yes, there will be times when even the treatment seems like it’s working against your condition, but trust God still. He knows what He’s doing. And whether He decides to bring you out of it, or leave you in it, and prove His ability still, trust Him. Your testimony, whether you come out or stay in, will ultimately strengthen your faith, and those around watching you!

6. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS: Why pour water into empty containers? Answer: Give Jesus what you’ve got and He’ll give you back what you need! Believe me, like you, I’ve had Jesus to tell me to do some things that made absolutely no sense whatsoever! I just couldn’t grasp His required instructions. I mean think about it like this: In regards to tithing, God says give Me 10%, I’ll let you keep 90%, and because you gave Me the 10%, I’m going to open the windows of heaven and increase your 90%! WHAT?! Jesus, what kind of math is this?! And so it feels the same when we try to make sense out of God’s process. But always remember this: He Has Never Asked Us to Understand the Process, Only to Obey It!  But you know what really encourages me when I don’t understand the process? Jeremiah 18:1-4, “God told Jeremiah, “Up on your feet! Go to the potter’s house. When you get there, I’ll tell you what I have to say.” So I went to the potter’s house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot.” (MSG). 

Even when things don’t turn out as well as we feel they should, the blessing is that the Potter keeps His foot on the wheel, and doesn’t throw away or discard the clay, but remolds and remakes it into something else. Do we need to know how? Absolutely not! All we need to know is that when it turns out bad, the Potter’s foot is still on the wheel, making it all good again! 

Therefore, don’t worry about the Potter or the Process, just remain Yielded Clay that He can work with!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

Satan Was Never, And Never Will Be Like God, But You Will. You Are Forgiven, He Is Not. The Enemy Uses These Three Things.

Satan was never, and never will be, like God, but you will: 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Why does Satan hate you? Answer: You are forgiven, he is not. You will one day forget your fallen state; he is doomed to his fallen state forever. Psalms 85:2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.  Ezekiel 18:21.  But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Satan was created. This sets to rest several in-church urban legends. Satan is not omniscient, knowing all things, like God himself. Created beings do not have the ability to know things that are not revealed to them by some outside source. God is a self-contained source, so He knows all. This means that Satan does not know what you are thinking. God has reserved that for Himself:

“The Enemy Uses These Three Things, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, to entice us to sin.Scripture shows this process at work in both the Garden of Eden and on the Mount of Temptation. The five senses; taste, touch, smell, hearing, and seeing, all report to the carnal mind – which is the enemy of God. These senses are what Satan uses to tempt us! The lust of the flesh includes tasting, touching, smelling, and hearing. The lust of the eyes is seeing. The pride of life is thinking you are special because of who you are, what you have, what you know, or what you look like."

It is all very simple. Satan cannot have his office in heaven back, and he cannot stop Jesus from doing His work:

1 Peter 5:8 be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour:

Confused? Have you ever been in a situation where Satan is all in the midst of it? Look like your prayers aren't working.  It appears that nothing is working, problems with spouse, family members, children, friends, co-workers or church members. Satan is the source of gossip and confusion. Do not allow Satan to whisper in your ear. Watch your thoughts, Satan sneaks into them.  If Satan is whispering to you, tell him to run back to his address! He has to obey you! Yes, that's right; he has to obey you.  Remember that when you speak the name of Jesus, Satan and his entire demons tremble now that should tell you something, that our Father's name is powerful in all of heaven and earth. The devil can lead you to sin but he cannot make you sin, you can choose to take action or walk away.  God does not make you remember your sin, the devil does. Satan wants to see you fail, matter of fact, the devil will set up your failure for you. 

Don't entertain Satan's tactics. He is indeed a deadly force in the world, and he is a personal adversary to us all.  You see, sinners like to blame Satan for their sins. Adam, in the garden, blamed Eve for his sin of eating the forbidden fruit, and then Eve blamed Satan. Sure, Satan helped her, he will lead you to sin, but Satan didn’t make her, he didn’t put it in her mouth. No one person in this earth is immune from the attacks of Satan and his minions.

How can Satan harm you? Satan can devour people. The Fellowship Between Satan And Humans Is Never Based On Love, Constructive Activity, Or On Redemptive Actions. It is all about hate, lust, and murder. He is the great devourer: Satan operates through humans in the flesh and through the flesh. 

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So, all Satan has left to do is to destroy people by tying them up so well in sin that they cannot reason and understand the Gospel. If he loses someone to Christ, he then attacks them to destroy their Christian victory.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Satan will never know you as God knows you: 1 Corinthians 13:12 for now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

So, why does Satan hate you? Answer: You know more than he does regarding the deeper things of the Lord and his work.  John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.  1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abide in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. Satan will never again be "with" the Lord, but you will. Satan hates it that mortal beings like you can be forgiven (he cannot) and be like God in some way that we do not fully now understand.

1 Pet. 5:8   Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. This was spoken to Christians! Our enemy also masquerades as an angel of light. We need to be aware that the enemy is deceitful and can work through people who act as though they are following Christ, and to all outward appearances it looks like they are, but by their false prophesies, preaching of a different gospel, and by the fruit of their actions we can discover that they are really demonized false apostles.

Don't allow Satan to have the final say in your life or situation.  You have the right and authority to do that, you can easily reverse that and you can make sure that you have the final say in Satan's life when it comes to you.  Send the devil running back to his address. Let him know that any relationship with him is toxic and lethal; there is nothing good that comes from Satan. God will never leave us wanting, He will fulfill every need. There is NOTHING Satan can do for us.

J.P. Olson

You Need To Hear God When He Tells You, ‘Sign That Contract; Get Out Of That Contract; Lay Hands On That Building; Start Now; Stop Now; Wait Now; Not Now.’

1 Samuel 3:8-10, “God called again, “Samuel!” – the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.” That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” Samuel returned to his bed. Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (MSG)

It was a time right at the beginning of Samuel's life as he is a young man staying with the priest, Eli. And it says this, “God called again, “Samuel!” – the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.” That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” Samuel returned to his bed. Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (MSG)

See, God wanted to talk to Samuel, but He had a little difficulty getting the call through. He had to dial three times after all. Likewise, God has some things He'd like to say to you about your future, your pain, your questions, the decisions you need to make, maybe the struggle you're going through. But maybe there's just a one-way phone most of the time. Oh, you're calling God whenever you feel like it (or feel you need to). You're talking about whatever is on your mind. But maybe you're not allowing much opportunity for God to whisper something to your soul.

In a nutshell: He Wants Prayer To Be Dialogue, Not Monologue.

The dangerous problem is that we unfortunately rewrite this verse to read, "Listen Lord. Your servant is speaking." And He does. He listens. We initiate a call to God, we say what we want to say, He listens then we hang up. And the less we listen, the more we miss out on what God wants to tell us.

Jeremiah 33:2-3, “This is God’s Message…’Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” (MSG)

But unfortunate for us, we call God; tell Him what we want to then hang up! He never gets the opportunity to speak back!

Instead, we call God and say, “Lord, help me meet the mortgage this month; how am I going to pay tuition at these new rates; how am I supposed to put these 3 children through college when they’re stair-steps in age; what am I going to do when this last check runs out? Lord, my marriage is letting go of the last string it had to hold onto, what now? Lord, I went to the doctor for that, and now they say I’ve got this too, what’s going on? God, I give my tithe, and my financial future is looking more and more empty.  God, I can’t get this weight off; God I’m tired of being single; God when will I have a baby? God, will I ever get this promotion? When can I open the church, start the business, have peace of mind?!” We talk to God only to tell Him to, “fix it God; heal it God; save it God; deliver it God; promote it God; protect it God; provide for it God; send him/her God; close that door God; open that door God; forgive me God; punish them God…” And our ‘to-do-list’ for God goes on and on and on!

But when do we take the deliberate, undisturbed time to listen to God?

Samuel said, “…Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (MSG)

Are you just as ready to listen? The word ‘ready’ is defined as ‘prepared for an activity or situation; made suitable and available for immediate use; easily obtained; within reach; willing to do or having a desire for; quick; prompt; prepared mentally or physically for some experience or action’. So, are you ready to listen? Have you entered into prayer prepared to listen to God? Are you within reach of God’s voice, or is His voice muffled by all the other voices vying for your attention? Do you even have a desire to hear God speak? Are you mentally, physically and spiritually prepared for an experience with God? Are you ready, quick and prompt, or are you hesitating, procrastinating, dragging, slothful, lazy in your approach to God? Have you made yourself suitable and available for God’s immediate use when He talks to you and tells you what He wants you to do? Listen to Samuel again: “The Lord then stood beside Samuel and called out as He had done before, “Samuel, Samuel!”  “I’m listening,” Samuel answered. “What do You want me to do?” (vs.10 CEV) Is that your response to God? Or do you end your prayer with, “God, here’s what I want You to do!” There's a difference you know?

People of God, you give your ear to many people throughout the day: Your spouse; your children; your family; your friends; your coworkers; your bosses; your church family; the news; sports; even the latest gossip …so are you giving your ear to God as much as you're giving to everything and everyone else? Does He have your undivided attention? Do you take time to hear His voice?

Just imagine the great things God wants to say to you, but you won’t listen. You have a one-way calling system…you talk to God, He listens to you, you hang up! But what happens when you install a new, two-way calling system?

God is about to tell Samuel about something Big He’s getting ready to do in Israel, and when it is heard, it will shock people, shake people and get everyone’s attention! And all Samuel has to do is listen carefully! Samuel is getting insider information because he’s attentive enough to listen…are you? I mean, this is about to be some exciting news! Likewise, God wants to show you some amazing things, but you have to stop talking long enough to hear Him say them! Samuel let’s God know, “I’m listening, I’m paying attention, speak Lord, talk to me, share with me the great things You’re about to do!” Have you positioned yourself in like manner?

LISTEN: When you pray about something, allow some silent time at the beginning and at the end. Allow a space where God can call to you. You won't always hear an audible voice like Samuel; that's not needed so much today when God lives inside His children through the Holy Spirit. But He'll speak to you as you meditate on a verse of Scripture. He'll light up your situation suddenly with a personal application of those words or maybe as you're praying. I tend to trust the ideas or the insights that come into my heart/mind while I'm talking to God about an issue, when I've turned off everything else, not looking at my cell phone, not responding to texts, not listening to the radio, not watching TV, nothing else around, and I'm just listening to God solo - to let Him say something to my soul. I can trust pretty much what I hear then, and so can you.

As children of God, we need to listen for what God tells us to do concerning our family, health, finances, schooling, church, personal salvation, deliverance. You need to hear what He has to tell you about raising sons and daughters, about loving your own, one wife or husband. You need to hear what He has to tell you about being effective in your church, your community or even as you rise on the corporate ladder. You need to hear what He has to tell you to tell another brother or sister, as iron still sharpens iron. You have to hear what He has to tell you about leading and following; spear-heading; working solo and as a part of the team. You have to hear what God needs to tell you about your ministry, anointing, and gifts. You have to hear God’s instructions concerning your every assignment, the ones to take and the ones to leave alone. You have to hear God clearly say, ‘she’s the one!’ You have to hear God say, ‘save this; spend that; invest there.’

You will never be a person with an effective vision who has impaired hearing to God’s voice!

You Need To Hear God When He Tells You, ‘Sign That Contract; Get Out Of That Contract; Lay Hands On That Building; Go To That Dealership; That’s The School; That’s The Job; Go To This Doctor; See That Specialist; Start Now; Stop Now; Wait Now; Not Now.’

John 10:27, “…My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow Me…” (MSG) Do you recognize God’s voice? Do you know God’s voice? Do you follow God’s voice? The word ‘recognize’ is defined as, ‘to identify; to acknowledge the validity and legality of; to show official appreciation of.” Its Latin Origin ‘recognoscere’, from ‘cognoscere’ literally means ‘to learn.’ You need to learn how to recognize God’s voice, and the best way to do that is to make it a daily habit of listening to it!

Listen, communication with God has to become as vital to you as breathing. Not just talking to Him, but listening to Him. What does He want you to do? Where does He want you to go? Who does He want you to take? When are you supposed to go? How are you supposed to go? God desires to give you guidance and direction, but you have to listen first! Imagine if you listened to God the way you listen to your GPS on your cell phone or the Navigator in your vehicle when you’re trying to figure out where you’re going or where you are. You pay attention to every detail, you turn down the radio just in case there’s an unforeseen turn up ahead…but when God speaks, we have selective hearing! Many would still have their homes; cars; money and virginity...had they waited to hear God speak.

Listen: I know the frustration of just receiving information without being able to send any, and so does God. If your heaven-link phone has only been calling out, why not try Samuel's prayer every new day, "Speak Lord. Your servant is listening." It's important that God receives calls from you; it's much more important that you get those calls from God!

“Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue; God’s voice is its most essential part. Listening to God’s voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine.” (Andy Murray)

“Prayer is not the answer. God is the answer. Prayer is the vehicle by which we reach God.” (Greg Laurie)

 Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Join us tonight in our Tuesday Night Bible Study. The Bible Study conference call has become a gathering place to meet in God's presence on Tuesday evenings, where we are fed the Word of God. It helps to sustain us through the week for our weak days.  You are welcome to join us. Jackie Trought has been our Bible Study teacher for the month of March. I tell you if you missed any of her teachings you should try and join us tonight where she teaches as well as ignite the fire with the Word of God. (CST) Tues. 7:00 PM- 8:00 PM. Call toll free 1-302-202-1106, access conference code, 738510 for U.S. & Canada or Call 800-780-8834  Access Code: 2065345.

God May Be Trying To Get You To Slow Down Or To Stop Right Now; So He Can Show You Some Things That You Are Never Going To See If You're Constantly On The Run From One Project To The Next.

In Psalm 46:10, the Bible says this, "Be still, and know that I am God…" (ESV). Another translation says it like this, “That’s enough! Now know that I am God!” (CEB). 

God May Be Trying To Get You To Slow Down Or To Stop Right Now So He Can Show You Some Things That You Are Never Going To See If You're Constantly On The Run From One Project To The Next, One Fight To The Next, One Battle To The Next! Jeremiah 33:2-3, “…Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” (MSG) But how can God show you Anything, when your focus is always on Everything else?!

It could be that you've been running ahead of the Lord's timing, or you've been pursuing what you want instead of what He wants. Which is why Isaiah quotes the Lord as saying, "This is the Lord’s message for His Rebellious People: ‘You Follow Your Own Plans Instead of Mine…" (Isaiah 30:1 CEV). Those are sobering words. Because often we can't see that we're trying so desperately to make something work that wasn't God's idea or plan in the first place for us! Remember, He clearly stated, “…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m 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) 

Many of us are still Driving along not realizing that we're Directionally Challenged and Heading For a Crash!

Maybe you've been neglecting the regular timeout that God calls a "Sabbath"; you're all Accelerator and no Brakes, you're violating God's created order of taking regular rest! You’re daily bypassing all the signs that are God’s messages to you for your safety: ‘Stop, Do Not Enter, Yield, Dead End, One-Way, Wrong Way, U-Turn, Speed Limit, Caution, Bump, Bend, No Passing Zone, Bridge, Slippery Road, Falling Rocks, Road Work Ahead, Detour, Under Construction, Don’t Walk, Slow Down, Hazard, and even Hospital, just in case you decide to ignore all the other signs!”

Even Jesus made time to eat, sleep and weep, so why are you speeding through life as though you are super-human and do not require necessary human breaks! Even Jesus exhibited balance, are we to do any less? “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Hebrews 4:14-16 MSG)

His help is available, however, you have to ask for it! Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? COME TO ME. GET AWAY WITH ME and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. WALK WITH ME and WORK WITH ME—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. KEEP COMPANY WITH ME and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (MSG)

That’s Jesus Talking to YOU! “…COME TO ME…GET AWAY WITH ME...WALK WITH ME...WORK WITH ME...KEEP COMPANY WITH ME...” He’s Inviting YOU to a Better Way of Life…So, Why Haven’t You Accepted His Invitation Yet?! To Not Respond to a RSVP Request is Still Rude! After all, R.S.V.P. stands for a French phrase, "répondez, s'il vous plaît," which means "please reply." The person sending the invitation would like you to tell him or her whether you accept or decline the invitation. Today is your day to Accept!

It's possible that God's been trying to say some very important things to you, things that would bring sense to your swirling world, but you can't hear Him because you're running so fast, in so many directions, with so many people, to so many places, on so many projects, to do far too much! Whatever the reason for your non-stop pace, I know there has to be someone listening right now to whom God is saying, "It's time to take a break…it’s time to hit 'pause.' It’s time for Time Off, Time Out and Time Away!" Don't ignore His call to "be still and know that He is God."

Because truth is, if we don't choose to slow down, He will as the 23rd Psalm says, "…MAKE us lie down in green pastures..." (NIV) Another translation says, “You have BEDDED me down in lush meadows…” (MSG). One of the definitions of “Bedded” is defined as “to lay flat”. And that’s exactly what God will do, lay you out flat on your back if you’re not careful to get proper rest of your own accord! Now, I know we’ve all read Psalm 23 and we’ve been tremendously encouraged over the years. But by no means ignore what the Scripture says, “He MAKES me lie down…” And that word “make” has many definitions, but the one to highlight is, “to force”. And truth is, many times the only way I took my Time Off, Time Out and Time Away was by God's Force! It wasn’t until I was flat on my back sick that I received the much needed rest I should’ve been getting all along. And I had to learn how to even force myself to take better care of myself! Because I didn’t want God to ‘MAKE me lie down flat’ anymore. So I had to start taking a hard look at all the things I was involved in and see where I needed to make some better arrangements and adjustments for my life. 

God asks us to pause, or ultimately makes us pause, not to punish us, but to refit us. He's wanting to slow you down for work that needs to be done, for refueling that you desperately need, for retooling, or for redirecting you back into the center of His will. And He's actually wired us to do what His Son did at the beginning of His unbelievably busy days here on earth - to spend quiet time with Him. To hit 'pause' each new day so we can hear our Master's voice before we hear any other, appropriate our Master's resources, experience our Master's healing touch, and receive our Master's orders for the day.

Which is why it’s so vital that you take, Time Off, Time Out and Time Away!

1.. TIME OFF – Is defined as ‘time for rest or recreation away from one’s usual work or studies.’ This is two-fold, you need to take time off to Rest and time to Recreate! I’ve always been amazed at how the body heals itself, especially through rest. Blood pressure regulates, your heartbeat calms, your breathing is stable, you’re less stressed. Your bones aren’t aching, popping, snapping and locking, because they are receiving the reprieve they so desperately need, especially from us women who like to wear high heels day in and day out. Now, be prepared because your rest includes, ignoring your phone, text, emails, social media, and the like. It’s reconnecting with peace, serenity, tranquility. It’s also watching your favorite shows, listening to your favorite music, sitting in your favorite chair. It’s avoiding at all cost what’s going on at work, at church, at school, or anywhere else. It’s sitting still, going to bed early, not to mention getting more than 3 hours of sleep! But it’s also about recreation! And no this is not a sin! So, go to the movies, go to the mall, take a dancing class, a pottery class, a painting class. Go to the museum, visit a garden, take up a fun sport. Change your hair color, change your wardrobe. Enjoy your life! Recreation allows you to Re-Create! You see, when your mind gets the break it’s over-due for, fresh juices get to flowing and ideas, passions, dreams and visions that you would have never imagined begin to formulate. So, don’t take this time for granted! Rest and Recreate!  

2.. TIME OUT – This is often viewed in a negative way as how some children are disciplined. Well, as children of God, this is a great way to help ourselves! Time out is supposed to give children time to reflect on what they did wrong and to understand the need for discipline for it. Like it or not, some stuff in our lives that should not be, will remain if we leave it unchecked. Therefore, do yourself a favor and take some time to give yourself a Time Out! Ask God to show you the areas, activities and addictions that may need addressing. Take this time to acknowledge any wrongs and to atone and make amends where needed. Take this time to self-exam your behavior, attitude, actions, thoughts, imagination, sins. Take this time to ask the Holy Spirit to shine a search-light on your soul and expose to you any areas of darkness that need to be discovered and brought to light. Therefore, put yourself in Time Out before Your Father does.

3.. TIME AWAY –When you take Time Away, learn to disconnect altogether! If you’re at the movies, out to dinner, or on vacation, be there and don’t take social media with you! The word ‘away’ is defined as ‘at a distance from a particular, place, person or thing.’ And that’s what you need to do, create distance when you disconnect! One of my bad habits is bringing my cellphone to the dinner table! I’ve since learned how disrespectful, inappropriate and distracting such a bad habit can be. Since then, I’ve learned to plug up my phone away from me and turn off the ringer, and even turn it face down so I won’t even notice the little blue light or the screen displaying a phone call, attempting to catch my attention. I’ve learned to engage in meaningful conversation at the dinner table. It took me a little while, but I’m learning to disconnect and I hope you’ll learn likewise...Jesus did: Luke 5:16reads, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (NIV). Two words to take note of are: “Often” defined as “frequently; in many instances; repetitively; commonly; normally; usually”. And the word, “Withdraw” defined as “to remove or take away; discontinue or retract; to leave or cause to leave a place; to cease to participate in an activity or be a member of a team or organization; depart to another place in search of quiet or privacy.” In a nutshell: Even JESUS, often, frequently, in many instances, repetitively, commonly, normally and usually…Withdrew…removed Himself away, discontinued contact, left places, ceased participating in activities, and departed for quiet and privacy! So who are you to do any less than Jesus?!

People of God, don’t allow situations, circumstances, or people (including you) to make you think everything is an emergency and you are the only emergency personnel at work! You need a break to! It's not Selfish, it's Self-Care! Our text says this: Job 37:14, “Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does.” (GNT). Today, I admonish every single reader, Pause a Moment, Listen and Consider the Wonderful Things God Does for You and Those Whom You Love! Daily Take Selah Moments, Weekly Take Sabbath Moments! The World will not stop because you do! Truth is, sometimes it's not a Break-Through we need most, it's simply a Break! Love You Enough to Take Time Off, Time Out and Time Away! We Have Need of You...But YOU Have Need of You All the More! Be Encouraged!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com