One Of The Enemy’s Favorite Entry Points Into Our Lives Is Disappointment. But You Can Train Yourself To Recognize The Three Strategies Of The Enemy So You Can Stand Strong And Persevere Through Unsettling Relationships And Uncertain Outcomes.

It's important to understand that Satan doesn’t want you to gain any more ground! One Of The Enemy’s Favorite Entry Points Into Our Lives Is Disappointment. But You Can Train Yourself To Recognize The Three Strategies Of The Enemy So You Can Stand Strong And Persevere Through Unsettling Relationships And Uncertain Outcomes.

The Enemy Does Not Bother Those Who Do Not Bother Him! If you are not reading the Word, in prayer, fasting, obeying the commandments, fellowshipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ, walking in the Spirit, being directed, and guided by the Holy Ghost, what does he want with you? What can you do to attack his kingdom, when you are not armed with any of the weaponry of the Kingdom yourself!?

Here is what happens: God's Word has landed in your heart. You are starting to gain some ground spiritually, so hell has been notified and your enemy is alarmed. He comes immediately to try to take away the ground you just gained through God's Word. This Is What Causes Us To Become Discouraged So Quickly. Because As Soon As God Gives Us A Word, Satan Goes To War! God Speaks Healing, And Here Comes Satan With Another Symptom; God Speaks Wealth, And Here Comes Satan With An Unexpected Bill; God speaks promotion, and here comes Satan with a layoff; God speaks a new home, and here comes Satan with a leaky roof; God speaks opportunity, and here comes Satan with obstacles; God speaks calm, and here comes Satan with chaos; God speaks anniversary, and here comes Satan with divorce papers! And he does not drag his feet either, the Bible says, "at once, by force, right away, immediately, no sooner than, quickly, and as soon as" the Word is Sown, here comes Satan with his Shovel!

Mark 4:15, “These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the Word is sown; but when they hear, SATAN IMMEDIATELY comes and takes away the Word which has been sown in them.” (AMP)

1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NIV)

1 John 2:14b-15, “I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” (NLT)

You see, you have (a promise; a word from God) and the enemy is worried and ready to attack because he cannot let you have that ground, then gain more! God is getting ready in this season to prune us. He knows that the enemy is ready to attack, you see suddenly Satan is interested in you. He did not have to bother you when you were not a threat. He did not bother you when you stopped fasting, became lazy in reading/studying the Word, started slacking in your prayer/devotion time with God, and when you started making excuses for skipping Bible Study. The enemy did not think 2 cents about you. You did not even appear on his radar.

Let's face it; we all have some days when we feel like we're stuck in the basement, right? The view isn't very inspiring, and neither is the situation we're in. We’re low in funds, low in joy, low in peace, low in confidence, low in health, low in marriage, low in single-hood, and low in dealing with the battles of raising children, low in dealing with coworkers and even low while sitting in the pew next to our brothers and sisters in Christ! There are simply some moments in life when we have crashed in the basement, instead of breaking through the ceiling! Can we be real about it?

Know that everybody who says they are praying for you, are not! Not everyone asking about your situation cares that you get out of it, some just want to make sure you are still in it! That is why discernment and wisdom are necessities, not options! Well, the good news is that there is no basement so deep or so gloomy that you must stay there, because there’s an elevator just waiting to take you up! Trust God and Trust, the process. That’s why discernment and wisdom are necessities, not options! In spite of what you face as a struggle, it’s important that you learn how to put your praise in place, so your problem doesn’t knock you out of position. The problem with us is that we let fear supersede our faith!

Truth is, we must reach a place of trust, reliance, dependence, and faith in God where our circumstances don’t alter our praise! We need our situations, trials, and struggles to see that we walk by faith, even when that walk takes us through the valleys of the shadows of death!

Satan, the commander of hell's forces, is determined to stop you from ever becoming what Jesus died for you to be! And like any smart general, he knows he must stop you before you grow and gain any more ground. His strategy is revealed in Mark 4:15. "Some people are like seeds along the path, where the word is sown. AS SOON AS they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them."

Listen to what Satan does WHEN YOU HEAR A WORD FROM THE LORD: “AT ONCE AND BY FORCE… RIGHT AWAY SATAN COMES… SATAN SOON COMES… SATAN IMMEDIATELY COMES… SATAN COMES AT ONCE… NO SOONER DO THEY HEAR THE WORD THAN SATAN SNATCHES… SATAN QUICKLY COMES…”

Listen: If you do not Guard the Word God has given you, Satan will come in IMMEDIATELY, and fight to steal it! And in the end, you will be the one fleeing, and surrendering everything, including those attached to you!

In other words, by no means is Satan playing games, in fact, he’s playing for keeps! “The thief’s PURPOSE is to STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY…” (John 10:10 NLT) Nothing about that sounds like child’s play! Which is why it’s so vital that you take the enemy seriously! He has a Purpose just as much as you do! And if you let him, he will fulfill his, leaving you to forfeit yours!

Which may help explain why things have suddenly gotten so tough for you, why things are going wrong, why you don't have the spiritual enthusiasm you did before. Your logical reaction is, "I've been really trying to do what God wants, so what's wrong here?" The answer is, "'Nothing's wrong! It's because something's right!"

However, for those who have made the decision to get rid of their bad habits, attitudes, and addictions; those who have decided to reignite the fire in their gifts, prayer, and devotion time; those spending more time with God, the saints, and in the sanctuary; those hearing from God and following the directives of the Holy Ghost, the enemy is screaming from hell, “READY, AIM, FIRE!”

And by no means should that terrify you, in fact, it ought to excite you, that you are finally on the enemies hit list! It is not because of what you’ve done wrong, it’s because you’ve finally got it right!

So now he's got to get himself in a position to make it hard for you! He has got to stop your forward progress fast or there's no telling how much ground he's going to lose! He must stop you before you start interceding for folks, laying hands on people, speaking in tongues, binding the works of the flesh. He’s got to stop you before you start pleading the blood of Jesus over your family; before you start anointing your children. He’s got to stop you before you start speaking those things that be not as though they were. He’s got to stop you before your hope is renewed and your faith is revived. He’s got to stop you before you start believing that God meant just what He said concerning you.

He’s got to stop you before you start dreaming again. He’s got to stop you before you stop living in the past and start seeing yourself in a great future. He’s got to stop you from walking with God before you gain more ground!

Satan gets busy whenever God has made a major landing in your life. Maybe you've recently made a new surrender of your life to Jesus, or you've said yes to His call on your life. You've stepped up to leadership. Could it be that you've begun a new work for the Lord? Made a new commitment to be the marriage partner or the parent you should be, to give more to the Lord's work, to live by new priorities? Guess what? Alarm bells are going off in hell!

When the enemy tries to tell you, your mission is impossible. Do the part which is possible for you and God will do the impossible. Absolutely nothing is impossible for God but with humans yes, we are limited but our God is limitless.

Satan will distort your vision and your situation will look impossible.  If you give the devil attention, he will give you direction.  Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than

you want to pay.  Satan cannot solve problems, but he can create them. Satan will set you up to be set up. God is the reason even in pain, we smile. In confusion, we understand. In betrayal, we trust. And in fear, we continue to push forward.  Satan tries to limit your praying because he knows your praying will limit him. Do not face the day until you have faced God in prayer. Prayer is the best armor against all trials. Change your dialogue and you’ll change your destination.

Psalm 91: “You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: “God, You’re my refuge. I trust in You and I’M SAFE!” That’s right—He rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge, outstretched arms protect you—under them you’re PERFECTLY SAFE; His arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You will stand UNTOUCHED, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because God is your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. HE ORDERED HIS ANGELS TO GUARD YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. If you stumble, they will catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk UNHARMED among lions and snakes and kick young lions and serpents from the path. “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the BEST OF CARE if you’ll only get to know and trust Me. Call Me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” (MSG)

That is the security you have when you come near to God, and He comes near to you! Not only is He your refuge keeping you safe, but He’s also Ordered (not asked) His angels to guard you wherever you go! Remember this the next time God gives you a Word. Protect it by remaining in the Presence of God. Knowing that His angels are with you, guarding you, keeping you safe, wherever you go. That is how you protect your beachhead (‘your promise/your Word from God’). Don’t just let the devil take your property! Fight for it, guard it, and stay as close to God as you can!

Something I pray on a regular basis is that God will give me a keen awareness of the enemy’s plans and schemes against me. I want to be able to recognize his traps and avoid them.

As I compared these passages, I had a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses outline Satan’s 3-pronged plan of attack on our hearts. And it is the same plan we see him using while tempting Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11! A fact that tells me while the enemy may be powerful, he is also predictable.

Let’s take a closer look at Satan’s plan as revealed in Eve’s story and Jesus’ story:

1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Be it sex, drugs, alcohol or food.

Satan tempted Eve with fruit, which “was good for food” (Genesis 3:6b, NIV).

Satan tempted Jesus with bread while He was on a fast. (Matthew 4:3-4, NIV)

Satan tempts us with whatever physical sense we are too preoccupied by — be it taste, smell, sound, touch, or sight. God says that our senses are good. He gave them to us to enjoy within His boundaries. But venture outside God’s intention for them, and they become an attempt to get our needs met outside the will of God.

2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the god of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after more and more stuff.

Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was “pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6c, NIV).

Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Him that He could have it all. (Matthew 4:8-10, NIV)

Satan flashes the newer, bigger, and seemingly better things of this world in front of us, trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. He tempts us to think: This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy. And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is.

3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride.

Satan tempted Eve by promising an increased awareness which would make her become more like God. (Genesis 3:4-5, NIV)

Satan tempted Jesus by telling Him to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple and command the angels to save Him. (Matthew 4:5-7, NIV) This would be very impressive and raise Jesus’ status and significance in the eyes of the world.

Likewise, Satan tempts us to try and elevate ourselves over others. We wrongly think we must become something the world calls worthy. This creates a need within our flesh to have people notice us, commend us, revere us, and stroke our pride. We then dare to boast about all we are.

This is where we must stop and remind ourselves that we don’t have to be held hostage by Satan. We are onto him and his schemes. And the enemy’s power is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God.

There was an enormous difference between Eve’s response to Satan and Jesus’ response to Satan. Eve dialogued with Satan, and she allowed him to weave his tangled web of justifications. Jesus, on the other hand, quoted Deuteronomy with every temptation as He answered, “It is written …” and He immediately shut Satan down with the truth of God.

Do not get all excited about the Word from God and forget to Guard it! Remember the enemy is ready to steal, kill and destroy, and that includes you and the Word of Promise given to you. Don’t let him get it! He’s ready and alert, now make sure you are too!

 

1 Peter 5:8-11, “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So, keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are! —will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” (MSG) Stay Alert, The Devil Is Poised To Pounce! The Danger for us as believers in becoming lazy, is that the devil never is! He’s Poised to Pounce! He’s in Position to Attack, are you?!

You’ll Gain More Ground If You Keep the Devil Under Your Feet!

1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses." (AMP)

Therefore, Soldiers in the Lord's Army, Put Your Warfare Clothes On, Go to Battle and Guard the Word God Gave You!

 

The good news is that there is no basement so deep or so gloomy that you must stay there, because there’s an elevator just waiting to take you up! Trust God and Trust, the process.

Dear Lord, thank You for making us aware of the enemy’s plans against us. I declare today that while the enemy may be vicious, he will not be victorious in my life. Not with You helping me walk in truth and light. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

You Do Not Have To Look For God In Worship; If You Worship, He Will Come Looking For You! Deliverance Comes When You Can Worship God During The Worst Of Your Troubles! How Many Fall Into Worship Mode During Struggles? God Has Given Us A Timely Word!

 I Love This Analogy

When GOD wanted to create the fish, HE spoke to the sea; when GOD wanted to make the trees, HE spoke to the earth, but when GOD wanted to create Man, HE spoke to Himself.

Then GOD said, “Let us make Man in Our image, according to Our likeness.

If you take a fish out of the water, it will die; when you take a tree off the ground, it will also die. Similarly, when Man is disconnected from GOD, he dies.

GOD is our natural environment. We were created to live in HIS presence. Therefore, we must be connected to HIM because only in HIM there is life. Remember that water without fish is still water, but fish without water is nothing. Likewise, the soil without a tree is still soil, but the

Deliverance Comes When You Can Worship God During the Worst of Your Troubles! 

Jonah chapter 2 is another one of my favorite Scriptures!   During Trouble, Jonah Still Prayed unto the Lord! He Forgot about his Situation and Fully Turned His Attention to God! Can you imagine what would happen if the church did the same thing today? If we sought God, no matter our situation? If we still fell on bended knees, there was no point; how many times has the rug been pulled out from beneath us? If we still talked to God, no matter how badly others were talking about us? If we still went to church even if we had to walk there? Would we still read the Bible even when we lost our job? Can you imagine if we still sought God regardless of our current circumstances?

Just think what would become of our lives if we prayed as the Bible admonishes us to: "Pray At All Times" (1 Thessalonians 5:17 GNT) imagine how strong our relationship with God would become if we indeed prayed at all times. And that includes praying when the car breaks down; the kids are failing in school; the marriage is holding on by its last string; the job just laid you off; the doctor just gave you a cancerous diagnosis; your parent passes away; your sibling is strung out on drugs; your church is emptying; your bank accounts can't even keep the bare minimum anymore; would you still be able to pray to God, even in these times? Would you still trust Him? Would you still lean on Him? Would you still believe Him? Would you still praise and worship Him? Would you still have Faith in Him? Would you still thank Him?

When you study the content of Jonah's prayer in Jonah 2:2-9, you will discover that he wasn't praying the 'give me or get me out of this prayer,' but a Prayer of Worship and Thanksgiving ("…But I'm Worshiping you, God, calling out in Thanksgiving! " (Jonah 2:9 MSG) However, what happens next is Dynamic; the Bible says, "And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." (Jonah 2:10 NIV). What a Mighty Deliverance! But, if you look at what Jonah Worshiped in the Midst of to Get It, you will have to ask yourself, 'do I really want it that bad?' Because to get This Kind of Deliverance, you must Possess the Ability to Worship in the Worst of It! Yes, that means to pray, worship and thank God while the doctor has nothing else he can do for your disease; your teenage son tells you he has a baby on the way; your daughter comes home with a tattoo across her forehead; there's nothing in the fridge but the light-bulb; the toilet water won't go down, the heat won't come up, the car won't start and the bills won't stop! YES, You Have to Still Pray, Praise, Worship and Thank God in the Midst of It All! So How Bad Do You Really Want It?!

"…I cried because of my affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell I cried, and thou heard my voice." (Jonah 2:2).

We all know the disappointments that come when we base anticipation on what we and other humans can deliver. God will never have a problem delivering."  "What's damaged you as a child does not have to destroy you as an adult. God can deliver you from all your hurt and pain. Enter God's delivery room!"

Jonah Worshiped in The Midst of To Get It, God Will Never Have A Problem Delivering."  What is the definition of the word worship? Some Christians believe that worship is a lot of loud singing, jumping and whatever else they may have heard or believed.

Trying to define worship is a little like defining love or hope. An attempt to do so could go on forever. But I will try to keep it as short as possible. Put simply, worship is declaring the greatness of someone or something.

It is the act of giving up your own glory to make sure everyone knows that the thing being worshiped is pretty awesome.

To put it even more succinctly, worship is bowing down to lift up. Both primary words in Hebrew and Greek for worship in the Bible mean the same thing: to bow down or lay one's face to the ground. It is an acknowledgment of God's glory. There is someone who is transcendent and glorious, and He is worthy of our full allegiance and devotion!

Worship is a declaration that God is in the Midst of all that is happening in our world today, a powerful weapon against any lie that says God is not in control or that he is not able. Worshiping together teaches us to submit and surrender all our cares to God – our priorities, plans, hopes, dreams, and even our fears.

But worship is really about what we give. Not what we receive. 

Worship is bowing before our superior, in this case, God. True worship costs us something. In Romans 12:1 that cost is described as the sacrifice of self. When we come before God in worship, we humbly give ourselves up to his Lordship, proclaiming that he is worthy and exalting him in praise.

If Jonah can worship God during all of this, surely, we can worship God in the Midst of our situation! God does not stop being Sovereign because of your situation! He can do anything, anywhere for any one of His children! That is why you need to understand the power of your worship. It summons all of Heaven to meet you in Hell, just ask Jonah, "…I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heard my voice." (vs. 2). If Jonah Can Cry Out to God in the Midst of a Belly of Hell, Surely, We Can Walk into Our Pretty Sanctuary and Worship God? He lay in fish guts while we sit on cushioned seats, and we still cannot worship God? His music was the indigestion of a fish, while we have a whole minstrel section and yet we still cannot worship God. He was at the bottom of the ocean, and we sit elevated in our prestigious pulpit seating and yet we still cannot worship God? How is it that Jonah can give God his all right where he was, and yet we have not given God anything and we are in a better position than Jonah?!

It is easy to give up hope. I know "church folks" will tell you that it is not supposed to ever happen to a believer. But the truth is, life can get really hard, and heart breaking. It's difficult to keep praise on your lips when your coworker is cursing you out. It's hard to keep joy when you've lost loved ones back-to-back. It's not easy to keep shouting when your marriage is screaming divorce. It’s rough trying to teach Sunday school to other children when your own don't even attend. Life is not easy! No, not even for the believer. So never beat yourself up when you have a moment of lost hope, it happens to the best of us, from the pulpit to the door (whether we admit it or not)!

It is not correct to say that God spoke in the past but does not speak now. We cannot limit His Word or His discourse to any time. He is as ready today to enrich His seekers from the fountain of revelation as He was at any time, and the gates of His grace. He is the fountainhead of all excellence and combines in Himself all powers. All grace originates with Him, and everything returns to Him. He is the Master of all kingdoms and possesses every perfect quality. He is free from every defect and weakness. It belongs to Him alone that all those on earth and in heaven should worship Him.  Nothing is beyond His power. Earth and heaven, man and animals, stones and trees, souls, and bodies, have all come into existence by His grace. God is the One Who is living today as He was living before, and Who speaks today as He spoke before, and hears today as He heard before. It is a false notion that in this age. He hears but does not speak. Indeed, He both hears and speaks. All His attributes are eternal and everlasting. None of His attributes has fallen into disuse or will fall into disuse. None of His powers lack anything. He is near and yet far, and He is far and yet near.

Let Us Be Honest, How Many Of Us Fall Into Worship Mode During Struggles? The truth is, far more often, we become snappy, our attitudes get out of control, our emotions are doom and gloom, our faith falters, our countenance falls, our hope becomes helplessness, and we invite family, friends, and even foes to our self-proclaimed pity party. It is sad but true. Rarely do we immediately fall into worship when life hits us with its worst! Philippians 4:19 says He promises to meet all our needs, But He does not promise WHEN! See, most of us already know that He can do it and that He's promised to do it, but if only He'd share WHEN He's going to do it, Would the wait be easy? Not that it is one of the hardest things to do! But remembering that God watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12); remembering that God does not and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19); placing that God keeps His Word and every promise He makes.

During what John was surrounded by, he still fell at the Lord's feet. During what Jonah faced, he still worshiped. So, what is our excuse? Do we believe trials, troubles, struggles, and tribulations are more significant than the God we serve? If that is our belief, then I am here to tell you our broken belief system needs repairs!

Please understand that the difficult circumstances you're going through can clear your perceptions, cause you to seek God as never before, and find answers for your life to questions bombarding your sanity! "Don’t fear…” That is the beauty of being a child of the King, even when all the Kingdom of Darkness is against you! He Always Reveals Himself to the Righteous, Regardless of How Bleak Their Circumstances May Appear. The One Whom we serve is still the first and the last, which encourages us to know that no matter what transpires in the middle, God has covered it from beginning to end! And He is so awesome that He admits Himself, that He died, came back to life, and now lives forever. He is reassuring John (and us) of how powerful He is! All He desires is that we trust Him and believe Him! And then, if that weren’t enough to increase our faith, lift our heads, square off our shoulders, and straighten up our back, He goes on to say in His hand are keys, and He alone has access to open and lock death’s doors and Hell’s gates, so you’re afraid of what? Right! Absolutely Nothing! Because this is the God you serve!

I think sometimes we, unfortunately, forget the Lord’s promise to us: “…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5 AMP) How do you read a promise like that and fear anything or anyone? The Lord Himself DELIBERATELY REFUSES to fail you; give you up; leave you without support and will under no circumstances leave you helpless; nor will He forsake you; let you down or relax His hold on you! You are so loved, cherished, treasured, and protected by God that He Initiated This Promise to You! You did not have to ask Him to do it, and you did not have to ask Him for it. He Chose to Give it to You Himself! So regardless of what you’re in, what you are surrounded by, what you’re going through, who you’re up against, or what you’re facing, you have full CONFIDENCE that God’s Got You COVERED!

And a bonus: You Do Not Have To Look For God In Worship; If You Worship, He Will Come Looking For You! “…true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the FATHER SEEKS.” John 4:23 (NIV).

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

You Are Not Waiting To Be Blessed, Hoping To Be Blessed, Praying To Be Blessed; My Friend, You Already Have "Every Spiritual Blessing That Heaven Has To Offer. You Already Have Everything You Need! There Is Something We Can Learn In Today's Reading!

 Use Your God-Given Sense Of Discernment! You can discern more with your Spirit than You Can See With Your Eyes! Can't you remember a time when your Eyes Told You, "You're not going to make it," but your Spirit kept telling you, "Everything's going to be alright?" A time when you met somebody who Looked good, too good, and your Spirit warned you that something was wrong with them! "His anointing teaches you about all things…that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in him" (1 John 2:27 NIV). You Are Not Waiting To Be Blessed, Hoping To Be Blessed, Praying To Be Blessed; My Friend, You Already Have "Every Spiritual Blessing That Heaven Has To Offer." You Already Have Everything You Need! 

What’s at work WITHIN YOU will Triumph Over What’s At Work Around or Against You Any day! Listen: There is this very day a powerful, shrewd, spiritual destroyer who is looking for a way to entrap you, to invade your soul, to take you where you never thought you’d go; to devour you as dinner. And in a very real sense, the Devil’s trying to get you just to touch his sticky web. Learn From the Spiders, They Have LARGE Lessons to Teach Us, Even Though They Are Little Creatures! And what does that say of us? Well, our God is powerful, mighty, awesome, can speak something out of nothing, and that lets us know that we have His traits, His genetics, His make-up, His characteristics, His DNA! We are created in His image and likeness, everything He needs is already in Him, and because we have Him, everything we need He’s already put within us! So, from this day forward, you will never again walk with your head held down, your shoulders bowed, your back bent, your eyes downcast! No that’s not the posture of God’s children! He places our feet on high places, and He is the lifter up of our head! ) You are not waiting to be blessed, hoping to be blessed, praying to be blessed, you my friend already have, “EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING THAT HEAVEN HAS TO OFFER.” You Already Have EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

“The Spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in kings’ palaces” (Proverbs 30:28 NKJV)

Everything a Spider needs to survive and succeed in life, God put WITHIN IT! Swipe it with a broom and before it hits the ground, its fall is broken! It just reaches inside, releases another protein-filled silk-like thread, slides down, finds a safe place, then comes back stronger than ever and builds a new web! What’s the Message of the Spider? EVERYTHING YOU NEED, GOD HAS ALREADY PLACED WITHIN YOU! Ephesians 1:3, “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer.” (GWT) You are not waiting to be blessed, hoping to be blessed, praying to be blessed, you my friend already have, “EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING THAT HEAVEN HAS TO OFFER.” You Already Have EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

The Bible further says, “His divine power has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED for life and godliness…he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature…” (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV). What has God given us? “…EVERYTHING WE NEED…” What has God made us participants in? “…HIS DIVINE NATURE…” How Awesome Is That?!! Saints, we lack absolutely NOTHING, for our God has already supplied us with, “…EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE…” Which means, you don’t have to look a certain way, act a certain way, find the right people, style yourself a particular way, beg or plead with people for favors, opportunities, and chances, no, you already have everything you need! How? Because you were created in His image and likeness, His divine nature! Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD HE CREATED HIM; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM.” (AMP) And what does that say of us? Well, our God is powerful, mighty, awesome, can speak something out of nothing, and that lets us know that we have His traits, His genetics, His make-up, His characteristics, His DNA! We are created in His image and likeness, everything He needs is already in Him, and because we have Him, everything we need He’s already put within us! So, from this day forward, you will never again walk with your head held down, your shoulders bowed, your back bent, your eyes downcast! No that’s not the posture of God’s children! He places our feet on high places, and He is the lifter up of our head! We walk like we know who we belong to! 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)

Your future is not determined by who you know and who you don’t, who likes you and who doesn’t! The power to fulfill your destiny is found WITHIN YOU! The warfare over your life and the struggle you’re in, is about what you were born, called, and gifted to do! So, “…stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God [the INNER FIRE] that is IN YOU…” (2 Timothy 1:6 AMP) In other words…START PRODUCING! When a woman finds out that she’s pregnant, she immediately starts to make changes in her life because of what she’s got going on, on the INSIDE! And this is your confirmation today that you’ve got something growing and going on, on the inside of you, and one of those things is your gifts! God did not give you gifts to sit stagnantly on the inside until they die! No, it’s time for you to go to work and stir up, rekindle, fan, and keep burning the gift of God, “…the INNER FIRE…” in you! You’re not waiting for something to be deposited, it’s already been deposited, now grow God’s investment!

Let’s see, we’ve already discovered that you have everything you will ever need already placed within you by God, you have every blessing and promise and now you have a gift on fire, so how dare you sit and cry as though you are less than the great masterpiece and workmanship that Jesus died for, just so He could design you! Therefore, no more pitiful parties, it’s time for you to celebrate the greatness that’s already within you!

Listen: Life may have knocked you down, but it hasn’t knocked you out! What’s at work WITHIN YOU will Triumph Over What’s At Work Around or Against You Any day! Just Stand on God’s Word, Draw On Your Faith, Hold On, and When the Smoke Clears, Rise Up and Announce, “BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I’M BACK!” You say, “But I’ve lost so much…” However, if you still have what God PUT WITHIN YOU, YOU’VE STILL GOT MUCH MORE TO GAIN!

REMEMBER THE MESSAGE OF THE SPIDER: YOU ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED WITHIN YOU!

This web always reminds us of similar God protection over our heads. Just like the spider web, God also has a web around us that always shields us against evil thoughts, actions, and words. 

This is why in the Bible, the spider is often referred to as a messenger of God, sent on the earth as a symbol of God’s protection, safeguarding us from evil outside (harmful insects) through the web it creates in our homes. 

Now, when it’s time to lay eggs, the Spider produces a particular type of silk thread and spins it into a protective sac, then deposits them. When an enemy comes to steal the spider’s offspring, it gets trapped on the sticky fluids that line the silk. Then the spider wraps the enemy in another kind of thread and turns it into food!

What’s the Message of the Spider? THE BATTLE IS OVER YOUR FUTURE!

Don’t let the enemy have your children! Don’t let him rob you of your potential! Don’t let him steal your destiny! When those with weak wills, weak knees and weak faith saw the giants in the Promised Land they wanted to go back to Egypt! BUT NOT CALEB! He said, “Neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are BREAD FOR US!” (Numbers 14:9). The Amplified Bible says it like this: “Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are BREAD FOR US. Their defense and the shadow [of protection] is removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not!” When you understand what the battle in your life is about, you begin to Feed Off the Stuff the Enemy Throws at You and say, “BRING IT ON, WHAT DOES NOT DESTROY ME, WILL ONLY MAKE ME STRONGER!”

When the spider lays its eggs, predators immediately come on the scene to steal his eggs and devour them, so nothing comes of them. Sounds a lot like Satan, doesn’t it? John 10:10, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy…” (AMP); 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be always alert and cautious. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.” (AMP). And who is the thief, lion and the devil looking to devour? US! But more than that, he’s after our seed! Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity (open hostility) between you and the woman, and between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, and you shall [only] bruise His heel.” (AMP) The devil knows how this end for him, HER SEED FATALLY BRUISES HIS HEAD, but his seed will only bruise His heel. Even when we forget who we are, the devil never forgets! He’s not just after us, he’s after our seed, the generations to come, because he knows if we continue to teach them how to war in the spirit, he doesn’t stand a chance! If we continue to teach generation after generation that Satan belongs under their feet and that they have the authority and power to crush his head, there will be generations of warriors and victors, and his kingdom will be demolished! Therefore, let’s protect our children! Satan is coming to devour them, but we will stand as the strong soldiers God called, commanded, and commissioned us to be, and we will make Satan and his imps, “…bread for us!”

REMEMBER THE MESSAGE OF THE SPIDER: PROTECT OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS!

Let’s dig a little deeper, shall we? The spider has EIGHT EYES, YET IT CAN BARELY SEE! What makes it an avid hunter is that the hair follicles on its legs are full of sensitivity and it can Discern Everything That’s Going On Around It!

What’s the Message of the Spider? USE YOUR GOD-GIVEN SENSE OF DISCERNMENT!

You can discern more with your Spirit than You Can See With Your Eyes! “Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). God will let you know things you can neither prove nor explain! Jesus said that He would show us “things to come” (John 16:13). But He won’t do it so that we can ego trip, or run around acting arrogant, super religious, and excessively deep. No, the Scripture continues: “He shall glorify ME: he shall receive of Mine and shall [show] it unto you” (John 16:14). God gives “Inside Information” to those who seek to GLORIFY HIM! So, stop living beneath your spiritual privilege!

The old country church folks used to sing, “The Holy Ghost done told me, everything’s going to be all right!” That may not be good grammar, but it’s sound Bible Truth! Can’t you remember a time when your Eyes Told You, “You’re not going to make it,” but your Spirit kept telling you, “Everything’s going to be all right?” A time when you met somebody who Looked good, too good, and your Spirit warned you that something was bad with them! “His anointing teaches you about all things…that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in him” (1 John 2:27 NIV).

The way to walk in Discernment is to Stay in the Word of God, Use the Wisdom of God, Stay Close To God Himself and His Voice! The more you become engrafted in His word, wisdom, presence, and voice, the more familiar it will become to you, so that whenever something or someone is off, you can pick it up before you make a fleshly error in judgment! Listen: You Can Afford For Your Eyes To Fail You, But Not Your Discernment! 2 Corinthians 5:7, “for we walk by faith, NOT BY SIGHT…” (AMP); 2 Kings 4:9, “And she said to her husband, behold now, I PERCEIVE that this is a holy man of God who passes by continually.” (AMPC) Can you imagine how many ‘unequally yoked’ relationships would’ve never happened had we functioned in this discernment?! I perceive, I know, I discern, this is (or is not in some cases) a woman or man of God?! Psalm 119:125, “I am Your servant; give me understanding (DISCERNMENT and comprehension), that I may know (DISCERN and be familiar with the character of) Your testimonies.” (AMPC) Don’t just ask God for Vision, ask Him for Discernment!

REMEMBER THE MESSAGE OF THE SPIDER: USE YOUR DISCERNMENT!

We’ve come this far; we may as well keep going! How is it possible that a Spider can walk across the sticky threads of its own web and not get stuck, yet those same threads will trap every predator that enters? The secret is – OIL!

It’s tiny suction cup shaped feet exude FRESH OIL WITH EVERY STEP, SO IT GLIDES THROUGH STUFF OTHERS GET STUCK IN AND CAN’T SURVIVE THROUGH!

What’s the Message of the Spider? YOU NEED TO BE CONTINUALLY ANOINTED WITH THE FRESH OIL OF GOD’S SPIRIT!

Looking back, you realize that’s what kept you sane when you thought you were going to lose your natural mind! It’s why you made it when others didn’t! And it’s why you need to stay filled with God’s Spirit Every Day! The Psalmist said it best: “I shall be Anointed With Fresh Oil!” (Psalm 92:10).

BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME EVERY MORNING GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY, “LORD, ANOINT ME WITH FRESH OIL”! I need it to minister effectively; I need it so I can pass it down throughout the generations; I need it so my flesh doesn’t interfere with my spiritual assignment; I need it so that I don’t attempt to use my gifts, talents and skills to substitute for it! I need it so I don’t get stuck in what stagnated others!

REMEMBER THE MESSAGE OF THE SPIDER: YOU NEED CONSISTENT FRESH OIL!

Got another point for you! Some Spiders have so much Venom in them that they can KILL ANYTHING they come in contact with, SIMPLY BY RELEASING WHAT’S IN THEIR MOUTH!

What’s the Message of the Spider? GUARD WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

Paul writes, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). What are taking in? What are you giving out? Faith or fear, hope or discouragement, joy or sadness, truth or error, love or bitterness, compassion or judgment? The Bible says, “Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue: and they that love it shall Eat the Fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21)

Notice Two Things In This Scripture:

1. Your Mouth is a Life and Death Issue;
2. Your Words Are Like Seeds; They Always Produce Fruit (Good or Bad)!

You can’t believe God for His Best, then go around expecting and expressing the Worst! When what you say consistently, contradicts what God’s Word says, you’re Sabotaging Yourself! The Words You Speak Have Power – and Consequences! So begin to correct yourself! Instead of saying, “I can’t change,” or “I’ll never get out of this mess,” start saying what God’s Word says. Do what Jesus did in the wilderness: Open Your Mouth and Declare, “IT IS WRITTEN” Jesus in essence lets Satan know: “IT IS WRITTEN THAT I DON’T HAVE TO BOW TO YOU. IT IS WRITTEN THAT I DON’T HAVE TO COME TO YOU FOR WHAT I NEED.” And what was the result? “THE DEVIL LEFT HIM AND ANGELS CAME AND ATTENDED HIM” (Matthew 4:11 NIV). So, when you’re under attack, open your mouth, declare God’s Word, and the forces of heaven will come to your aid! In addition, don’t retaliate, don’t spread vicious rumors, lies, gossip and slander as a means for revenge. Don’t curse, don’t demean, don’t belittle, don’t be condescending. Use your words to speak life even when you’re under a deadly attack!

SET A GUARD OVER YOUR MOUTH AND WATCH WHAT’S COMING OUT OF IT! YOUR VENOM MAYBE KILLING A LOT OF FOLKS…INCLUDING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND YOUR OWN FUTURE!

2 additional tidbit bonus lessons from the Spider:

1. YOUR SIZE DOESN’T DETERMINE YOUR POTENTIAL! Please hear me, you do not have to have a title, position, or degree to be favored by God and accomplish great things! You don’t have to be the people pick, their favorite, their preferred. You don’t have to sit in the pulpit, you don’t have to have 10 initials and 20 degrees! You don’t have to be in the right circles! You just need to use whatever God placed within you! No need to be impressive, seek to be impactful by using what’s in you, no matter the size, or how insignificant others may think it to be!
2. NO MATTER WHERE YOU START, YOU CAN ALWAYS END UP IN THE KING’S PALACE! It doesn’t matter what your finances look like, your education, or where you’ve been. God doesn’t look at the chronology of your life for a good reason to bless you or use you. You can have an ugly start in life and end it beautifully! Where you’ve been has absolutely nothing to do with where God is taking you! Trust that!

Believe it or not, but there’s still another lesson to learn. And what’s the last Message the Spider is teaching today?

AS LONG AS YOU LIVE, KEEP PRODUCING!

A Spider is always Producing Something! Whether it’s Oil or Silk Threads or Eggs, the Spider is Always Producing Something! Now, you might not produce as much as somebody else, but you’ve got to keep producing something! You might not be able to produce what you used to but keep producing something! Jesus taught that some of us produce thirtyfold, others sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold (Matthew 13:8) In other words, we don’t all produce at the same level, but we must all produce at some level! Now, don’t get intimidated because the other guy is producing a hundredfold and you’re only producing sixtyfold. You’re only accountable for what God gave you to Produce!

The Bible further says, “They shall bring forth fruit in old age” (Psalm 92:14). Seasoned Senior, Look Out; retirement can be dangerous to your health! Therefore, keep your mind alert, your dreams alive, and your body moving! You might be old and even feeble, but you have to have a reason to get out of bed every morning, because if you don’t, after a while you won’t be able to get out of bed at all! So, get up and get dressed, even if you’re not going anywhere in particular! And if you can’t fly, get in the car. If you can’t get in the car, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, rock back and forth! If you’re lying down, sit up and if you can’t sit up, wiggle your toes but whatever you can do, let the Devil know YOU’RE STILL IN THE GAME AND YOU’RE STILL PRODUCING FRUIT…YES, EVEN IN OLD AGE!

Learn From the Spider, They Have LARGE Lessons to Teach Us, Even When Their But Little Creatures!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com