Safety Is Not Found In The Absence Of Danger, but in the Presence of God

The power of Satan is no match for the power of God's Word. Safety is not found in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God.  When we face impossibilities it gives us the opportunity to trust God.  When we keep our eyes on Christ, everything will come into focus.  It should not be surprising that when trouble interrupts our lives, the father of lies whispers in our ears and suddenly we are questioning God's goodness.  When Jesus tells us things like this, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth" Matt. 6:19.  Satan tells us that the good life is about piling up things here, causing us to doubt God's good intentions. Our problem is that we, like Adam and Eve, believe Satan's lies.  And when we do, our loyalty to God is compromised.  Then our enemy slithers off to his next assignment, leaving us alone to face our regrets and the realization that his lies have seduced us away from our truest and dearest Friend. Read the Bible to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. I cannot say this enough, if you do not know the Word of God, you will easily believe the lies of the devil. Satan chances are hopeless as long as you stay in the Word & Will of God.

Is Your Spiritual House Filled With Junk?

Spiritual hoarding is just as bad or in most cases much worse than hoarding things. Is your Spiritual House Filled with Junk?  Don't be a Spiritual Hoarder. We have to by God's Grace, Learn how to let things go. All too often we  want to hang on to past hurts, anger, pride, and  jealously. These feelings of the past just hang around and are put in one mental closet or another and serve no purpose but to clutter up our mind. Too often we want to take out some of these treasures and re-visit them. We are so busy hanging on to our past hurts that we are hindered from growing in God. We wonder why it seems that God never hears our prayers. In many cases we are still angry at people who are dead and can’t right their wrong, but we stay angry anyway.  We forget sometimes that God has forgiven us of a great debt; and yet we won’t forgive another.  We didn’t deserve to be forgiven,  but He did anyway. Do some house cleaning today. Get rid of the junk you’re holding on to, give it to God and let Him deal with it. Free your mind of the clutter and grow. Don't let your spiritual house be filled with junk.

Didn't You Hear? Satan Attended This Year's Grammy's Awards.

Didn't you hear?  Satan attended this year's Grammy Awards. Some reports even say that this year's Grammy Awards apparently is still pushing the Illuminati agenda. Performances were filled with fire, dark symbolism and hellish imagery. Tweeter users and Facebook remarks implied "It’s more like the Illuminati Awards! " What does this have to do with the "Thought For Today"? A friend called me yesterday and asked did I watch the Grammy? It was the 2nd year I missed watching it, for someone who use to attend this event and sit in the audience, I really didn't missed watching it. Supporting the arts for many years my membership was active in NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) who represents the Grammy. My friend shared: "I felt there was a strong Satanic force going on in the music with some of the performers and those in the audience." I have personally watched the tone and change taking place with the Grammy gradually over the last few years of these demonic forces as some would say. I have read comments and have heard others say what use to be music and sound pleasing to the ears has become just a lot of noise, banging of brass and instruments. I would dare not say or even imply every young performer fall into this category or say that every performer is Satanic, there are many who do not follow this path in the industry, yet there are so many that do. Having been a performer in the industry and touring with successful family members in the industry, I know what comes with the entertainment industry and there are so many young performers searching for fame and fortune in the wrong areas. Right now in this time,place and season it appears that Satan is having a field day and taking control. I'm going to use some words of my grandmother, "he is just cutting up and acting a fool." The one thing Satan knows for sure; that his hours, days and time is limited and soon coming to a halt. The urgency of the hour is now.  Today, there are too many ways in which people are being distracted and falling asleep spiritually. 

The urgency of the hour.  As Christians; some are asking the question what is wrong, let me share my thoughts on why Satan is finding himself so comfortable landing in the churches, Christian homes and communities. We all know that Satan was a fallen angel. He tries to emulate God in every way he can, but all of his ways are wrong and false. He is a deceiver and will distort the truth. Satan knows that Christians are asleep spiritually. He know that we are not crying out to God in our prayers, he know that as Christians we don't know the Word of God like we should. Even Satan know the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation, but he distorts the truth. Satan know that many Christians do not have on the whole armor of God and we don't know how to stand against his tactics, because we are not prepared, so what is the devil doing. He is now attacking the church, Christian homes, family and children. He's landing in Christian communities.  He already has the world, he is not satisfied until he disrupts God's people. As believers of Christ, we have to get back to serious business, because we know there is power in the name of Jesus, we have to stand on His Word, but we have to know the Word of God, practice it in our life. Some of us only give God 1 hour in the week and that is on Sunday. That will not help us, we need God's Word daily, we have to prepare for battle daily. God will fight for us and prepare us when we commune and trust in Him, but He need to hear from us daily, He is Abba, our Daddy, He has something to say to us. Today, there are too many ways in which people are being distracted and falling asleep spiritually. 

Paul wrote about night and darkness, which symbolizes sin, the world, and the reign of ungodly people and forces.  In the light of the urgency of the hour, Paul challenged Believers to purge darkness from their lives and "put on the armor of light." Romans 13: 11-12.  Their greatest defense was to live and act in the light, which represented the purity of the Gospel and the penetrating presence and convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Today, we also live in critical times, Bible prophecies are being fulfilled.  We, too, must not fall asleep spiritually, become lulled into complacency or let down our guard.  We must be alert and ready, refusing to be distracted. We are truly living in the urgency of the hour. Father help us to realize the urgency of the hour. Help us to live in the light and be a pure vessel. Reveal secret sins and anything that displeases You. Give us strength where we are weak. Let us start spending more time with God in prayer, cry out to Him, study and read the Bible daily. Activate your faith. Activate prayer in your church, home, your family and community.  Lord we need You, every hour, second and minute we need You. You are our One Defense. Help us to be ready. In Jesus' name.  Amen

J.P. Olson

When You Pray the Promises Instead of the Problems.

Put God in His remembrance of His promise to bring it to pass. In order to do this you must know God’s promises and the only way to know God’s promises is to get into the Word of God, you must study and read the Bible, know God’s Word. Instead of complaining say, “God, You said when the enemy comes in my way You will defeat them." You said You would supply all of my needs according to Your riches. You said You are Jehovah and the Lord my provider. When God hears His Word coming out of you He dispatches angels with the answers, He sets miracles into motion and He will begin to change things. It may not happen overnight but stay in faith and keep reminding God what He promised you day in and day out. Sometimes when we pray we concentrate on the gifts in God's hand and ignore the hand of God himself. God's hand only serves as a way to get us through the crisis. After the need has been met, the hand itself means little to us. His purpose in prayer is not to make us sit up and beg.  Is this why we pray?  He wants us to know Him.  Prayer is His method to accomplish that. Instead of complaining say, “God, You said”. Instead of begging say, “God, You said”. Instead of describing the circumstances say, “God, You said”. If you get in a habit of praying God’s promises back to Him, you will see God at work in your life. When you can say “God, You said,” all of heaven comes to attention. Why? God is faithful to His Word. Isaiah 55:11. All of His promises are yes.

The Enemy Doesn't Have The Final Say; God Has The Final Say

Make sure you keep the words of your mouth in line with the Word of God. The enemy doesn't have the final say; God has the final say. And He says, I will always cause you to triumph! We have to stop giving Satan the credit to so many things happening in our life. Don't give him the time of the day, keep Satan out of your conversation, know that whatever it is, "This Too Shall Pass". Don't consume yourself with his tactics. God says you are coming out whatever it is, brokenness, finances, peace, health, family. Remember, the enemy doesn't have the final say; God has the final say.