If You Don’t Forgive Them, HE Will Not Forgive You! Now, Are You That Angry With Someone That You Would Rather Walk Around Unforgiven By God? He Had To Convict Me Two Days Ago. My Personal Experience.

Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, “I’ll PAY YOU BACK for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you” {NIV}

Contrary to popular belief, REVENGE ISN’T SWEET; it makes us SOUR! Marcus Aurelius said it best: “The best revenge is to be UNLIKE him who performed the injury.”

Furthermore, studies have shown an association between negative emotions such as Anger and Revenge with a variety of Destructive Physical Symptoms, including headaches, backaches, allergic disorders, ulcers, nausea, high blood pressure, and heart attacks! Sadly, while vengeful people plot another’s demise, they are unaware that they often develop a painful health problem for themselves! In a nutshell, they don’t realize that Paybacks have a way of Paying You Back Too!

Mahatma Gandhi gave us this insight: “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.” It’s vital that you Remember for every Payback, there is a Surcharge. So, YOU will have to Pay Also! My personal insight “You can’t fire with fire, you will never put out the flame” REMEMBER: It’s Conditional! You Are Forgiven After You’ve Forgiven!

The Scripture Will Not Change Just Because You’ve Been Wronged! The Fact Is, If You Don’t Forgive Them, HE Will Not Forgive You! Now, Do You Want By God? I don’t know about you, but Absolutely No One Can Make Me That Mad! Anger, Revenge, Resentment, Unforgiveness are All Expensive To Take Chances Living Outside The Forgiveness of God?! Are You That Angry With Someone That You Would Rather Walk Around Unforgiven! They Will Cost You God’s Forgiveness; Heaven as Your Home; a Crown; a Robe; Your Name Written In the Lamb’s Book of Life; Peace; Joy; Contentment etc.

My personal experience with God two days ago. I was preparing my message for my broadcast, and I was going to talk about forgiveness, how believers and people of God need to examine their life and remove any unforgiveness. I knew that I was ready with my message, at least I thought I was ready. I had prayed about teaching on forgiveness and presented it to God. So, I proceeded on to preparing the message, typing it out and after I finished, I felt as though God was staring me in my face. The Holy Spirit jolted me, and God spoke almost audible in my spirit and asked me: How are you going to speak on forgiveness, what are you going to tell the people, have you searched your own heart, are you sure you are ready?

That’s when God had to convict my heart. You see about 10 or 12 years ago, a friend of mine who was an attorney had done a lot of wrong to some clients. He had developed a drug addiction, and he stole a lot of money from clients who were people I had referred to him. It had gotten so bad that he began to steal from my family, and he broke into a friend’s house and stole her jewelry. He and I were close friends, we had met during our time at the university, he knew my family and my children, and I knew his wife and children. When I found out what he had done to not only me but other people I knew personally, I thought this was it. I will never ever forgive him. He called me one time down on his luck. I told him that I would never forgive him, even if Jesus told me too, which was foolish, that’s how angry I was. He was calling people when he was trying to get himself together asking friends to call me and ask me to forgive him. I would not bulge. Then my son asked me one day had I seen this attorney lately and drugs had caused him to look so frail and my sister said the same thing. Then my son said mom, you should forgive him. This is my son that my attorney friend took 10,000 from and he was asking me to forgive my friend, so I want to be stubborn until God got my attention on Friday. God will surely test you. I had not heard from this friend in 10 years or more, do you want to know what happened. My heart should have convicted me, but God had to convict me.  God knew what to do.

My friend sent me a request on FB. I did not reply, then he sent me a message on Messenger, I just set there looking at it, and I heard those words in my spirit what God had said earlier “How are you going to speak on forgiveness, have you searched your heart? He was asking me to please call him, he said that he had been hurting for years and he felt God wanted him to call me and ask for forgiveness. I began to weep, and I called him and a felt some weight lifted from me. He cried and shared that the one person that was always by his side, that made him believe that he could even be a judge, encouraged him to not give up, is the person that he used and took advantage of, he did so many things wrong and wanted to ask for my forgiveness. I said yes, yes, you are forgiven and forgive me for not wanting to forgive you, I did not want to live outside the forgiveness of God. He shared that he had given his life to God and had started practicing law again and sent me a picture of you, where he is looking healthy now. He had gone through treatment and is campaigning for a Judge position soon. We laughed and he asked me to pray for him and with him. I had not reached out to him, and I believe God intervened and touched his heart to call me because God had spoken to my heart, and He knew that I would respond to my friend’s plea. I wanted to share this because we must do our part as followers of Jesus Christ. We must represent him well. Before I could talk on forgiveness, I needed to re-evaluate my heart, I had to repent and ask God for forgiveness. Forgive today and watch God do His part in your life. Do not let God convict you as He convicted me.

Revenge Opposes the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Another translation says this: “So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so, Do Also To And For Them…” (AMP). Therefore, if you seek Forgiveness when you are in the wrong, don’t expect to get it if Revenge is the Seed You’ve Sown in the Lives of Others!

Instead of taking things into our own hands, this proverb encourages us to let go and let God deal with our enemies! Because with God; wicked people, will eventually get their “just due!” Therefore, You are Never to Exercise Vengeance because God said: “Beloved, Never Avenge Yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance Is Mine, I Will Repay (requite), says the LORD” (Romans 12:19 AMP). Therefore, vengeance Belongs to God, and He Alone Has the Right to Exercise It! And Unless You Can Prove You Are Indeed GOD, You Have No Rights to Vengeance! Another translation reads: “Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; That’s Not For You To Do. “I’ll Do The Judging,” Says God. “I’ll Take Care Of It” (Msg). Did you catch all that? You don’t get to hit back, you don’t get to get even, you don’t get to judge, and you don’t get to take care of it! That Is All In God’s Authorization and Under His Jurisdiction Alone! The word “jurisdiction” means: “the official power to make legal decisions and judgments; the territory or sphere over which the legal authority of a court or other institution extends” Its Latin Origin comes from “Jus,” meaning “Law” and “Dicere” meaning “Say.” In other words, When It Comes to Vengeance, God Alone Has Jurisdiction to Make Decisions! Why? Because that’s what the Law (Bible) Says!

Louis XII of France is said to have treated his enemies in an Unexpected Manner after ascending to the throne. Before coming to power, he had been cast into prison and kept in chains. Later, when he did become king, he was urged to seek Revenge on those who had opposed him, BUT HE REFUSED! Instead, he prepared a scroll on which he listed all who had perpetrated crimes against him. Then, he placed a Cross in Red Ink behind every man’s name! When the guilty heard about this, they feared for their lives and fled. Then the king explained, “The Cross which I drew beside each name was not a sign of punishment, but a pledge of forgiveness extended for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His Cross Forgave His Enemies and Prayed For Them.”

Moral of the Story: Just because you have a right to be angry doesn’t mean you can exercise it to cause injury! In God’s Book, that’s still Wrong! Anger is one letter short of Danger.

“Anyone who angers you conquers you!” (Author Unknown) And last I checked, the Bible Still Says, You Are to Be Led or Controlled By the Holy Spirit ONLY, Not Your Emotions, Feelings, or Hurts! So, stop allowing your anger, resentment, and attempts at Revenge to become your mini-god! You’ve bowed down to it long enough and often enough already! Cast down the idol of your anger, resentment, and Revenge, and serve the Lord as His True Disciple: “Let me give you a new command: Love One Another. In the Same Way, I loved you; you Love One Another. This is how everyone will Recognize That You Are My Disciples – When They See The Love You Have For Each Other” (John 13:35 MSG)

You can’t say out of one side of your mouth that you love God, but you hate your brother or sister out of the other side! The Bible reads: “If anyone boasts, “I Love God,” and goes right on Hating His Brother or Sister, Thinking Nothing of It, HE IS A LIAR. If he won’t Love the Person He Can See, How Can He Love the God He Can’t See? The Command We Have From Christ Is Blunt: Loving God Includes Loving People. You’ve Got to Love Both” (1 John 4:20 MSG).

“My dear friends, with our tongues we speak Both Praises and Curses. We Praise Our Lord and Father, And We Curse People Who Were Created To Be Like God, AND THIS ISN’T RIGHT” (James 3:9-10 CEV). So, like it or not, if you’re going to Love God, You’ve Got To Love LIKE God!

- “Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Another translation says it like this: “And Forgive Us our debts, As We Also HAVE FORGIVEN (LEFT, REMITTED, AND LET GO OF THE DEBTS, AND HAVE GIVEN UP RESENTMENT AGAINST) Our Debtors” (AMP). Did you get that? Forgive Us Because We’ve ALREADY FORGIVEN THEM FIRST! Now That’s Within Your Jurisdiction!

Hear the Word: “In Prayer There Is A Connection Between What God Does, And You Do. You Can’t Get Forgiveness From God, For Instance, Without Also Forgiving Others. If You Refuse To Do Your Part, You Cut Yourself Off From God’s Part” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). However, I don’t think we fully grasp this Scripture!

Look at it this way: If you are angry with your brother or sister over what he or she did to you on November 1, 2009, and you haven’t forgiven them since all the wrong YOU’VE has done since November 1, 2009, Has Never Been Forgiven By God No Matter How Many Prayers You’ve Prayed! Because Your Forgiveness Hinges On Their Forgiveness! I’ll reiterate the text: “In prayer, there is a CONNECTION between what God does and What You Do. You Can’t Get Forgiveness From God, For Instance, Without Also Forgiving Others. If You Refuse To Do Your Part, You Cut Yourself Off From God’s Part” (Matthew 6:15 MSG). I don’t know about you, but I do too much wrong from day to day that needs the Forgiveness of God, that I can’t afford to go year-by-year Living Outside of the Forgiveness of God! 

Therefore, I ask you again, Is Payback Really Worth That Much To You That You Would Pay This High Price to Bankrupt Your Soul By Losing So Much of God’s Goodness!?

Someone may ask you, why should we forgo Revenge and offer Forgiveness? Tell them it’s simple Because We Have Been Forgiven Repeatedly and Completely By God! Therefore, We Can’t Live Anyway Contrary! Consequently, we Must Do For Others What Has Been Done For Us, Forgive, Repeatedly, and Completely!

Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how often must I forgive him? Should I forgive him as many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you; you must forgive him more than seven times. Even if he wrongs you seventy times seven” (NCV).

To many, this seems unfair. It seems wrong. It seems unjust. However, what if God only forgave us seven times, then stopped? Where would we be? Imagine God saying, ‘sorry, you’ve maxed out your forgiveness benefits.’ And Peter only offered seven times. But from birth, how many times have we wronged God? If this were the case, many of us wouldn’t be forgiven past our youth! You’re not going to want to hear this, but as a believer, you don’t get to put a limit on Forgiveness. Why? Because God doesn’t set a limit on your Forgiveness. And since your Forgiveness is directly connected to theirs, do you want God to cut you off as Peter would suggest, at seven?  I think not. Because as saved as we are, we sin beyond seven times by the time we wake up in the morning! We need God’s constant Forgiveness, and likewise, our brothers and sisters need our endless Forgiveness. So, pray and ask God to give you a heart of compassion like His. Provide you with stricter skin to handle offense because the offense will often come by those we love most.

Think of Jesus. After all, He did among the 12; three of them couldn’t even stay awake for Him in prayer, one would betray Him, and only one could be found at the foot of the cross at His death! And yet, He didn’t replace them, didn’t cut them off, didn’t destroy the friendship, didn’t keep rehearsing what they did and didn’t do. No, He continued to be with them, to reveal more of Himself to them; He still loved them and loved them so much that He forgave them. So let us, as Christians, start acting more Christ-Like. Stop keeping a headcount on who hurt you and how many times. Because if God were to count how many times you’ve hurt Him, what would that number look like?

Today, forgive significantly because you have been greatly forgiven. 4:32 forgive as God in Christ forgave you.” (MSG).

Pay Back is a Blessing, so if You are to Pay Anyone Today, Make the Payment a Blessing, and Watch God Add to You a Bonus!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

 

I Believe Someone Need To Listen, Hear & Read The Inspirational Word For Today. God Can Reach Your Children: You Or Someone You Know Has A Son Or A Daughter Who Is Away Right Now; Spiritually, Emotionally, Mentally, Physically. Read For Encouragement

 I Believe Someone Needs To Listen, Hear & Read The Inspirational Word For Today. God Can Reach Your Children: You Or Someone You Know Has A Son Or A Daughter Who Is Away Right Now; Spiritually, Emotionally, Mentally, Physically. For Encouragement Read This: 

You know, Jesus is still in the business of giving children back to their parents; even when it appears hopeless, they will never come back. Well, my word of encouragement is this simple word from the Lord. He is still in the business of giving children back to their parents.

Luke 7:11-15, "Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, "Don’t cry.” Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: Get up.” The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.” (MSG)

I Am The Proud Mother Of Three Adult Children, and they are all indeed a wonderful handful! Are They Perfect? No! They are three entirely different, exciting, and sometimes strange creatures! Not one personality is duplicated of any of the others, making for a very comical parenting life. Their careers range from Computer Science/Graphic Designer, Architecture Engineer, Music Producer/Engineer, Trucking Business to Acting/Modeling. Again, three different individuals; the truth is, I am proud of them and love each of them dearly.

Now, as unique, incredible, gifted, handsome, and beautiful as all my children are, they can drive me nuts! Have they made mistakes? Indeed, they have. Yes, they are all adults now, and I was told it gets easier as they get older (I have no idea who started that rumor and lie), but I do not believe that to be true! When they are younger, you have so much more control over them, what they do, where they go, and who they spend time with. But when they become adults, you become more nervous because they do not always have to clue you in on their every decision and move. And for an over-protective parent like me, that can mean a lot of sleepless nights in prayer!

However, it is safe to say that not many parents can sleep soundly until they know their children are safe and in for the night. My eldest child, my daughter; I call her the responsible one who makes sure each child is accountable for what they do or do not do. I still look for her to let me know at night that she has made it home safely, no matter how late it is. I always look forward to hearing the words, “Ma, I’m home.” But, unfortunately, sometimes they get delayed, or sometimes they are in a situation where they cannot call. And it is natural, I think, for a mom or a dad to be anxious until they can get a fix on where their kids are, and the exciting time of relief is when they call you on the phone, come in the door or when they are married and reach their home, and we know everything is okay. Right? The only three individuals I talk to on the phone regularly know to check-in.

Some of the most beautiful words in the English language are, “Mom, Dad, and I’m home.” Do you know a child who is overdue in saying those words?

Let us take another look at our text in a different translation: “Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain [near Nazareth], and His disciples and a large crowd accompanied Him.  As He approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her [in the funeral procession]. When the Lord saw her, He felt [great] compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.”  And He came up and touched the bier [on which the body rested], and the pallbearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!” The man who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (AMP)

Wow! That is a powerful story! And the most comforting words of all for me (as a mother) are these, “…And Jesus gave him back to his mother.”

Why are children or young people on my mind today or in my reading, because in the past three months, I have received the unfortunate news of a young person committing suicide. I have prayed with family members, trying to find words of encouragement and inspiration. You see, Satan is after our children, family, and marriages. He wants to destroy the family unit, so he plays in the mind of our youth and young adults, where many believe that suicide is the answer; maybe some of them feel hopeless or have been written off as the odd one out of the family or useless. Whatever the case, mistake after mistake, problem after problem, we cannot write our children off as losers, troublemakers, or whatever noun some parents may use in describing a child that has caused nothing but problems.

I know what some of you may say, though, “you do not see how far my child is, or I do not see it as possible, it has been too long, or they have been like this too long. As my sons have both shared: Am I perfect? Not on your life! Not even on our best day, mom! But am I better than where I was (spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically)? Absolutely! Did it happen overnight? Uh…NOPE! Did we make more mistakes even after we were baptized at church? Sure Did, Every Day! But were still redeemable? YES! And so are your children, regardless of their age, what they have done, where they have been, or how long it has been.

Some more words that my sons shared. They were blessed enough to have mentoring men to cross their path at school and church, and much like Jesus did for the woman’s son in the above Scripture, someone stopped by and spoke life so that they might live again and live better. And that is my intention for you and your children today. So please stop by and talk about life, no matter how dead their situation maybe!

I do not know why specifically, but for some reason, I just thought that this day should be the time when we should talk about this for someone who needs that little word of encouragement. Someone that needs to hear that their children are not lost forever!

I know this to be true and not just because of past youth mistakes and redemption, but from my own children’s lives. All three of them were raised in the church. They were taught about Jesus simultaneously as learning A, B, C’s, and 1,2,3’s. They went to Sunday School, Bible Study, and ALL Church Services. They were on multiple auxiliaries at church. And when it was time to make friends, they were to pick their friends from church! It sounds little nuts, but we pushed our kids hard in the Christian Faith and have no regrets. Did all that keep them saved, sanctified, holy, delivered, and spotless? Heck, I Wish! But the truth is, it did not. They are church kids and preacher’s grandkids, but will I stand here and tell you they have never had a drink of alcohol and never seen the inside of a club, sorry, but if I’m going to help you, I must be honest with you, and that most certainly is not the case here! They have dated people I wish they never met, lied to us, done things, and gone to places I could erase from my memory bank! As a mom, I would love to un-tattoo, un-drink, and un-do every wrong decision they have ever made in life, but I cannot, and neither can you and neither can they! But thank God, He brought them back to where they were taught about Jesus, the A B C’s, and the 123’s that they can share with other young adults. He does not need them or us to go back and un-do anything! He can make them whole using all their fractured pieces!

You know better than I do why we are talking about this today. Sometimes, your prayers are not being answered for the one you love. But remember, much of God’s work is invisible. Like plants getting ready to sprout and come out, flowers bloom in the spring. We do not see anything going on all winter, and it looks like nothing is going on under the ground. But God is at work all the time; “when it looks like nothing’s happening, God’s still at work.” And I believe it to be true. So much that God is doing to bring that child home you cannot see. But you’d better believe it is going on under the ground where you cannot see it.

I know you have prayed, fasted, pleaded with God, interceded on their behalf, and still, it looks like nothing is happening. And if you have been in my shoes as a parent, sometimes it seems like the more you pray, the worse they get! I know the feeling of, “Lord, when will you do it for my kid? When will they come back to church? When will they change for the better? When will they turn around? When God…When?” And because I am a counselor and a minister, I know that some of you have even deeper questions such as, “When will they get off drugs? When will they get out of that crack-house? When will he get out of that gang? When will she get out of that abusive relationship? When will he get a job? When will she stop having babies?” The truth is it is not easy being a parent. And sometimes, we want our kids to ‘get that.’ But often will not until they are forced by life to walk in our shoes. However, we will trust our father to keep them and us for the time being! He is the Father of Children like US, and we have done, said, and been, and He yet loves the US unconditionally still, certainly He can be trusted to help us, Parent!

Proverbs 3:5-12, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; do not try to figure out everything yourself. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He is the one who will keep you on track. Please do not assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, and your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give Him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, and your wine vats will brim over. But do not, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; do not sulk under His loving correction. It is the child He loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.” (MSG)

Father Knows Best, Is Indeed More Than the Title of a TV Show, But For Us, It is God’s truth!

So, we have Jesus to Save them and bring them back to life; we have the Father to help us Parent them; and then there is the Wonderful Comforter and Counselor, the Holy Spirit – and He pursues that child wherever he goes. They can get away from us, but they cannot get away from Him. Psalm 139:7-12, “Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit? Out of Your sight? If I climb to the sky, You are there! If I go underground, You are there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you would find me in a minute—You are already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, He even sees me in the dark! At night I am immersed in the light!” It is a fact: darkness is not dark to You; night and day, darkness and light are all the same.” (MSG).

Isn’t it wonderful to know that your child has an internal tracking device, so they are never off the grid?! There is nowhere for your child to run and hide, where they are not seen and heard. No matter what they do, who they do it with, where they go, or how far they go, they cannot get away from the Holy Ghost! That may frustrate them, but it should undoubtedly fortify your faith! Your child has nowhere on planet earth to hide from God! Your child cannot find a hiding place on earth, in heaven, hell, or even in death! So, keep praying, mom, keep fasting, dad, they have no natural way of escape!

I must also add this admonishment, though, open arms do more than open mouths to bring kids home. Sometimes we can talk too much and push them so hard we push them away from the Lord. Listen: The Father of the prodigal son did not chase the sun. He just kept his arms open for him to come home. (Feel free to read the entire story in Luke 15:11-32), but I want to hone in on a small part, for now, that reads, “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe [for the guest of honor] and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand, and sandals for his feet. And bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us [invite everyone and] feast and celebrate; for this son of mine was [as good as] dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found.’ So, they began to celebrate.” (vs. 20-24 AMP)

There is so much that I love about this story, but what is most exciting today are these three things:

1.. As bad as this son messed up, you would think it would have been the son running to his father's safety, but it was the other way around, the father saw him a far off, “…ran and embraced him and kissed him….” You cannot always wait for your child to come to you; sometimes, you must meet them halfway or go. Some may think it unfair since the kid messed up. But the father did not even care. He saw his son as far off and went to him first. Sometimes we can let our anger cloud our judgment and think, “as bad as you messed up, you have to earn your way back into my good graces; you’ll need me first; you better beg for my forgiveness; you better hope I let you back in….” But the father saw his son, went to him with compassion, and showed him love and affection. Make sure you do the same.

2.. The son immediately starts with, “…I am no longer worthy of being called your son….” But my favorite part is, “…But the father said to his servants….” The father never even addressed the sons’ sins. He immediately started the restoration process. Nobody knows better than you are just how badly you have messed up as a kid and an adult. So having others pour salt into your fresh, open wound does not help to heal. They know what they have done, so when they make their U-turn back, do not keep giving them fines for everything they have done wrong and every wrong turn they have ever made. Let them start over. Give them another chance. You know, like the many you receive from God daily… Please do not rub it in their faces. Do not keep rehashing old history. Do not keep reviewing their mistakes like an auditor during tax season. Take their lives from under the microscope. Be grateful that they have made it back and not in a coffin!

3.. Many of us make a mistake after our children return, telling everybody everything about what, when, where, why, and how behind our children’s mistakes. Please do not. Instead, do what the father did; before he told others (and all he told them was to come and celebrate with him for the return of his son that was good as dead but is now alive), he Re-Covered the son that he had Recovered! “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe [for the guest of honor] and put it on him; give him a ring for his hand, and sandals for his feet….” The son did not deserve it, but the father did it anyway. People may have known that he had left home, but when he returned, his father made sure that before anyone saw him, he re-covered him so that he did not look like where he had been or what he had done. Is not that just like our Father? By the time the folks would arrive to see him, he would look like he had never left in the first place. So, when they return, parents restore them, re-cover them, and celebrate! All that matters is that they have finally returned home.

The widow’s dead son and the prodigal son looked like hopeless cases never to be resolved. And yet, they both were. One son was over, and the other dead, and yet, both were recovered and restored. Even when it looked completely impossible.

Therefore, I encourage you not to give up on your children today. They are redeemable, just as you were.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who do not care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use, and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it do not qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A NUMBER OF YOU KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT FOR NOT SO LONG AGO THAT YOU WERE ON THAT LIST. Since then, you have been cleaned up and given a FRESH START by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and our God present in us, the Spirit.” (MSG)

Mom, Dad, Do not Forget You Messed Up Too! But the Bible clearly says, “…Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a FRESH START by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.” So, give them a second chance God continually gives you. And I am crazy enough to believe that you will hear, “Mom… Dad… I am home.”

Luke 15:4-7, “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you get home, call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I have found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there is more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.” (MSG)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Don’t Allow What Happened in YOUR Garden of Eden to Make You Forget What Happened in HIS Garden of Gethsemane! YOU ARE GRACE COVERED…SO DON’T HIDE, BE HONEST, AND BE HEALED! God Wants To Know Where Are We Today...

If God, Of All People, Doesn’t Keep A List, Why Do You Allow Others, And Yourself, To Keep You Stuck In What You Did, Where You Were, Who You Were With etc.…? God Himself Said “…I DON’T KEEP A LIST OF YOUR SINS” So Throw Your List Away And Throw Away The List Others Keep Trying To Keep On You As Well!

The first recorded question God ever asked was, “[Adam]…WHERE ARE YOU?” And it’s a question you need to stop and ask yourself today: “Where Am I…Honestly?” If you don’t know the answer, or you do, but you don’t like it, then today’s inspirational reading is for you!

When God asked Adam, “Where Are You?” he responded by saying, “I HEARD YOU in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid” (vs. 10 NIV). The New King James Version says it like this, “…I heard Your Voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I HID MYSELF”  

I find it amazing that USUALLY when we get into trouble, God’s Voice is the Only One We Want To Hear!  When we’re sick, in danger, need protection, feel confused, lonely, depressed, discouraged etc....the First Thing We Cry Out Is SPEAK LORD! However, that wasn’t the case with Adam…not when he messed up! And just like Adam, many of us go into HIDING when we mess up! We ran away FROM instead of TO the Voice of the Lord! If we could only reach a place of understanding that God is NOT LIKE MAN, we would learn to take our mess to Him instead of trying to hide it from Him (as if that were even possible!)  For even the Psalmist declared: “Is there ANYPLACE I can go to avoid Your Spirit? To be out of Your sight? If I climb to the sky, You’re there! If I go underground, You’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute – You’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, He even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to You; night and day, darkness, and light, they’re all the same to You” (Psalm 139:7-12 MSG)

In other words, ‘Adam’s, the whole world does not cease to exist because you messed up! If you have JESUS, there is always recovering grace just waiting to grasp you! No matter how bad or how hard your fall is, you don’t have to hide! You Are the Heritage of the Lord…So Stop Hiding…Come Out And Reclaim Your Proper Place In the Kingdom! Don’t Allow What Happened in YOUR Garden of Eden to Make You Forget What Happened in HIS Garden of Gethsemane! YOU ARE GRACE COVERED…SO DON’T HIDE, BE HONEST, AND BE HEALED!

He Sees You…All Of You…And Yet, Loves You Still! The Bible says, “Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented Himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. BUT GOD PUT HIS LOVE ON THE LINE FOR US BY OFFERING HIS SON IN SACRIFICIAL DEATH WHILE WE WERE OF NO USE WHATEVER TO HIM.” (Romans 5:6-8 MSG)

He Loved You BEFORE You or I Did What We Did, BEFORE We Said What We Said, BEFORE We Thought What We Thought! AND HE EVEN LOVED US AFTERWARDS! He Simply Loves Us…All Of US…Mistakes, Mess and All! So, Stop Trying To Hide From Him! Please understand, God is NOT LIKE MAN!

Man will bring it up again; hold it over your head; brow beat you to death with it; belittle you by it…BUT NOT GOD! HE HAS SAID: “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—HE WON’T LET US DOWN; HE’LL BE TRUE TO HIMSELF. HE’LL FORGIVE OUR SINS AND PURGE US OF ALL WRONGDOING. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of Him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.” (1 John 1:8-10 MSG) Beloved, God Is Ready to Forgive You, Purge You and Clean You of All Wrongdoing! So Why Are You Still Trying To Hide From Him? Isn’t Forgiveness and Cleansing What You Want? Well, You Can’t Get It From Him While Trying to Hide From Him!

Listen To How Much He Loves You: “BUT, I, YES, I, AM THE ONE WHO TAKES CARE OF YOUR SINS – THAT’S WHAT I DO. I DON’T KEEP A LIST OF YOUR SINS” (Isaiah 43:25 MSG). Now that’s what you call Simply Amazing! If God, of All People, Doesn’t Keep a List, Why Do You Allow Others, and Yourself, to Keep You Stuck In What You Did, Where You Were, Who You Were With etc.…? God Himself Said “…I DON’T KEEP A LIST OF YOUR SINS” So Throw Your List Away And Throw Away The List Others Keep Trying To Keep On You As Well!

Now, this does not in any way give us a clean slate just so we can dirty it again, for the Word of God Declares: “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So, take your stand! NEVER AGAIN LET ANYONE PUT A HARNESS OF SLAVERY ON YOU” (Galatians 5:1 MSG) The Amplified Bible says it like this: “In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]” (AMP) In other words, He didn’t Redeem You for You to Return to Mess! The Bible says, “As a dog eats its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness” (Proverbs 26:11 MSG) When He Restores You…Don’t Recycle Your Silly Ways! When He Redeems and Restores You…DON’T RECYCLE YOUR REFUSE! And “Refuse” is defined as “Matter Thrown Away As Worthless” It’s Old French Origin “Refuse” Literally Means “REFUSED”! So, Unlike What the Sanitation Department Would Say: I’m Telling You DO NOT RECYCLE! OR BETTER YET, REFUSE THE REFUSE!

I also find it amazing the lengths we will go to “HIDE”! We’ll bury ourselves in work, or get involved in an affair, or build a wall around our hearts, or leave a marriage, leave a job, leave a ministry – anything but face the truth! And that’s not what God wants you to do! After all His Word says, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT) So Why “HIDE” From What You Need To Set You FREE?! Truth and Nothing Else will set you free! And whether you are Embraced or Embarrassed by it, if you acknowledge it, you will be set free! Some will talk, some will speculate, some will add scenes to your story that were never part of the plot…but THEY are not the focus…. You and Your Truth Are! Man Does Not Have a Hell To Put You In Or A Heaven To Keep You Out Of…SO WHY LET THEIR OPINION CARRY SO MUCH WEIGHT?!

REMEMBER, THE BIBLE SAYS: “But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we’ll ALL have to face God, regardless of our conditions. WE will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to US because of OUR actions, either good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 MSG) Did You Catch The Bonus In That Scripture?! It says “…WE’LL ALL HAVE TO FACE GOD, REGARDLESS OF OUR CONDITIONS. WE WILL APPEAR BEFORE CHRIST AND TAKE WHAT’S COMING TO US AS A RESULT OF OUR ACTIONS, EITHER GOOD OR BAD” Saints, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM ACCOUNTABILITY BEFORE GOD! SO, THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE ATTEMPTS TO BRING UP YOUR STUFF…REMIND THEM THAT THEY HAVE A DATE OF ACCOUNTABILITY BEFORE GOD TOO! DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT I DID, WHAT I’M DOING OR WHAT I WILL DO…JUST MIND YOUR OWN STUFF! 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, “Stay calm; MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS; DO YOUR OWN JOB. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts…” (MSG)

IN ADDITION…THE BIBLE SAYS, “So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves us looking silly—or worse. Eventually, WE’RE ALL GOING TO END UP KNEELING SIDE BY SIDE IN THE PLACE OF JUDGMENT, FACING GOD. YOUR CRITICAL AND CONDESCENDING WAYS AREN’T GOING TO IMPROVE YOUR POSITION THERE ONE BIT. Read it for yourself in Scripture: “As I live and breathe,” God says, “every knee will bow before Me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” So, tend to your knitting. YOU’VE GOT YOUR HANDS FULL JUST TAKING CARE OF YOUR OWN LIFE BEFORE GOD.” (Romans 14:10-12 MSG)

That’s a Good Spot For a Praise Break! Now, After You Sit Down and Pull Your Neighbor Down, The Lesson Continues:

You see, God wasn’t trying to find Adam; He just wanted Adam to find himself! Yep, that’s it! God Is Simply Trying to Get You To Be Honest About Where You Really Are and What You Really Did! And not so He can hold it over your head, but so you can finally come to full Maturity! After All, Accountability is the Basis of Maturity! You can’t be trusted with More Until You can be trusted to be honest about the Least You Already Messed Up! Yes, You Get a Second Chance…But Do You Realize If You Keep Starting Over…You Never Get Farther Than The Spot You Messed Up In?! Can you imagine your church transitioning every 5 years, losing, and gaining the same folks as recycling? How is that growth? The same goes for you! You must Gain Ground Then Establish Your Footing! Psalm 18:33, “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly and tread safely on paths of testing and trouble]; He sets me [securely] upon my high places.” (AMP); Habakkuk 3:19, “The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet and makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility].” (AMP); 2 Samuel 22:34, “He makes my feet like the doe’s feet [firm and swift]; He sets me [secure and confident] on my high places.” (AMP) God has already done His part in securing our footing on high places, according to the Word of God, so we can confidently walk forward! Therefore, why are we constantly walking backwards or in vicious cycles to nowhere?!

Look at it this way: If you were given a Billion Dollars in your bank account, and had only 5 minutes to get it out and your bank is across the street, but you only run in place…what’s going to happen? The truth is, you were given the blessing, it’s yours, got your name on it and it’s even in your bank account, and you have the bank card and access code! The only problem is you must leave where you are and take steps (progress) across the street to attain it! If not, you can’t complain that you never received the blessing…you just didn’t progress in steps to take hold of it! Maturity is the same! You must gain ground by taking steps towards Accountability for your deeds, words, and speech! “Adams”, you must grow up and not point fingers at Eve! Likewise, let God take care of your haters, gossipers, talebearers and the like! You Are Responsible For YOU and Accountable to GOD! That’s What Matters! So Come Out Of Hiding and Be Truthful to You! Even If Your “Truthful” Is Painful and Not So Pretty! Until you do that, you’ll remain where you are, running in place and gaining muscle and strength that is applied to absolutely nothing!

Another problem is when you "HIDE" you become a "PHONY"! And the word “Phony” is defined as “To Be a Fraudulent Person”. And “Fraudulent” means “To Be Dishonest”. Going back a bit, remember John 8:32? “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”? That’s Your Hindrance Right There! Being Phony! Because Being Phony Is Being Fraudulent and Being Fraudulent Is Being Dishonest! And Dishonest Means “Not Honest, Trustworthy, Sincere, or Truthful”! In a Nutshell: Hiding Leads to Phoniness That Causes You To Be Dishonest With Yourself, Others and God! And the Danger of Your Dishonesty Is That It Keeps You From Being Truthful…And Only TRUTH CAN SET YOU FREE! Are You Getting This? UNTIL YOU’RE TRUTHFUL YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE FROM THE TRAPS OF SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE?! And besides that, do you have any idea how much emotional and mental energy it requires of you to keep up a Charade for others? Only two things are worse: being a phony with yourself and being a phony with God! Furthermore, you’ll find it difficult to be honest with others or look them in the eye. Why? Because you’ll be afraid, they might investigate your heart and see the real you! Is that where you are today? Afraid to investigate your own heart? Or afraid someone else will? 

Well Today, STOP IT! Be Truthful With You, God and Others and then MOVE ON…

Look at it this way: Neither God, Adam, Eve or Even the Serpent Stayed in the Garden After the Fall! There Was Far Too Much of a Story That Had To Continue to Be Lived and Written! Everything Didn’t Stop In the Garden When Adam and Eve Fell, And Your Whole Life Has No Reason To Be Put On Permanent Pause Because of Your Failures or Falls Either! So, Keep Moving! There’s More Story To Tell! The Good News is, Adam was naked, but God clothed him; he was guilty, but God cleansed him; he was anxious, but God comforted him. And if you come to Him today God will cleanse you, clothe you, and comfort you too! He’s just waiting for the opportunity to do it! So, when are you going to finally give it to Him?

Yes, You Messed Up! Yes, You Got It Wrong! Yes, You Were Disobedient, Sinned and Broke Commandment and Covenant! But Is It Fatal? NO! Your Failure Does Not Make You Illegitimate! You Still Belong to the Body of Christ! Yes, Adam messed up, but how wonderful to know that he was only the First Adam!

Romans 5:12-21, “You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So, death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didn’t sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. BUT ADAM, WHO GOT US INTO THIS, ALSO POINTS AHEAD TO THE ONE WHO WILL GET US OUT OF IT. Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man’s sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, JUST THINK WHAT GOD’S GIFT POURED THROUGH ONE MAN, JESUS CHRIST, WILL DO! There’s no comparison between that death-dealing sin AND THIS GENEROUS, LIFE-GIVING GIFT. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; THE VERDICT ON THE MANY SINS THAT FOLLOWED WAS THIS WONDERFUL LIFE SENTENCE. If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, CAN YOU IMAGINE THE BREATHTAKING RECOVERY LIFE MAKES, SOVEREIGN LIFE, IN THOSE WHO GRASP WITH BOTH HANDS THIS WILDLY EXTRAVAGANT LIFE-GIFT, THIS GRAND SETTING-EVERYTHING-RIGHT, THAT THE ONE-MAN JESUS CHRIST PROVIDES? Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, ANOTHER PERSON DID IT RIGHT AND GOT US OUT OF IT. BUT MORE THAN JUST GETTING US OUT OF TROUBLE, HE GOT US INTO LIFE! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; ONE MAN SAID YES TO GOD AND PUT MANY IN THE RIGHT. All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call GRACE. When it’s sin versus grace, GRACE WINS HANDS DOWN. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. GRACE, BECAUSE GOD IS PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER AGAIN THROUGH THE MESSIAH, INVITES US INTO LIFE—A LIFE THAT GOES ON AND ON AND ON, WORLD WITHOUT END.” (MSG)

Jeremiah 23:23-24, “I am everywhere – both near and far, in heaven and on earth. There are no secret places where you can hide from Me.” (CEV)

Job 34:21, “God watches everything we do.” (CEV)

“The person who surrenders absolutely to God, with no reservations, is safe. From this safe hiding-place he can see the devil, but the devil cannot see him.” (Soren Kierkegaard)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com