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

Should We Stay At The Same Mustard Seed Size Of Faith? Mustard Seed Faith Is Incredible! However, It's A SEED For A Reason. So, Are You Encountering Something Big Right Now? Be Encouraged Today, No Matter What You Face Today, It Cannot Defeat You!

 1 Samuel 17:48-51, "That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine. Hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed face down in the dirt.   That's how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David!   Then David ran up to the Philistine, stood over him, pulled the giant's sword from its sheath, and cut off his Head. When the Philistines saw their great champion dead, they scattered, running for their lives." (MSG)

So, what's the big thing that's making you afraid and discouraged? "These bills are bigger than God." Really? "This crisis is bigger than God." Is it? Really? "This pain, this illness, this family problem; it's bigger than…." Oh, forget it! It's nowhere near bigger than God! Nothing is! I learned to trust God to handle what I can't grasp. And I've watched Him supersede even what I asked of Him in prayer. I learned to look at obstacles, trials, and struggles as only another means of increasing my faith, challenging my hope, and building my trust, dependence, and reliance on Him. I learned that my hardships and hard times were only teaching me to do more than read the Scriptures but to apply them, live them and walk in them.

Listening to a child's perspective is one of the funniest things in the world. After all, the world looks a little different through five-year-old eyes. Chase was five and the grandson of one of my dear friends. One day little Chase was out with his mom, and they drove past this construction site and saw one of those giant cranes. Chase got completely wide-eyed as he watched the humongous, mechanized monster move things around so powerfully! And then, finally, in total amazement, he tried to find a way to express how big that crane looked to him. He said, "Mommy, it's bigger than God!"

This is the thought that brings us to 1 Samuel 17:33. Here, we're watching the army of Israel being intimidated by Goliath, the Philistine giant/bully. Yet David is this little guy who wants to go out and fight him! But Saul, the king, replies in verse 33, "…You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him. For you are [only] a young man, and he has been a warrior since his youth." (AMP). And then, in Verse 37, David says, "…The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the Lord be with you." (AMP)

So, by the time we get to verses 45-47, David Charges the Giant! David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.    This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your Head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give all of you into our hands." (NIV).

Like Chase, the Israeli army looked at Goliath and said, "He's bigger than God!" And therefore, they retreated! David seemed the least likely person to take on the giant, but he was the only person there who believed that God was bigger than the giant! So, David, it says, "…ran quickly toward the battle lines to meet him." (NIV).

The Jews of Moses' day and Joshua's day? They made the same mistake when they measured the challenge before them. They looked at the Promised Land and saw walls, cities, and warriors that were bigger than they were. Listen to Numbers 13:31-33, "But the others said, "We can't attack those people; they're way stronger than we are." So they spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, "We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it's a land that swallows' people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. We even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them, we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers." (MSG).

The Contemporary English Version reads: "But the other men replied, "Those people are much too strong for us."    Then they started spreading rumors, saying, "We won't be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants.    We saw the Nephilim, who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers." (CEV)

They had men say, in essence, "God's Bigger Than Giants!" But unbelief won the day, so the people got to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness as a result! Listen to Numbers 32:10-13, "The Lord became very angry. And he said that no one twenty years or older when they left Egypt would enter the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. NONE OF THESE PEOPLE BELIEVED IN THE LORD'S POWER EXCEPT CALEB AND JOSHUA. They remained faithful to the Lord, but he was so angry with the others that he forced them to wander around in the desert for forty years. By that time, everyone who had sinned against him had died." (CEV)

"It's bigger than God!" That's what unbelief says. It's what worry is saying. It's what fear is saying. It's what discouragement is saying. We don't believe that theologically, but practically we seem to. We get beaten by the walls, destroyed by the giants and the obstacles, because we think, "This one's pretty big, maybe too big for God!" But do you want to miss the Promise because you doubt God's Power? Do you want to die in fear because you didn't live in faith? I think not!

So, what's the big thing that's making you afraid and discouraged? "These bills are bigger than God." Really? "This crisis is bigger than God." Is it? Really? "This pain, this illness, this family problem; it's bigger than…." Oh, forget it! It's nowhere near bigger than God! Nothing is! Compared to YOU, the challenge or the obstacle is enormous. But what will you compare to GOD, who created and controls a hundred billion galaxies and everything in them? Why don't you measure your monster next to Him? You'll find your fear turning to faith and your stress melting into peace!

Where is your child-like faith to replace your child-like fear? Why are you responding like little Chase, who doesn't know any better? To him, everything is enormous; even a machine compared to God appeared (in his little mind) as bigger than God. However, you know better, so why is this your response and reaction?

You've seen God heal, you've seen God deliver, you've seen God save, you've seen God do the impossible, and you've seen God turn it around in your favor. So why do you doubt Him now? You've seen God keep a roof over your Head, clothes on your back, food on the table, clothes in the closet. So why do you doubt Him now? You've seen God protect you and provide for you. So why do you doubt Him now? What did the doctors say before didn't stop God from being God…what stops Him now? You've seen God grant you a job, a paycheck, insurance, transportation. So why do you doubt Him now? We need to learn how to measure our giants by the size of our God, not our God by the size of our giants! After all, what can be measured against God?

Psalm 146 reads, "Hallelujah! O my soul, praise God! I'll praise God all my life, singing songs to my God as long as I live. Don't put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life. Mere humans don't have what it takes; their projects die with them when they die. Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God, and know real blessing! God made sky and soil, sea, and all the fish in it. He always does what he says – defends the wronged and feeds the hungry.

God frees prisoners – he gives sight to the blind; he lifts the fallen. God loves good people, protects strangers, and takes the side of orphans and widows but makes short work of the wicked. God is in Charge – always. Zion's God is God for good! Hallelujah!" (MSG)

Now, that's how we need to view our God! Bigger Than All Things! Always in Charge no matter what becomes out of Control in our lives!

This is a friendly reminder for today. You have a history with God. He has brought you through before and He will do it again. Listen, there is absolutely nothing that God can't do except lie and fail! So why are you allowing circumstances to crush your faith? I'll be the first to tell you this is not what I've read but what I've lived. I know what it feels like to feel as though the bills are bigger than God; the pain is bigger; the enemies attack is bigger; the lack of employment is bigger; the lack of money is bigger; the lack of food is bigger—been there! And I know first-hand the response on both sides. I know what it feels like to experience all those things and feel as if God has forgotten you or that your situation is so big that God must figure out a solution to your problem. And I can tell you personally, thoughts like that only bring about fear, worry, lack of sleep, loss of hair, loss of peace and joy, high blood pressure, and the like. In other words, it does not help; it only hurts! You will probably read this and say you have been there and done that, marriage struggles, diagnosis struggle and other struggles But I've also matured and developed into a woman of faith. I learned to trust God to handle what I can't grasp. And I've watched Him supersede even what I asked of Him in prayer. I learned to look at obstacles, trials, and struggles as only another means of increasing my faith, challenging my hope, and building my trust, dependence, and reliance on Him. I learned that my hardships and hard times were only teaching me to do more than read the Scriptures but to apply them, live them and walk in them. You can't walk by faith while standing still in comfort. Stretched faith comes from comfortability and unfamiliarity! Listen to James:

James 1:2-4, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." (MSG)

Tests, Challenges, and Pressures Work FOR You, Not AGAINST You! If we weren't tested or challenged to endure hardship and pressure, our faith would remain the size of a mustard seed for the entirety of our Christian Walk! And is mustard seed faith bad? Not! Listen to Matthew 17:20, "Because you're not taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." (MSG) How awesome is that?

But should we stay at the same mustard seed size of faith? I think not! Romans 1:16-17, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and the Greek. For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from FAITH AND LEADING TO FAITH [DISCLOSED IN A WAY THAT AWAKENS MORE FAITH]. As it is written and forever remains written, "THE JUST AND UPRIGHT SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (AMP)

Mustard seed faith is incredible! However, it's a SEED for a reason! The word "seed" is defined as "a flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant; the beginning or process of something which continues to develop and grow; to stimulate growth and development; designed to produce and reproduce; to stimulate more of; offspring." Some of its related words are: "fountain; spring; well; beginning; birth; genesis; inception; launch; onset; outset; start; threshold; creation; permeate." And that last word "permeate" is defined as "to spread throughout; to pervade." Its Latin Origin "permeare" means to "pass through." In other words, your mustard seed faith should never remain stagnant like a mustard seed. It's a seed for a reason. It's supposed to reproduce, develop, grow; continue; permeate, and spread throughout! It's supposed to pass through from one capacity to another. And if the Scripture says, "… there's nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle", and that's just with mustard seed faith, imagine what else you could handle with increased confidence? In addition, what else would you believe God for if you grew in faith? Maybe then, when the bills come in, you won't lose your mind; perhaps then, when the doctor gives you a report, you'll still believe the report of the Lord; maybe then, when your marriage looks like it's going down for the last time, it will go another round; then perhaps when your children look as if they're leaving the faith you've taught them, you'll trust that what you've trained them, will not be forgotten; maybe then a layoff will cause you to take a leap of faith instead of lagging in fear.

So, are you encountering something big right now? Well, be awed, but not by what's big, but by your God who's bigger! That's what our little friend saw, something that was bigger than he was, so he thought it was bigger than God. Not So! Nothing and No One is, nor will ever be! That's where we take heart and courage! Even when something is bigger than you, it's never bigger than God (who is also IN you!) 1 John 4:4, "Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because HE WHO LIVES IN YOU IS GREATER (MIGHTIER) THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD." (AMPC)

No matter what you face today, it cannot defeat you! Like David, no matter how Goliath came at him, nor what he came at him with the issue. David knew he had the upper hand because He had the Hand of God to hand him his enemies Head! 1 Samuel 17:48-51, "That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding it deeply. The Philistine crashed face down in the dirt.   That's how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David!   Then David ran up to the Philistine, stood over him, pulled the giant's sword from its sheath, and cut off his Head. When the Philistines saw their great champion dead, they scattered, running for their lives." (MSG)

You Serve a Big God, No Matter How Big the Battle You're Facing! Like David, You Will Win! But You Have to Remember to Increase Your Faith and Believe That When God Says I Got You, He's Got You! Hebrews 13:5-6, "…God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" (MSG)

How dare we ever fear anything when God is bigger than everything, He's Promised NEVER to let us down or walk off and leave us?! But God is ready to help you, so you need to live fearless, with God in you and with you, "Who Or What Can Get to You?!"

Don't make the mistake of missing a miracle because you let something loom larger in your heart than the awesome God of the creation, the awesome God of the cross, the awesome God of an empty tomb, the awesome God of second chances, the awesome God of the universe; the awesome God that's living in you and coming back for you! After all, if the cross, nails, thorns, spear, death, hell, and the grave couldn't stop or hinder God, what makes you think the gas and water bill you can't pay right now can?!

Be encouraged today, knowing there is nothing too big, complicated, or impossible for Your God to Handle! It Is Well, Because, With God, We Win, No Matter What!

Romans 8:31-39, "So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? AND WHO WOULD DARE TANGLE WITH GOD BY MESSING WITH ONE OF GOD'S CHOSEN? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to live for us! —is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone will be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, hard times, hatred, hunger, homelessness, bullying threats, backstabbing, or even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN GET BETWEEN US AND GOD'S LOVE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT JESUS OUR MASTER HAS EMBRACED US." (MSG)

BE ENCOURAGED! YOUR GIANT WILL NEVER BE BIGGER THAN YOUR GOD!

Jeremiah 32:17, "O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you!" (TLB)

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com

Jesus Spoke The Following To A Crowd Suffering From Anxiety: '…Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds." Powerful Lessons To Be Learned Today!

 Jesus Spoke The Following To A Crowd Suffering From Anxiety: '…Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds." (Matthew 6:25-26 MSG) ,

 For many of you who follow my ministry and teaching, I often use an analogy of an animal in understanding scriptures and God's Word. However, There Are Some Severe Nuggets In Today's Inspirational Reading. Today I want to talk about one of God's beautiful creations who possesses many qualities humans value and strive to attain. 

These Qualities Teach Us To Lay A Firm Foundation Of Faith, So Even When We Stumble And Fall On The Wrong Path Or Our Children, Our Knees Will Recall The Prayer To Get Them Back Up And On The Right Track Again. Qualities & Lessons That Teach Us How To Work Together And Stay Together! How To Encourage And Protect One Another! By Nature, These Creatures Are Independent and Intelligent, and They Teach Us To Do What God Commanded Us To Do; Make Disciples!

You say, 'Yeah, but what can I learn from looking at a bunch of birds?' Well, let's see what lessons the geese can teach us:

A. GEESE FLY UNITED: They don't fly separately, in random style, because no goose alone can go that distance. They're designed to fly in their characteristic 'V' formation. When a bird flaps its wings, the air movement creates an uplift, easing the workload of the bird behind it. Together, their flight range increases by 71 percent. Even the youngest, weakest, and oldest geese can make the trip. They accomplish together what they could never accomplish separately. With that said, the first Scripture the birds teach us is Hebrews 10:25: 'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another… ‘(NIV). Which means, 'Stay in fellowship with one another, and enjoy the uplift it provides. 'In other words, you're not called to fly solo! The Bible says: 'The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" ‘ (1 Corinthians 12:21 NIV). Birds teach us how to work together and support one another, doing what is always in the best interest of one another. Occasionally, a goose strays off on its own, but look what happens: it soon becomes exhausted, loses altitude, and pulls wearily back into the formation. CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US HOW TO WORK AND STAY TOGETHER!

B. EVERY FORMATION HAS TO HAVE A 'POINT GOOSE' OUT FRONT WHO LEADS AND SETS THE PACE FOR THE OTHERS: It's a tough position because the point goose cuts the headwinds, meets the changing weather conditions, and is first to feel the rain in his face, the snow in his eyes and the ice on his wings. He keeps the formation on target, whatever the situation. It's hard, exhausting, and lonely at times because there's nobody ahead of him to be the wind beneath his wings. The formation depends on him to persevere, stay on track, and get the kin safely to its destination. Every church has its point goose: The Pastor. Each department has its point geese: youth, finance, evangelism, care ministries, etc. They lead, set the pace, and guide those who follow. The church always has two common roles: the under-employed and the over-functioning. Point ministries are the latter, so they tend to burn out frequently. However, just before the point goose is exhausted, a space opens in the formation, and he slips back into it while another bird replaces him, seamlessly becoming the next point goose. Standing in for each other preserves the life of the formation. This is what Paul meant by: 'from whom the whole Body, fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each part, causes the growth of the Body for the building up of itself in love. '(Ephesians 4:16 NASB). People of God don't be content to be consumers; instead, be a producer! A great church isn't about paid staff but about volunteers willing to stand in whenever and wherever needed. CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US HOW TO LEAD, FOLLOW AND FILL IN!

C. IN THE WORLD OF GEESE, THE AGED, VERY YOUNG, AND INFIRM ARE KEPT PROTECTED IN THE REAR OF FORMATION: But they aren't isolated, discounted, or considered useless; in fact, they fulfill a vital role. They become the 'honking section' and cheer for the leaders. Inevitably, bad weather threatens the mission. The going gets tough, and the tough are struggling. A lone honk sounds from the rear of the formation, initiating a geese chorus honking encouragement to the point goose. Paul understood this because he admonishes us: "Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11 AMP). He knew we needed a 'honking section' supporting us with uplifting words and prayer. For instance, we need those who say, 'We are behind you. We've got your back covered!' This is why the Bible further admonishes: "And as for you, brethren, do not become weary or lose heart in doing right [but continue in well-doing without weakening]." (2 Thessalonians 3:13 AMP). Many a servant of Christ has crossed their deepest valley on a wing, a prayer, and a honk from some old-scarred, battle-hardened, straggle-feathered, half-bald honker of encouragement who was too stubborn to let a brother or sister quit on their watch! Occasionally, a strident, out-of-tune goose complains loudly and irritatingly. But within moments, the honking section kicks in, drowning out the grumbler, restoring order and unity. The church's problem isn't too many people speaking negatively, and it's too few speaking positively! When someone cries, 'defeat,' honk back, 'victory,' When they call, 'fear,' honk about, 'faith.' A few words of encouragement can overpower a storm of complaints. So join the honking section and be known as a Barnabas, whose name means 'Son of Encouragement ' (Acts 4:36 NIV). CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US HOW TO ENCOURAGE AND PROTECT ONE ANOTHER!

D. WITH GEESE, THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS 'TILL DEATH DO US PART': They take it seriously. They're fully committed. At the age of three years, a goose selects a mate for itself. Loyal bird as it is, a goose is known to live with its mate for a long part of its life. Even after the death of anyone from the couple, the other one would live several years alone without engaging with a new partner. And many times, they remain single for the rest of their life. A few birds do not split from their family after breeding season; geese are one of them (if only we would remember this regarding marriage and family). When the ravages of time or circumstances make it impossible for a bird to continue the trip and it begins to lose altitude or fails to keep abreast of the formation, the gaggle provides comfort, nurture, and protection. Two strong geese leave the formation, flying with the 'patient' safely between them, find a sheltered location with food and water, and make a home for the needy bird. Before joining another formation, they'll stay with their ward until it either recovers or dies. For them, caring for another bird goes 'on hold'! What an example of a Christ-like relationship and self-sacrificing love. This is why the Bible says: '…God has combined the members of the Body and given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so there should be no division in the Body, but its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers; if one is honored, every part rejoices with it." (1 Corinthians 12:24-26 NIV). In today's culture, however, we discount and marginalize people in need, including those no longer functioning as they once did. But God demands that we 'have equal concern for each other, ', especially with those suffering. If a gaggle of birds can do it, surely God's family ought to do it too. 'Look at the birds in the sky!' Jesus directs. If they can do it for each other, '… Aren't you worth more than birds? '(Matthew 6:26 CEV). One of the two greatest commandments (not suggestions) Christ gave us is, '…Love others as well as you love yourself. There is no other commandment that ranks with these." (Mark 12:31 MSG). When word circulates that we love each other in this way, they'll beat down the doors of our church to get in! CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US HOW TO KEEP OUR VOWS TO ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE AND TO REMAIN IN COVENANT WITH ONE ANOTHER. 'TILL DEATH DO US PART' ISN'T JUST FOR MARRIAGE! JESUS KEPT HIS VOW TO US AND REMAINED IN COVENANT WITH US, BEFORE AND AFTER DEATH!

E.  LOST AND STRAYING GEESE ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED INTO THE FORMATION: It's not an exclusive club for the elite. Geese separated from other formations, isolated by weather, accident, or infirmity, are given full family status. The formation will alter its plans, reschedule its arrival time, and inconvenience to accommodate any strangers seeking its acceptance. Many newcomers arrive dirty, bedraggled, and ill-fed. However, they're never turned away. In the same way, God's church isn't a museum for masterpieces – it's a hospital for those who have been hurt by life, even self-inflicted hurt. Jesus said, 'Come to me, ALL of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. '(Matthew 11:28 NLT). "ALL" are accepted! He also says: 'I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They, too, will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. '(John 10:16 NIV). Christ has no higher agenda than recruiting, saving, and adopting the stranger into His flock. You say, 'But they're not my kind of people; they don't look, talk or smell like me!' So what? We don't get to choose our biological or spiritual siblings; God does. If they rub us like sandpaper, they're helping rub off rough edges and polish us up. Want to see the material God builds the church with? Prepare yourself for a shock. 'Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicator… idolaters… adulterers… homosexuals… sodomites, thieves… covetous… drunkards… revilers… extortioners…AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. BUT YOU WERE SANCTIFIED, BUT YOU WERE JUSTIFIED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD '(1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV). We were taken into the formation, washed, sanctified, justified, and given full family status! How dare we do not extend the same grace and mercy to others! CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US HOW TO ACCEPT "ALL" INTO THE FOLD AND FAMILY!

F.  THEY LIVE TOGETHER AND BRING NEW GOSLING EVERY YEAR: Both parental geese take part in the upbringing of the goslings, which is one of the reasons for the high life expectancy in young ones. Geese produce a new generation yearly; wouldn't it be amazing if the church did the same? Selah…The Bible says, "Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-20 CEV); in addition: "But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name" (John 1:12 AMP) Geese teach us the importance of consistent producing. We should not have, year after year, the same people, with no new faces filling the sanctuary. CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US TO DO WHAT GOD COMMANDED US TO DO… MAKE DISCIPLES!

G. THE MALE GEESE ARE EXTREMELY OVER-PROTECTIVE OF THE FEMALE GEESE: The male community of geese display a caring and protective nature towards their female counterparts and will even stand between danger and her. 1 Timothy 5:2, "…Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters." (MSG). In a day when words like "gentlemen" and "chivalry" are alarmingly becoming extinct, Men of God, it should not be so among you. Male geese care for and protect the female geese. Does that mean you beat up people every time they say something cross to her? Of course, not. But as men, you should always be a protective hedge to your sisters (and sisters in Christ). Protect them from wolves in sheep's clothing; protect them from being belittled, overlooked, and bypassed due to their gender. Support your sisters, make them safe and secure, and let the world know you will stand between her and danger if needed. If geese have enough sense to do this, what excuse can an intelligent man have for not doing it? So, CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US TO CARE FOR, GUARD, AND PROTECT THE WOMEN IN OUR FAMILY (BOTH NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL).

H.  THE FEMALE GOOSE PRODUCES, THE MALE GOOSE PROTECTS: As a part of the reproduction cycle, the female goose lays an egg each day to reach the number of 5 eggs. Once all the eggs are laid off, she incubates eggs in her nest for 30 days. When she goes far from the eggs, she covers them with sticks to make them feel cozy and protected. Meanwhile, the male parent goose keeps the nest protected from a distance so that predators don't get a hint of the nest and eggs. As parents, both natural and spiritual, we must produce and protect. Geese have enough sense to produce gosling (children) and cover and protect them until they're prepared to do it independently. As natural and spiritual parents, we need to follow their example. We are called to develop/train/produce disciples/followers for Christ (as well as natural children to carry on the family legacy) and, at the same time to protect them. For some reason, today, children turn 18 and are considered "grown" (I beg to differ). In the same way, once someone comes to Christ, we disciple them (briefly), then put them on an auxiliary and move on to the next "to-do" on the agenda. Geese take the time to produce seeds and water, feed, nurture, protect, shield, and cover them. How is it possible that we don't do the same? TODAY, CHURCH, LET'S LET THE GEESE TEACH US TO BE PATIENT WITH OUR NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL CHILDREN. GIVE THEM TIME TO SIT AND BE STILL, TO LEARN, TO GROW, TO DEVELOP, TO BE PREPARED, TO BE GROOMED. IN A NUTSHELL: DON'T RUSH THEM UP OR OUT PREMATURELY!

I. THE OLD AND YOUNG GO THROUGH CHANGES TOGETHER: While the gosling (young geese) is Maturing (gaining), the adult geese are Molting (losing). During the maturing time for the goslings, the adult geese do not leave the area. The goslings' maturing period overlaps with the adults' molting season. The molting season runs from early June to late July. Adult geese lose wing feathers during this time and are unable to fly. Geese can fly again approximately six weeks after molting. The key? Maturing for the Young and Molting for the Old Happen at the Same Time. We must learn to embrace change, transition, development, and growth for all ages in our families and churches. The young are gaining, while the older are losing. The young are getting stronger while the older are weakening. However, this will not be a problem if both parties understand, acknowledge, and embrace it, which requires patience and love. The young should never become prideful, and the older should never feel discarded or threatened. CHURCH, LET THE GEESE TEACH US TO EMBRACE ONE ANOTHER AS WE ALL CHANGE IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WILL MAKE US AS A WHOLE BETTER.

Geese possess many of the qualities that humans value and strive to attain. Devoted to each other, goose couples’ mate for life, raise and protect their babies, and care for one another. Geese also use teamwork when flying in formation. They will honk to encourage each other, and if a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two flock mates will stay with the goose until they die or can fly again.

Who knew Birds could be one of the Best Bible Study Teachers?! I hope You Learned as Much as I Did!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.thewordwithjpolson.com