SPIDERS PART TWO

SPIDERS (I)

The spider taketh hold with her hands.

and is in the kings' palaces.

(Proverbs 30:28)

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 that the silk. The spider wraps the enemy in another kind of thread, and turns it into food.

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What's the message if the spider??

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The battle is over your future!!

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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.

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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 actually 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."

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Be like Shammah. "When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled...But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory" (2 Samuel 23:11-12). Shammah knew what he was fighting for. That lentil patch put food on his table. It represented his family's future. It was his legacy. And when Shammah stood up to the enemy," The Lord brought about a great victory." And He'll do the same for you!

SPIDERS PART ONE

SPIDERS (I)

The spider taketh hold with her hands.

and is in the kings' palaces.

(Proverbs 30:28)

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?
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Everything you need, God has placed within you!!
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The Bible says," His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness...he has given us his very great nd precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
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What has God given us? "Everything we need." What has God made us participants in? "His divine nature". Wow! 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 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...the..gift of God..that is in you" (2 Tim 1:6). In other words - start producing!!
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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 you. Stand on God's word, draw on your faith, hold on, and when the smoke clears, rise up and anoounce, " By the grace of God, I'm back!" You say, " But I've lost so much." As long as you still have what God put within you, you can make it!

LOCUSTS PART THREE

LOCUSTS (III)

The locust have no king,

yet go they forth all of them by bands.

(Proverbs 30:27)

The locusts have one more important lesson to teach us: Instead of following, lead the way! If you keep hoping someone will take you by the hand and tell you how it's all going to work out, you'll never get anywhere. "The locusts have no king [ leader], yet they go forth" Note the word "go". Has it occured to you that God may have called you to blaze the trail and set the pace? You've sat in church for years and heard all the sermons, now, "it's time to cross the Jordan and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you" (See Joshua 1:11)

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But you say, " Nobody in my family has ever done anything like this before." Good, then you'll be the first! Who are you going to listen to? The voices of your dysfunctional past or the God who is saying to you, " Be strong and courageous... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Having folks think your ideas are crazy, is just part of every success story. When God moves, He doesn't commission a focus group or call for a vote.

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No, He looks for someone like Isaiah to say, "Here am I. Send me!"(Isaiah 6:8). Then He underwrites them, equips them and sends them out to be , "The head, and not the tail....above only, and ...not .... beneath" (Deut 28:13)

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And the people God uses are people He can trust with success; people who say, " My wings are too small to travel this far. It wasn't my flapping around that got me here, it was God."

LOCUSTS PART TWO

LOCUSTS (II)

The locust have no king,

yet go they forth all of them by bands.

(Proverbs 30:27)

Locusts can't really fly; their wings are too narrow, But they can jump two hundred times their own height. And timing is everything! The locust waits till the wind blows, then he jumps, and the wind carries him to his destination, What's the message of the locust?

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(1) When God moves, be sure you move! A locust cannot navigate where he goes, or fly against the iwnd, or chart his own course, or change direction. No, he's totally dependent on the wind. Thank God for self-help books and leadership seminars, etc. But there comes a moment when you have to trust God, recognize his timing , take a leap of faith and let the wind of His Spirit take you where you need to go. All your flapping around and wearing yourself out won't get the job done.

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(2) Stay sensitive to the wind. God, not you, determines your life's purpose. He's the One who schedules your seasons of opportunity. But spiritual lethargy can dull your senses and cause you to miss your time. "Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again" (Hebrew 5:12). Perhaps instead of flying, your life is falling apart because you let the fire of God in your heart go out. Well, it's not too late! The wind will blow again. So start praying, "Lord, I may have missed my time before, but not this time, I don't want to end up wishing I'd done something I didn't get to do, not because You weren't ready but because I wasn't?

LOCUSTS PART ONE

LOCUSTS (I)

The locust have no king,

yet go they forth all of them by bands.

(Proverbs 30:27)

In Bible days people feared a cloud of locusts more than all the armies of their enemies combined. They could literally black out the light of the sun, devour everything in sight, and bring down a kingdom. They were unstoppable!! What's the message of the locust?
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(1) Don't quit, your victory is assured! The locust is not big, but he's bold! If he can't get through the wondow, he'll climb down the gutter and come up under the porch. But he never gives up. So keep praying, keep believing, keep fighting, your victory is assured. "If God be for us, who can be against us?"(Roman 8:31). Pastor, a hundred locusts will do more to win your community to Christ than a thousand bench warmers.
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(2) Alone you can't , but together we can! The locusts operate in "bands". Some of us have issues when it comes to letting people into our life. Because of fear, insecurity or pride, we don't want to talk to anybody, or open up and admit to anybody that we need anything, To reach your destiny you must surround yourself with the right people.
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You can't run with weak, satisfied, laid-back, mediocre people. No, you need people with an appetite for life and a hunger for God. In God's kingdom the mathematics are different: "One can face a thousand but two can chase then thousand" (See Dt 32:30). "If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven" (Matthew 18:19)

CONIES

CONIES

Conies are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags.

(Proverbs 30:26 NIV)

A coney looks like a rabbit but he can't run like one. He resembles a mole but he can't dig deep like one. So he moves to higher ground and positions himself in the rock, in a place of strength. What's the message of the coney? Reposition yourself! How??
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(1) By realizing who you are in Christ. When you accepted Jesus as your saviour, your status in God's eyes changed completely. You're no longer an outsider, but a fully accepted member of God's redeemed family, with direct access to your heavenly Father and all the rights and privileges that go with it. Knowing that allows you to operate from a place of strength and not weakness, faith and not fear. When that happens you begin to pray for more, believe God for more, and enjoy more of His blessings.
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(2) By recognizing that your limitations don't limit God. Who does God use? "Feeble folk." How? By putting them in positions of strength. Sometimes that means putting extra support around them. When you have a bad leg, you don't put braces on your good leg, you put it on the feeble one. And is He has to, God will put braces on you and get you there ahead of the folks who sit around complacent and complaining.
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"Feeble folk" praise God differently! Others praise Him because they have a feeling of entitlement, but not conies; they remember where they were when God found them and what He brought them through, and they say, "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side" (Psalm 124:1)

ANTS

ANTS

Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.

(Proverbs 30:25)

The message of the ant is "prepare yourself!" He prepares for winter while he is still in summer. that's because:
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(1) His eyes are on the future. You can't undo the past , but if you let it, it can undo you. The summer of your opportunities is passing quickly. Winter will come whether you're ready or not. Remember Christ's parable about the five foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps and were excluded from the wedding? If you're not ready when your time comes, you'll miss out.
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(2) He has the ability to delay gratification. If you don't have the patience to wait, you'll miss or mess up , what God has in mind for you. The ant takes the resources he has in summer , and moves it towards his winter. Will somebody else show up and do this for him? No. Are there predators looking for a chance to steal what he's got? Yes. But he's so focused on where he's going he doesn't have time to worry about where he is.
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(3) He has a cause bigger than himself. Ever watch an ant work? He sinks his teeth into a piece of bread three times bigger than himself and drags it to where he's trying to go. Are you saying, "This is too big for me, I can't carry it by myself?" You don't have to. Read this: "Glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we could ever dare to ask or even dream of" (Eph 3:20)

LOOKING FORWARD TO V-DAY!

LOOKING FORWARD TO V-DAY!

Who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:5 NIV)

In World War II, if you'd asked the brave souls in the French Resistance how they ever hoped to prevail against the forces of evil when they were ill-equiped and outnumbered, they'd told you: " While we're struggling on this side of the Channel, an invasion force is assembling on the other side. Nobody knows exactly when, but soon a signal will be given, a fleet of ships will come, we'll join them and they'll carry us to victory."
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Every war has pivotal battles that shape the outcome, like Waterloo and Gettysburg. The Battle of Normandy determined the outcome of World War II, but it didn't immediately end it. In fact, things got worse before they got better. The battle was fought and won on D-day, but it wasn't until V-day that the war officially ended and victory was declared.
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On earth we're in a life-or-death fight against the forces of evil. We live waiting for the trumpet that heralds Christ's return to lead us to victory. Jesus said, "No one knows..that day or hour" (Mt 24:36). In the meantime He tells us to "Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13). He also gives us, "A living hope through the resurrection...into an inheritance that can never perish...for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation.. to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:3-5).
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Christ's resurrection removes all our doubts about the final result. We won't limp out battered and broken, we'll march out triumphant, "a radiant church ..holy and blameless" (Eph 5:27). So live your life in the light of God's V-day!

TRY PRAYING ABOUT IT!

TRY PRAYING ABOUT IT!

By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8)

Nothing fuels prayer like real need. In a crisis, even those who say they don't believe in God, pray secretly. It's an admission that there are certain things we can't resolve. David said, " In the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life." Some prayers are midnight cries for help, intended for God's ears only; the fear is too deep and the feelings too private; we don't want others around when those inner feelings surface. In prayer you "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (I Peter 5:7) and because you know He will handle it for you.
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A mother watched her son run into the house clutching his bloody hand. "Let me see!"she said. Backing away he cried, " No, you'll hurt me." When he finally opened his hand , instead of a major injury she saw a tiny scrape that bled a lot. As she marveled at his theatrics, she realized she'd done the same to God. When her husband left her she was so hurt, she refused to pray. God kept saying, "Let me help you," as she clenched her fists and said, "No, you'll hurt me." Once she realized this she gave it to God and her healing began.
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Catherine Marshall called this "the prayer of relinquishment," which means giving the situation to God, taking your hands off it completely, refusing to dicsuss it any further, and trusting the One who makes "all things work together for good" (Roman 8:28). That's why prayer makes it possible for you to stop struggling with the situation and have peace about it!

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!!

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

Do you feel like you no longer have control of your life? Like life's running you instead of you running it? That's because you're in the passenger's seat, conforming to people, events and circumstances. They're in the driver's seat, not you. No wonder your frustration level is high and your contentment level is low. "Don't let the world..squeeze you into its own mould." If you're feeling "squeezed", you've got two options.
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a) Remain a conformer, or become a transformer. Either choose to stay in the passenger seat, or get behind the wheel. The Bible says "Do not be conformed to this world" (Roman 12:2). Instead be transformed into the proactive, faith-driven person God meant you to be.
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b) Take charge of your life by 'renewing your mind'. Instead of struggling to change the people and the circumstances around you, change how you think and what you tell yourself, The Greek word for renewing means "to align your thoughts with God's".
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Abandon those self-defeating thoughts that tell you "you're not, you can't , and you'll never be able to." God says," You are, you can and you certainly will be able to," because of His indwelling power! John writes," This is the victory that conquers the world - our faith" (I John 5:4).
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Go to God's word!! Discover what He says about the things that intimidate or control you, then pull the plug on them. The Word for you today is : "Don't be afraid.. I am your God. I will make you strong.. I will support you" ( Isa 41:10) Align your thoughts with God's thoughts. Get into the driver's seat and take charge of your life!

ONE DAY AT A TIME

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34 NIV)

Max Lucado says, " Worry is to joy what a vacuum cleaner is to dirt; you might as well attach your heart to a happiness-sucker and flip the switch." Jesus said," Don't get worked up about..tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." When it looks like things are falling apart, Paul reminds us," Every detail in our lives...is worked into something good." (Roman 8:28)
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When it seems like the world's gone mad, don't forget God "existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together" (Col 1:17). When worry whispers, " God doesn't know what you need," remember God promised to "take care of everything you need" (Ph 4:19).
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Jesus taught us to pray, "Give is this day our daily bread." You won't get the wisdom or resources to handle tomorrow's problems till you need them. When we "go confidently to the throne.. [we'll] find kindness, which will help us at the right time" (Heb 4:16).
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Over a century ago, Charles Spurgeon said," Enough for today is all we can enjoy. We cannot eat , drink or wear more than today's suppy of food and clothing. The surplus gives us the care of storing it and the anxiety that someone might steal it. One staff aids a traveller, a bunch of staves is a heavy burden. Enough is as good as a feast, and more than gluttony can enjoy. Enough is all we should expect, a craving for more is ungratefulness. When our Father doesn't give you more, be content with your daily allowance."

SEEING JESUS IN THE UNDERDOG

SEEING JESUS IN THE UNDERDOG

The King will reply," I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40 NIV)

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A minister on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia noticed a homeless man coming towards him. He was filthy and his beard was caked with rotten food. He was holding a cup of coffee and the lip of the cup was dirty. Staggering up to him the hobo exclaimed," Hey, mister. You want some of my coffee?" The pastor really didn't, but he thought it was the right thing to do, so he said, " Sure, I'll take a sip." When he handed the cup back he remarked," You're generous giving away your coffee." Looking at him the derelict replied,"Well, it was particularly delicious today, and I think if God gives you something that good you should share it!"
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The pastor continued, " I figured I was being set up and it would cost me fve bucks. So I asked him,'Is there something I can do for you in return?' The man answered,' Yeah, you can give me a hug!' (to tell the truth, I was hoping for the five dollar option!) He put his arms around me, and I suddenly realized he wasn't going to let me go!
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People were passing by and staring at me. There I was, dressed in my establishment garb, hugging this filthy bum! I was embarrassed. Then little by little my embarrassment changed to awe. I heard a voice echoing down the corridors of time saying,' I was hungry; did you feed Me? I was naked; did you clothe Me? I was sick; did you care for Me? I was the bum you met on Chestnut Street..did you hug Me? For if you did..you did it to Me.' "