This episode Eric Olson provides his devotion about relying and testing during hard times.
Verse of the Day
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. – 1 Peter 2:2-3
Transcript
Santiago Leon
Three. Welcome to the Insta Bible cast. This cast is brought to you by Insta viable may 20 2020. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to all our channels where I where we’re Insta Bible casts that if you go on iTunes, please leave a rating and review. We’re also on on on via Twitter. Please follow us on Twitter and like us on the Facebook page instant Bible app. This is our second episode of the day of coronavirus week and we have Eric Olsen not a stranger to the Insta Bible cast. Actually before this Bible cast happened it was called the Divo cast. Now we rebranded did for the for the insert Bible cast. Eric, welcome back.
Eric Olson
Welcome. It’s good to be back to the newly renamed into Bible cast. I like the name. I like the app. I download the app and I encourage you all out there. Do the same,
Santiago Leon
yes. And the verse of the day on the instant Bible app if you download it is from First Peter 2223. Just like newborn babies crave pure spiritual milk. So that by it You may grow up and your salvation that you have tasted that the Lord is good. Well, it’s been a long week, Eric, obviously a long month, which is we’re kind of in the halfway, a little bit after halfway, um, how you been? And what has the Lord been telling you?
Eric Olson
Thank you, brother. Yeah, I think some of the things the Lord’s men tell me is showing me is you know, for me personally, my situation but then I think other things that I want to share here are, you know, what he shared with me is relevant, and I’m sure he’s speaking to all those who are listening. Anybody that has been affected by this Corona virus and more accurately the the response the the I don’t know if I’d say panic and I think in some cases some people have panic but the the people are being affected in general by the response to the corona virus more so than the virus itself itself It seems you know, it’s shut down. So much commerce I mean flights have been in conferences have been canceled restaurants are going out of business. And you know, the list goes on and so my life personally, you know, we have children and we have a routine their schools are shut down. I usually we take them we’re members at the YMCA and there’s three different really good quality ymcas in the Treasure Valley area here that we go to in the Boise Idaho area. They’re all shut down until further notice at least till the end of March but probably further than that. So the public libraries that we go to are all shut down. So the church we go to has, you know, honored the request of the government. You know, they made it stricter to say, you know, they don’t want people groups more than 10. At one point it was, at one point it was 250. Then they like the next day or so then they said, No, no groups bigger than 50. And then most recently, they said, No groups more than 10. So our church now we go to the vineyard, Boise church, and it’s a great church. And it’s a it’s a larger church. It’s terms of membership. So usually, in on a number such a normal Sunday service, you probably have almost 1000 people gathered, I’m assuming it fluctuates, but so now for the time being, they’re just having everybody stay at home and just doing services, streaming them digitally. And so it’s disrupted almost every area of the routines of our lives and So that’s where we’re at. But, you know, as Romans 828 says, God works out all things for good to those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose is so, you know, taking every situation as I like to say, this is a catchphrase. I believe the Lord gave me a number of years back, I posted it, and I saw it. You know how Facebook will show us our memories of, you know, past posts and stuff. And so it came back just just two days ago, I think it was. Yeah, it was on March 18. It said, and I shared it, because it said, This is what you posted four years ago. Do you want to share it? And I was like, Yes. So I gave the statement four years ago. It’s just as relevant if not more so today, in light of the circumstances, the corona virus and how it’s affecting people that I encourage you to bring Jesus into the equation of your situation. So simple statement, but it’s, it’s, it’s so true. And it lines up with so many scriptures and I believe that if We do that. If we fix our eyes on Jesus as Hebrews 12 one and two exhorts us to do, then the Lord will remove any fear we as followers of Christ, and if we’re led by the Holy Spirit, I can assure you of this, based on scripture and based on my own experiences and my journey with the Lord. The Lord never leads us to into panic. The Lord never leads us to panic. In fact, Quite to the contrary. A Lord when we go to him in the midst of a crisis or an emergency, he gives us what the Bible describes as a peace that surpasses our understanding. It’s Supernatural. It’s from the Lord, it’s the piece of heaven. You can read that in Philippians, four, seven, and then in the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied that the Lord says in Isaiah 26 three The Lord says, I will keep in perfect peace, Shalom Shalom, those whose minds are stayed on me. Those whose minds are fixed on me see what we spoke Focus on wind power over us. Now God, of course, is sovereign here. He’s, he is in authority, you know, he sees all he knows all but we have decisions. And so what we focus on what we fix our eyes on, we give authority over our own mind. So if you focus on fear, then you’ll fear starts to motivate you. But God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and assign mine. So it’s so important in these times. And this is where our witness of the reality and the power of our face is is his shot shines bright right, the light shines brightest in the darkness, right? So when things are getting dark when men’s hearts are filling them because of fear, and you know, there’s an increase of wickedness. You know, where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. So we as followers of Christ, we need to acknowledge Him, focus on him. Point other people to do the same. The Lord is a strong tower. He’s a refuge at all times, and especially times of crisis. I in my journey I’ve went through a number of different trials and different types of things. And the Lord has never failed me. I’ve felt the Lord from time to time, but the Lord never leaves me or forsakes me he’ll never leave you or forsake you. And for me in these disruptions of our normal daily lives as Santiago read the Insta Bible verse in First Peter there to 123 about you know, crave the spiritual milk right of the Lord into see a fresh that the Lord is good I love that wreck that that brings to mind the famous great Psalm 34 eight that says taste and see that the Lord is good. And we can always taste a fresh, that the Lord is good. We can taste different flavors of the Lord if you if you will, in different circumstances. Write daily bread. And the Lord is so good. And then as we mature from newborn babies just being able to only handle milk, then we can we can mature and, and where we can handle the meat of the word and the meat of the Lord’s revelation, you know, deeper things of God going from, you know, milk to maybe vegetables, and then we get up into the steaks and the flaming arms and all those things spiritually speaking, right. So this is an opportunity in the midst of you know, the economy’s going downward right now it was it was going at the highest it had been, and look how quickly things can can change. And so they’re the scripture I want to read here with the comrades graph, you know, we’re sharing just spontaneously but what was on my heart, as I prayed about what the Lord would have me to share on this is the Bible podcast in light of the corona virus and the response that people are being kinda, you know, fear can spread like a virus too. Right. And I think that’s, that’s the kind of the tragic irony that I think there’s gonna be a lot more suffering from the panic responses of people, um, then then the virus itself, you know, so I guess it’s indirectly caused by the virus but it’s how we respond to things is so important. We have the ability to respond, either positively or negatively, we can go to the Lord, or we can do stuff, you know, irrationally. So, so this is the passage in Hebrews 12. And I said, it begins Hebrews 12 begins about saying, you know, Hebrews 12 two, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Eric Olson
Not to keep reading. But I’m going to skip ahead to some, I encourage you to read all of Hebrews 12. It’s an amazing chapter. But that’s I want to just exhort you don’t grow weary. You know, in these tough times where our routines are disrupted. It’s a moment to when, when our time is freed up or things are canceled, and we have more free time than we normally anticipated. Don’t just veg out, don’t just binge on Netflix or whatever, you know, look to the Lord, hey, I’m not it’s fine to get some entertainment and to chill out a little bit. But go to the Lord and get strength from the Lord in these troubling times. And he will get he will strengthen you. If you go to him. He always does. He delights in us as His children coming to him and petitioning him asking for his help asking for his need, and he’s given us His Holy Spirit isn’t an is it? Is it not amazing? It amazes me. He has entrusted his Holy Spirit to be in us. We are filled by His Spirit. We are our citizens and his kingdom if you put your faith in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that is there to counsel us, to comfort us, and to help us at all times in all situations. And so often, as it says in James, right, one, five, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God and God will give generously. Well, I find that for me, I lack wisdom every day. I need God’s help every day, and see when we’re in a place of need, then that that that compels us to go to God to ask for help. And so being in a place of need is a good thing. Right? Because then we go to the Lord for help, and he will help us. He’ll prove himself over and over, that he’s able that he’s willing, that he loves us. And that gives us the answer. centive to share these testimonies, to share the gospel, the good news and to share our personal testimonies of what the Lord is doing in us. So back to Hebrews 12. I wanted to jump up, right? Well, you know, actually, I was going to skip it, but I just keep reading. So I finished Hebrews 12 three, and I’ll keep reading Hebrews 12 four and following in your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons, my son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline and do not lose heart when he rebukes you. Because the Lord disciplines, those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. That’s in Hebrews, chapter 12, five and six and that that’s a word from the Old Testament in Proverbs chapter 311, and 12. And then it continues, verse seven, and Hebrews 12. endure hardship as Discipline God is treating us sons for what son is not disciplined by his father. If you are not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the father of our spirits and lives? Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in His Holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak means make level paths for your feet, so that the lane may not be disabled, but rather to Hallelujah. So is it possible that in this time of, you know, this, this shift in economy going downward and things closing and people panicking, that is a child of God? Is it possible I believe it is that this can be a form of discipline, God is proving us. He’s disciplining us that that for our good and that we may bear a harvest of righteousness, and that he may work out areas of our life that are not bearing fruit for His glory, that are not part of his plan. And he may, he may Polish us and perfect us in the areas he’s called us to, that we may share in His Holiness. So embrace this time, embrace the discipline, if you know receive it that way. And it’s because God loves us that he disciplines us as the scripture says, okay, and I wanted to go forward in Hebrews 12. And this will be my closing explanation then I want to pray with you. It says this, right. So going forth. up to verse number 24. And this is middle verse, but it says this right? We’ve come to Jesus right? Okay, you’ve come to God. Okay, I’ll go back to verse 23, right?
Eric Olson
To the church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven, you have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprink of blood that speaks a better word than a blood of Abel. Hallelujah. who see to it verse 25, see to it that you do not refuse him who speaks is they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth? How much less will we live if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time, his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens. The words once more indicate the removing of what can be shaken that is created things so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. And so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire. last verse of Hebrews 12, that’s verse 29. So God will shake everything that can be shaken. So only the things that cannot be shaken, that is God himself will remain. So then everything that will, remains will be built upon God. So God shaped our lives from time to time. So those things that aren’t of him will be shaken off of us. So those things that are all of him will remain, and we can go forth confidently. So hey, I pray, Let’s pray. Let’s close in prayer. And I want you to encourage you to pray with me. Fix your eyes, a little Lord right now, and come into experiencing agreement with his words. And pray and trust the Lord for His discipline and his pruning. Father God, we thank you that you are sovereign that you never leave us or forsake us. We invite your pruning in our life because we know that you say you prune us that will be even more fruitful. We invite your discipline because you discipline those you love. Well, we invite you’re shaking in our life, let’s shake off the things in our life. That is not a few things we may have invested our time in that you did not want us to Lord, convict us and show us those things that we can break ties with them. And we can focus in our time and energy on what you’ve called us to and into relationship with you and others Lord God into your word, into creativity into content creation that leads people to Christ Jesus and salvation. We Lord, we trust you. We thank you for your hand upon our nation, and that you want people to come to know you we pray that in the midst of this world, worldwide pandemic in the midst of suffering people responding in their strength that you will raise up leaders to call people to holy fast and to call upon the name of Lord for Lord you can shut down this virus you can make it disappear in a second Lord God but also what you know that as David said it was good that he was afflicted for it caused him to seek your face or so in these myths of these times, a lot of times you allow them or not that you want people to suffer, but you want people to come to know you. And so we pray that that you would put a spirit of repentance and revival over our land. And Lord God led many salvations be risen up out of this little let people in the disruption of the normal routines, contemplate the deeper things, the eternal things and turn to you, Lord, let those who do know you not become weary, not be discouraged, but to rejoice in you, and in your salvation or God. So we pray on the other side of this 10 damage word guy, that America will come out stronger that there’ll be more Bible in the land. We pray for our leaders. We pray for President Trump Lord God regardless of his flaws, we all have flaws. Lord God, we pray that you would give him wisdom from heaven that he would not be. He would not be pressured by evil men to do unwise things that will hurt people. But we ask that you would give him deep conviction to do things that will truly help people not just appease special interest groups, but truly will help our nation recover. Not only economically, but also spiritually, Lord, we trust you, we love your Lord. And we ask all these things. In Jesus mighty name, amen. Amen.
Santiago Leon
Amen. Thank you very much, Eric. And you know, like you’re right, you know, throughout these tough times seek the Lord You know, and and it’s also trials for people to get back with God. I think that’s one of like one of the reasons for this for this past couple of weeks and, and further on and we pray that things will get Better, you know, I’ve been hearing a lot of prophecy words that this is not it is not the end of the world. But it could be a preview of what’s to come. So like I said, Guys, if you have any prayer requests, any praise reports, you can leave a message on Twitter, leave a message on our Facebook page, the instant Bible app. And, and, and just whatever you feel if you have any questions, you know, message us reaches out
Eric Olson
Amen.
Santiago Leon
Eric Olson, what is the best way to reach you? online or, or just in general?
Eric Olson
Yeah, um, you know, if any words of encouragement prayer requests, you know, Eric er, I see at Jmt d.bi Z, that’s my email. And then also we have a Facebook page for our ministry. It’s facebook.com, forward slash, JMC, D, bi z. And so And we that’s the Instagram handle we have as well, where we’ve been going through a season where the Lord is realigning us my wife and stuff and we’re getting he’s getting us into position where we’re gonna be launching a fresh with consistent content creation, and where we’ll be putting more apparel more, you know, content out there that’s edifying and inspiring. And points to always James CD, which stands for Jesus makes a difference. So, but at this point, yeah, the best way to reach me would be to email me and I will be sure to respond.
Santiago Leon
And of course, you can reach us at instant Bible app.com is the Bible app Comm. On Twitter is the Bible app one on Twitter is the Bible app one and if you search on Facebook, go look for the Insta Bible app, Facebook page, hit like, and if you’re an iTunes, please subscribe. And rate and review this podcast will help us out tremendously in the rankings. Well, Eric, this is my last podcast of the day. One other guy was, uh, you know, contact me for another sports cast. But I think I’m podcast out I think I’ve done around close to 10 this week, so but wow, I can’t, I cannot I cannot be more grateful to top it off with you and your devotional.
Eric Olson
Oh, brother, it’s an honor. It’s always an honor. Thank you so much, Santiago. I
Santiago Leon
love you, brother, Eric Olson. God bless and I’ll see you next time.
Eric Olson
See you next time.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai