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. Enter God's Delivery Room.

Father, today we stand in victory and call everything into submission through the authority of Jesus Christ.  Illness must flee; circumstances must flee and lack must flee. There’s nothing too hard for You to end.

I love this analogy

When GOD wanted to create the fish, HE spoke to the sea, when GOD wanted to create 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 and 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. We must be connected to HIM because only in HIM there is Life.

Remember...

We recall that water without fish is still water, but fish without water is nothing. The soil without a tree is still soil, but the tree without soil is still nothing.

GOD without Man is still GOD but Man without GOD is Nothing. 

STAY CONNECTED TO God.

“…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).

You See, Deliverance Comes When You Can Worship God During The Worst of Your Troubles!  Tell yourself from this day forward, the devil is a liar! I will let nothing, and no one cancel my worship again! Not their words, facial expressions, opinions, criticisms, discouragement, or bitterness! 

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, you will Have to Ask Yourself, ‘Do I Really Want It That Bad?’ Because to Get This Kind of Deliverance, you have Got to Possess the Ability to Worship in The Worst of It! God Will Never Have A Problem Delivering.” God Does Not Stop Being Sovereign Because Of Your Situation!  Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Method of Your Deliverance? 

Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Prophet? Are You Willing to Be Delivered Where No One Can See It and Talk About? Are You Willing to Be Delivered When God Uses A "Nobody" To Declare the Word of Healing to You? Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even If You Have to Do Something “Beneath” Your Title, Office, or Position in Order to Get It?  Understand That There’s No Doubt About Your Deliverance Coming, You Just Need to Accept the Fact, In Advance, That Your Deliverance Will Come, But It Will Not Come Clean! You will Often Have to Get Dirty Before You Get Delivered! Can I Prove It?

Jonah chapter 2 is another one of my favorite Scriptures! You See, right in the Midst of 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 today the church did the very same thing? If we sought God, no matter our situation? If we still fell on bended knee no matter how many times the rug has been pulled out from beneath us? If we still talked to God, no matter how badly others are talking about us? If we still went to church even if we had to walk there? If we would still read the Bible even when we have lost the 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) Just 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 out; 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’ll 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 Absolutely 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 have Got to Possess the Ability to Worship in the Worst of It! Yes, that means to pray, worship and thank God while the eviction notice is on the front door; the pink slip after 20 years was just handed to you; 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 Badly Do You Really Want It?!

First off, it was due to Jonah’s Disobedience that he was in Trouble in the first place! So, Jonah was where he Deserved to be, and God Put Him There, the Bible says, “Now the Lord had Prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah…” (Jonah 1:17). Like Jonah, many of us are where we are due to our OWN disobedience! BUT the very next verse says, “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God Out of the Fish’s Belly.” (Jonah 2:1). Truth be told, sometimes Deliverance Looks Downright Disgusting. Your Deliverance Is NOT Going to Look Pretty! After all, did you really think Jonah would spend 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a fish and come up smelling like roses? Truth is, I hate to even walk past the scent of a fish market, let alone have to be in the belly of a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights! So, no, Jonah was not coming out fresh and clean! And neither are you going to come out of all you have been in smelling like Febreze!

Just look at Mark 7:33-35, the Bible reads: “And taking him aside from the crowd [privately], He thrust His fingers into the man’s ears and spat and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, He sighed as He said, Ephphatha, which means, Be opened! And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak distinctly and as he should.” (AMP). Sweetheart, your deliverance is Not going to come with the latest fad-prophet sprinkling fairy dust over you and waving a pearly white magic wand! NOPE! Ear Wax and Spit! So, Do You Still Want to Be Delivered?!

Listen for the two important truths here: One, the man’s ears were opened! “So, faith comes from HEARING…” (Romans 10:17 AMP) Now, you may not like the method God uses to deliver you, but you will love hearing by faith what He has to say to you! The deliverance may be downright disgusting, but won’t it be worth it to hear God say: “…All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God: God’s blessing inside the city, God’s blessing in the country; God’s blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks. God’s blessing on your basket and bread bowl; God’s blessing in your coming in, God’s blessing in your going out.  God will defeat your enemies who attack you. They will come at you on one road and run away on seven roads. God will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; he will bless you in the land that God, your God, is giving you. God will form you as a people holy to him, just as he promised you, if you keep the commandments of God, your God, and live the way he has shown you. All the peoples on Earth will see you living under the Name of God and hold you in respectful awe. God will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that God promised your ancestors that he would give you. God will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations but you yourself will not have to take out a loan. God will make you the head, not the tail; you’ll always be the top dog, never the bottom dog, as you obediently listen to and diligently keep the commands of God, your God, that I am commanding you today…” (Deuteronomy 28:1-14, MSG)

Wouldn’t a Dirty Deliverance Be Worth Hearing All of That?!

Secondly, his tongue was loosed! The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21 AMP); It further shares, “You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways.” (Job 22:28 AMP) Having your tongue loosed, means you get to decree life over your life and change it with the creative power your God has given you in your ability to open your mouth and speak it! The Bible says, “…and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.” (Romans 4:17 AMPC) Once your deliverance takes place and your lips are loosed, regardless to what your situation may still look like, you open your mouth and declare the nonexistent things God foretold and promised you and you speak to them as if they already exist! “I’m healed; I’m whole; I’m debt-free; my marriage is repaired; my children are returning from straying; my bank accounts look like phone numbers with the 1 and area code attached! I’m cancer free; the mortgage company said yes; the grant was approved; I’m driving the car off the lot; God is sending me the mate He custom designed just for me; the business proposal has been approved; the tuition is free; the church is full; my household is saved; my family is delivered; the addiction has been arrested by the Holy Ghost; the anointing is fresh; the gifts are stirred; closed doors of opportunity are unlocking as I speak; the promotion is mine; the elevation is mine; the doctors diagnosis is being reversed; the blood-work is coming back in my favor; the x-rays are clear; the chemo, radiation and dialysis are stopping; I’m graduating!”

You see that is the beauty of deliverance, no matter how dirty it is, you get to receive the restoration of your hearing and speech! It may be dirty but thank God for deliverance anyhow!

Need another Dirty Deliverance Example? Just Look at Mark 8:23-25, the Bible reads: “And He caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, do you [possibly] see anything? And he looked up and said, I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking. Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently [that is, fixed his eyes on definite objects], and he was Restored and saw Everything Distinctly [even what was at a distance].” (AMP). There’s That Spit Anointing Again!

Who Knew Jesus Was Such A Dirty Deliverer?! But this deliverance comes with the blessing of restored vision! Not just physical, but spiritual! All those dreams that you had that were so big and clear before life happened and you stuffed them on the shelf, are coming off the shelf! You will be like Joseph, have one dream that is big, then dream again and it gets even bigger! You may not like the dirty deliverance, but you will love the results! Things that were so foggy and unclear are going to be 20/20 in 2022! You were blind to God’s favor; blind to ways being made on your behalf; blind to the miracles coming down your street and to your house, but oh what happens when God delivers your vision! Another thing I love about this text is that it says, “…he was Restored and saw Everything Distinctly [even what was at a DISTANCE].” Once you are delivered and your vision is restored you will not only see the blessings and favor of the Lord on your life, but you’ll be able to see the blessings on multiple generations to come! Your deliverance and restoration are not just for you, but for your posterity that has not even been born yet!

You See, Deliverance Comes When You Can Worship God In The Midst Of The Worst Of Your Troubles! Understand That There’s No Doubt About Your Deliverance Coming, You Just Need To Accept The Fact, In Advance, That Your Deliverance Will Come, But It Will Not Come Clean! You Will Often Have To Get Dirty Before You Get Delivered! Can I Prove It? The Bible says, “Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: “Go to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. Your skin will be healed, and you’ll be as good as new.” Naaman lost his temper. He turned on his heel saying, “I thought he’d personally come out and meet me, call on the name of GOD, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease. The Damascus rivers, Abana and Pharpar, are Cleaner by far than any of the rivers in Israel. Why not Bathe in them? I’d at least get Clean.” He stomped off, mad as a hornet. But his servants caught up with him and said, “Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard and heroic, wouldn’t you have done it? So why not this simple ‘wash and be clean’?” So, he did it. He went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, following the orders of the Holy Man. His skin was healed; it was like the skin of a little baby. He was as good as new.” (2 Kings 5:10-14 MSG). 

Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Method of Your Deliverance? Are You Willing to Get Delivered Even When You Do Not Get to Choose the Prophet? Are you willing to be delivered where no one can see it and talk about? Are you willing to be delivered when God uses a "nobody" to declare the Word of healing to you? Are you willing to get delivered even if you must do something “beneath” your title, office, or position to get it? How Bad Do You Really Want to Be Delivered!? Because Naaman dipped seven times in the dirty Jordan River, will you quit at 2 because it is just asking too much of you? Naaman was above ground, dipped seven dirty times and came up clean, however, Jonah lied in the belly of a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights! Listen, if you cannot handle 7 dips, you will lose your natural mind over 3 days and 3 nights! So, how bad do you really want to be delivered?!

Honestly, Do You have Enough Guts to get Dirty Before You get Delivered?! Can you Worship and Give Thanksgiving right in the Belly of the Fish, before you get set Free on Dry Ground?! Truth is, anybody can Worship and Give Thanks AFTERWARDS, But the Beginning of Deliverance is Doing It DURING?! And since we are talking about Worship, how about we visit Jonah’s Church, enter his Sanctuary, and take a good look around at What Jonah Worshiped in the Midst Of! Jonah 2:2-6, Describes Jonah’s Fish Temple of Worship: The Bible says, “In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God. He answered me. From the belly of the grave I cried, ’Help!’ You heard my cry. You threw me into ocean’s depths, into a watery grave, with ocean waves, ocean breakers crashing over me. I said, ’I’ve been thrown away, thrown out, out of your sight. I’ll never again lay eyes on your Holy Temple.’ Ocean gripped me by the throat. The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight. My head was all tangled in seaweed at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root. I was as far down as a body can go, and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever…” (MSG).

And you think you have got problems? We have the audacity to complain about the little things?! We allow any and everything to hinder our worship, but nothing we face at home, church or work can compare to what Jonah had to worship through in his! Jonah worshiped in the midst of fish guts and seaweed, and we get an attitude over the small stuff. Are you kidding me?

Look at what Jonah worshiped in the midst of! But yet in still, we cancel our worship due to rolling eyes and attitudes; over what someone said or didn’t say; because they didn’t sing our song; because it’s raining outside; because they sat in our seat; because of what the doctors said. Tell yourself from this day forward, the devil is a liar! I will let nothing, and no one cancel my worship again! Not their words, facial expressions, opinions, criticisms, discouragement, or bitterness! Why do I refuse to let it cancel my worship? Because I can say with Jonah, “…Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive, O God, my God! When my life was slipping away, I remembered God, and my prayer got through to you, made it all the way to your Holy Temple. Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds, walk away from their only true love. But I am worshiping you, God, calling out in thanksgiving! And I will do what I promised I would do! Salvation belongs to God!” (vss. 1-9 MSG)

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?!

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 in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the FATHER SEEKS.” John 4:23 (NIV).

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

Shouldn’t We Want What God Wants For Us. His Will His Way Becomes A Challenge For Some Believers. Some Of Us Have Already Made Our Mind Up On What We Want. To Pray Effectively We Must Want What God Wants-That&That Only Is To Pray In The Will Of God.

At One Time Or Another We Have Probably Heard It: To Pray Effectively Is To Pray In The Will Of God. Shouldn’t We Want What God Wants For Us. Yet, Doing His Will His Way Becomes A Challenge For Some Believers. Some Of Us Have Already Made Up Our Mind On What We Want. To Pray Effectively We Must Want What God Wants-That And That Only Is To Pray In The Will Of God.

If we regard God as our Source of the good and necessary things in life, as well as we should, James tells us there are two reasons we do not have the things we need: “Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:2b-3, KJV). Bible Expositor John Gill states that to ask amiss is to ask, “not in the faith of a divine promise; nor with thankfulness for past mercies; nor with submission to the will of God; nor with a right end, to do good to others, and to make use of what might be bestowed, for the honor of God, and the interest of Christ.” To that end, some of us end our prayers with the words of Jesus, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42b). But just exactly does that mean?

 The life of Jesus, while He was on earth, was a pattern of wanting to do only what God wanted to be done. To His disciples He affirmed, “My meat [purpose] is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work” (John 4:32). In other words, His sole purpose was to do the will of God (see also Hebrews 10:5-10), and everything about Him and His life lined up with that purpose. Even when facing death by what was then the cruelest of methods, crucifixion, He yielded Himself to the will of the Father. Fast forward over two thousand years later and there you are in prayer. You have a laundry list of petitions of things you really want and/or need. Do you trust your own judgement, or do you trust God that what He wants for you transcends anything that you could ask or imagine for yourself (Ephesians 3:20)? It is not easy to yield our will to that of the Father; just ask Jesus. His Gethsemane struggle was of such that “there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:43-44). Yet for those who desire to be in the nucleus of God’s will, is there really any other way to pray? The flesh that seeks to satisfy itself is constantly at war with the Spirit that strives to do the will of God (Galatians 5:17).

 Some of God’s finest statesmen of our times have said much on the issue of praying in the will of God. Pastor and author A. W. Tozer puts it this way, “To pray effectively we must want what God wants-that and that only is to pray in the will of God.” Evangelist R. A. Torrey states, “The chief purpose of prayer is that God may be glorified in the answer.” And here we are thinking it is primarily about us and our needs.

 “Not my will, but thine, be done.” Seven important words we need to bear in mind the next time we come to our Lord in prayer. While He can work all things for our good (Romans 8:28-29), it is never is about us. It is and must always be about Him; His will done His way in our lives.  

In Proverbs 18:10. Solomon wrote that “the name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” What exactly does that mean? How is the name of the Lord a strong tower? What is a strong tower?

To understand how the name of the Lord is a strong tower for us today, we’ll break the verse into four parts and go deeper into each.

• The name of the LORD
• A strong tower
• The righteous 
• Safety  

What Is the Name of the Lord?

A name is a powerful thing. This was more widely understood in ancient times than it is now, but it is still true, nonetheless. A name carries the identity of the person named. It is who they are.

In Proverbs 18:10, the word used for LORD is Yahweh so it can be read “the name of Yahweh is a strong tower…” This is speaking of God’s character, the entirety of who he is. Throughout the Bible, it refers to God himself as our strength, our rock, our fortress, etc. God and his name are one and the same.

When you hear the name of someone you know, you have an inner vision of them because the name carries all that you know about them. This means that a name carries a person’s reputation.

We can see how God’s name, or reputation, preceded him in the Book of Joshua. When God was leading Israel into the Promised Land, Joshua sent men into Jericho to spy out the land. They were discovered, and protected, by a woman named Rahab who made this declaration to them:

We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below Joshua 2:10-11.

By faith, Rahab tapped into the name of the LORD, and she and all her family were kept safe when the city of Jericho was destroyed.

How Is the Name of the Lord a Strong Tower?

The name of the LORD is a strong tower. Some translations use terms such as fortified tower, strong fortress, mighty tower, tower of strength, and in one translation is simply says “great strength.”

A tower is something that is tall, or high. The name of the LORD is high.

Let them praise the name of the LORD because his name is high above all others. His glory is above heaven and earth (Psalm 148:13).

The tower is strong. Strength is manifested in numerous ways. Words the dictionary uses to convey how strength is conveyed are: physical, mental, competence, influence, moral power, effectiveness, healthy, means to resist attack, uncompromising, well-supplied, clear, and firm, and thriving.

The name of the LORD, that is a strong tower is high above your problem, providing all you need.

Who Is Righteous?

There are two things here. The righteous, referring to the person, and the action “run.”

Who is the righteous this verse is talking about? Righteousness according to the Bible is being in right standing with God. This is something no one can achieve on their own. For anyone to attain righteousness they must receive it from God.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! (Romans 5:17).

What is the significance of the action run? Running is simply faster than walking. However, the word used in the original text implies urgency. It is more accurately translated rush, or hurry how it’s written in this translation:

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; a righteous person rushes to it and is lifted above the danger (ISV).

Can We Feel Safe in the Strong Tower?

What does it mean to be safe? The verse above says, “Lifted up above the danger.”

The dictionary defines being safe as protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost.

Other translations of the verse use words like set on high, set safely on high, be safe, is safe, shall be exalted, be strengthened, and are protected.

Looking at the word in the original language we get these phrases: inaccessibly high, too high for capture, and set on high far above evil.

In the verse that follows, Solomon identifies an “imagined” place of safety.

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. (Proverbs 18:11).

Imagined safety isn’t true safety. The name of the Lord is where true safety and protection are found.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower when we are scared, when we are ill, when we are lost, when we are confused, when we are sad, when we are threatened, when we are weak, when we are overwhelmed, and even when we are struggling financially. Always.

The safety that the name of the LORD provides is multi-faceted and trustworthy. No wonder the righteous rush toward it. By faith, we can rush to the name of the LORD and find safety at any time.

We Can Call on His Name

The name of the LORD represents all that he is and has for us — love, mercy, grace, power, righteousness, and more. David called on the name of the LORD throughout his life and tasted the deliverance of God. Here are a few examples:

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me Psalms 61:2-3).

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint protect my life from the threat of the enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers (Psalm 64:1-2).

Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood (Psalm 59:1-2).

The LORD is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe (Psalm 18:2) 

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5)

Call on the name of the Lord. Three times it is written that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Roman 10:13).

Blessings J.P. Olson www.journeyintotheword.com Join Journey Into The Word each Sunday evening at 6:00 PM CST & 7:00 PM EST on the NOW Network  http://www.theNOWnetwork.org ROKU, Cable & Online: https://www.thenownetwork.org/sunday

You Are Not Waiting To Be Blessed, Hoping To Be Blessed, Praying To Be Blessed; You Already Have Everything You Need. Do What Jesus Did In The Wilderness: Open Your Mouth And Declare, “IT IS WRITTEN”. When You’re Under Attack, Look What God Will Do.

Can 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? You Are Not Waiting To Be Blessed, Hoping To Be Blessed, Praying To Be Blessed; You Already Have "Every Spiritual Blessing That Heaven Has To Offer." Do What Jesus Did In The Wilderness: Open Your Mouth And Declare, “IT IS WRITTEN”. When You’re Under Attack, Declare God’s Words And The Forces Of Heaven Will Come To Your Aid. What’s at work WITHIN YOU will Triumph Over What’s At Work Around or Against You Any Day! 

What is 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!  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 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!   Get ready for your fresh oil.

Listen: There is this very day a powerful, shrewd, spiritual destroyer who’s 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, and 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 heads!)  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! 

What has God given us? “…EVERYTHING WE NEED…” What has God made us participants in? “…HIS DIVINE NATURE…” How Awesome Is That?!! We lack absolutely NOTHING, for our God has already supplied us with, “…EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE…” This 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 IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD HE CREATED HIM; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM.” (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 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!
 

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 in 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). 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 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 ends 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!

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 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); 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 web and not get stuck, yet those same threads will trap every predator that enters? The secret is – OIL! Its 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).

But there are four truths in Exodus, chapter 30, concerning the anointing oil, that we need to keep in mind if we’re going to live an anointed life:

1. Without It, Our Ministry Is Non-Existent! “Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, THAT THEY MAY MINISTER UNTO ME IN THE PRIEST’S OFFICE” (Exodus 30:30).
2. Our Children Need to Experience It! “And thou shalt speak unto the CHILDREN of Israel, saying, this shall be a HOLY ANOINTING OIL unto me throughout your GENERATIONS” (Exodus 30:31).
3. God Won’t Anoint Our Fleshly Efforts and Agendas! “Upon man’s FLESH shall it NOT BE POURED, neither shall ye make any other like it…” (Exodus 30:32).
4. We Are In Danger When We Try to Substitute It With Other Things! “Whoever makes ANY LIKE IT…MUST BE CUT OFF…” (Exodus 30:38 NIV).

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!

I have 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, and 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, and 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 MAY BE KILLING A LOT OF FOLKS…INCLUDING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND YOUR FUTURE!

1. 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, 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! 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 Saints, 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 must 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 They Are But Little Creatures!

Blessings J.P. Olson www.journeyintotheword.com Join Journey Into The Word each Sunday evening at 6:00 PM CST & 7:00 PM EST on the NOW Network  http://www.theNOWnetwork.org ROKU, Cable & Online: https://www.thenownetwork.org/sunday