I've never liked snakes!
The Apostle Paul had an encounter with a snake when he was shipwrecked on the Island called Melita (Acts 28:1-6). While gathering wood for a fire, he is bitten by a venomous snake. As soon as the natives of the island see this viper hanging on Paul's hand, they go to forecasting his death.
Isn't that just like people? There are some people around you that know who you've been going through something, and know the devil has attacked you, and right now they're forecasting your death. This might shock you, but there are some people around you that are happy you got bit. They are taking pleasure in your pain.
It happened to Joseph. (Genesis 37) After Joseph's brothers threw him in a pit and left him there to die, they sat down on the side of the pit and had lunch. They entertained themselves, listening to Joseph's cries for help.
There are some people around you that are enjoying your pain, they are glad you got bit and they're saying things like ... "I knew they weren't going to make it; I knew that marriage wouldn't last; I knew they couldn't afford that house; I knew they would never make it in ministry; I knew they weren't qualified for that job; I knew their children were going to end up on drugs or in prison...."
They began to prophecy Paul's death and expected him to die. But he disappointed them! I want you to know today that you're getting ready to disappoint some people! They already had you dead, prophesied your death, wrote your epitaph and celebrated your expiration...but guess what? You didn't die!
There's no expiration date
on your anointing!
on your anointing!
I'm not saying you'll never be bit again, never have to fight another battle, never cry another tear or never spend another sleepless night. I am saying that through it all YOU WILL BEAT THE DEVIL!
The devil tried to kill you with sickness, debt, family problems & marriage problems. He's tried to kill your faith, peace, joy and dreams! But I want you to look back over your shoulder and see what God has already brought you through!
You've been lied on, falsely accused, rejected, went through divorce, foreclosure, repossession, loss of work, stabbed in the back by "so-called" friends, got sick and thought you were going to die...but guess what? YOU'RE STILL HERE!
Paul didn't die and neither will you! That viper sunk his fangs into Paul's flesh and shot that poison into his body, but when the poison hit the anointing...that poison died! In other words, Paul's anointing went to another level!
The vipers of hell have been unleashed against you, because of the anointing on your life! However, the bite still hurts! The fangs are real and they're sharp! But you're not going to die!
- You're going to shake it off and keep moving!
- You're going to another level in the anointing!
- Your testimony is going to another level!
- You're going to walk with a greater anointing and a greater authority than ever before!
- You're going to cast out bigger devils than before!
- Your faith is going to take you to places you could never go before!
- The scars from the bite will serve as a reminder of God's faithfulness!
The anointing does not exempt you from the bite of the viper, but it does give you power over the poison! Not only did Paul shake the viper off and survive...he shook it off into the FIRE!
The anointing destroyed the viper!
What the devil meant for evil, God means for good! God is going to increase your anointing! You're not expiring...you're refiring! Go ahead and give God praise, because the bite of the viper cannot & will not kill you!
You are anointed!
Isaiah 10:27 "In that day: (This day) The burden shall depart from off thy shoulder and the yoke from off thy neck, because the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing!"
