The Chrysalis

By Andrea S. Johnson-Thompson

Butterflies are symbols of transformation. The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly is one of the most profound wonders of nature. Butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life, and many cultures associate the butterfly with the soul. The Christian religion sees the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection. Around the world, people view the butterfly as representing endurance, change, hope, and life.

It is my heartfelt prayer this book will transcend religions and languages. It was written for "the called" of God (Psalm 4:3) and the "call waiting" of God (1 Kings 19:18). This book hopes to speak to the faithful remnant who have been set apart to do God's bidding and who have been set aside for God's kingdom assignment on earth. I believe God held these people close to Himself in reserve for the end-time glory that will hit the earth.

When we who were once caterpillars are changed into a butterfly, purpose, destiny, and the manifestation of the prophetic word of God over our lives make up the beauty of our wings. As is the case with each butterfly, the pattern, size, and diverse colors of our wings are unique to our own individual calling and assignment. Our metamorphosis changes us from the inside out, and it empowers us to go out into the world and become disciples of men.

There are many different species of butterflies, and no two are alike. In the same way, we are all different, but our individual divine assignments are all interconnected and work cohesively to see "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098091316

Book preview

Chapter 1

Access Denied

Have you ever noticed how your pet reacts to a certain person who visits your home? You may wonder, What in the world is wrong with it? You may even say, He’s never done that before! Your pet may be able to see or sense something dangerous or wicked about your visitor that you can’t and may be able to see into that person’s spirit. Isn’t it surprising when a baby or young child cries or seems terrified when a certain person comes into their space? I believe that some babies are gifted to sense clear and present danger and may even have been blessed with the gift of discernment from they were in the womb. Their discomfort and loud shrieks can alert you that something is off about that person. Access is the first point of attack against you. If you restrict it and even deny it altogether to certain people, it can limit or frustrate their evil plans against you.

Are you aware that even demons know your laugh and are intimidated by it? What if I told you that even your laugh can be anointed by God? When was the last time you enjoyed a good laugh? If your answer is, Not for a long time, then it’s a clear indication that your laughter is under attack. I believe even the laughter of the saints can break yokes and chase demons. I was absolutely amazed one day when the Holy Spirit told me to deny access to my laughter. He said to me, Laughter is an anointing. I believe it gives Satan a headache when we laugh. Would you believe me if I told you there are times when Satan assigns demons to attack you with a focus to try to shut down your laugh? Please understand this fact—when you laugh when Satan thinks you should be crying, it absolutely confuses his plans against you.

It can’t be business as usual when you begin to walk in your purpose, because a demonic target is now on your back. Satan has done all he could have (within the confines of God’s will) to stop you from getting to this point in your life. You must now tread carefully and be led by the spirit of God in everything you do and say. The new you must not take anything for granted, and you must understand that Satan’s undercover agents will try to gain access to you to destroy you. You make their job and assignments against you more difficult when you restrict access.

Listen to your children when they speak and know that illumination can come to you even through the innocent and pure words of a child. There are many times and many ways God will speak to you through them, specifically children ranging from the age of two years to about ten years old. Don’t underestimate children’s ability to hear from God. Sometimes they are more discerning than we are. I also believe children can be anointed by God to fulfill a particular purpose to get you to understand yours.

When you walk in the wisdom of denying access, you must be careful who you take advice from. Nobody can block you if God has ordained your promotion or elevation. He is strategically placing us in a position to be blessed. Beware of false prophets who are on assignment to confuse you and to try to steer you astray. Seek God’s guidance in steadfast prayer and spend time in His presence. Wait in His presence after praying so you can hear his instruction.

Don’t fear walking alone and don’t hold anyone or anything too close to your heart. Wear life and people like you would a loose garment. Don’t allow anyone to pour their negativity, unbelief, doubt, and stress on you. People will sap you, drain you, deplete your resources (spiritual and physical), and then leave you. They will go on with their lives, so you must go on with yours. Let your perseverance and success be their tough pill to swallow. Don’t make someone else your priority while you may not even be a fleeting thought to them. Do not allow anyone to infringe on your relationship with God.

Don’t overthink what people say to you, and don’t allow their words to muddy the water of your thoughts and emotions or sully your witness. Don’t bottle up negative emotions—let them go and release them! Who cares what people say? Don’t take it to heart. Don’t take it on and don’t allow their words to become your cap and garment.

Don’t spend your life being someone else’s problem solver. They will drain you physically and emotionally, and they will try to drain your anointing. They will walk away from you the second they don’t need you anymore. They come to draw from your well, but will leave you the moment your well dries up. Every human being has a journey in life. Don’t spend your time, effort, and energy moving things around so others’ journey can be easier, but in return you lose precious time from your own life.

People don’t want to see you survive and thrive. They become angry, jealous, and resentful when you flow in the anointing, the gifts, and fruit of the Spirit. You need God’s covering and protection to survive and succeed. No one can stop a promotion that comes from the Lord, because His promotion is irreversible (Psalm 75:6–7). When God blesses you, no man can curse you (Numbers 23:20). Nobody can tear down what God has established. Don’t justify yourself to anyone, because God’s approval is all you need. You need God’s favor on your life in order to succeed and walk in purpose. When you are walking in the favor of God, you exude kindness and graciousness.

You have friends, and a few of them may be trustworthy, but Jesus is your true friend, One who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). People may think you are being antisocial when you start to deny them access to you, but it takes the foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). Separate yourself by restricting access to your presence, your spirit, your thoughts, your dreams, and even your laugh. When you are anointed, even your laugh and your dance are anointed. God will not allow just anybody to dance with you. Micah scorned and ridiculed King David when he danced and celebrated the ark of the covenant’s return to the temple in Jerusalem. The anointing came upon David, and he danced (spiritual warfare). God’s anointing of the dance hit David because God knew that his heart was overjoyed at the return of the ark of the covenant. Your sincere joy for the things of God and the advancement of His kingdom here on earth attracts different anointing. Micah’s jealousy and disdain for David’s victory dance were demonically influenced, and she paid the price of infertility because of it.

Spend quiet, quality time with God. He doesn’t work with the majority but with the minority, a select group of people. He invites whomever He wills to be a part of His divine plan. I coined the phrase His faithful few, who I believe are His remnant. The deliverance of many souls are attached to your destiny and the destinies of others like you.

You need someone who is anointed to lead you in following Christ. Be careful who you join yourself to or who you make a covenant with. Weigh people out by weighing their words and actions and watch the way they treat and speak to others. Test their spirit with the word of God. Pray for the gift of discernment, spiritual wisdom, and knowledge. These are precious gifts and effective tools in the life of a child of God. These gifts give you the ability to see past men’s soothing words, past their praises and compliments, to see their true intent and hidden agendas. People tell lies, they are two-faced, and they are hypocritical. Not everyone who says they are for you are really for you. You will have to interact with many Judas spirits in your life, who will betray you. Don’t lose focus and don’t lose hope. These people are only instruments used by God to propel you into your destiny.

Just because someone is close to you emotionally doesn’t mean they are with you or for you. They may be secretly fighting against you and your dreams and aspirations. We need to take a step back and really look at people to see them properly. Sometimes we need to conduct an assessment of their character and ideals, and this is easier to do when we step back a bit. When you are using a fine-image camera lens, you must focus the lens in order to see the image properly. In the same way, if you want to see clearly, focus the lens of your spiritual eyes. Sometimes being farther away than close up is more beneficial to get a clearer picture.

Take, for example, a jigsaw puzzle. If you hit a roadblock while fitting the pieces together, you may need to stand up or step back and look at the puzzle from an elevated position in order to see it better. Another example is a crossword puzzle. You may have to look at it a few feet away from your face or step away from it for a short while, rest your eyes, clear your focus, and then go back at it. You may see the missing parts with a renewed vision.

People want access to you, your plans, your dreams, your ideas, and your designs so they can block it or hinder it. Restrict access and don’t make it so easy for them to get to you. The less they know, the better for you. Why do you think famous people and rich people restrict access? Most often it’s for their own protection. Ungodly people who may be rich are governed and controlled by the world’s system, but true wealth comes from God and includes riches and spiritual and natural abundance. A godly person is divinely blessed, because the wealth of your promise, your purpose, and your destiny is more precious than any riches the world can offer you.

Pray like Solomon did in 1 Kings 3:9–12, and God will give you wisdom to deny access. You must tread carefully and beware of spiritual dogs. God will not have you ignorant concerning the devices of the enemy. Pay attention to a person’s reaction when you share your good news with them. Watch their facial expression and their initial response. Stop rejoicing long enough to really study their body language. Consider if they are clapping, laughing, dancing, rejoicing, and praising God with you.

Sometimes God allows the work in your life to come to a standstill for a while because the devil(s) is too close. You will always face opposition from human and demonic beings. The person who you trust to watch your back may be the person trying to put a dagger in it. Know who you are rubbing shoulders with and know who you are confiding in. Be very careful who you share your (sleep) dreams with, but at the same time, some dreams are prophetic, and God will allow you to share them as a testimony against your enemies (Genesis 37:5).

Trust God to add and take away those people from your life He chooses. Be careful not to take people along on your journey who are not supposed to go with you. Do you remember the two spies Joshua sent out to spy out the land in Joshua 2:1? They both went to the same place and saw the same things, but they had two different views and opinions. One spy was optimistic, faithful, positive, and courageous. The other spy was pessimistic, doubtful, unbelieving, negative, and fearful.

Separate yourself from destiny blockers and surround yourself with like-minded people. Separation comes before destiny fulfillment, and God will send new people for every new season of your life. Don’t run after friends who leave your life. Believe that Jesus is your true friend and He will never leave you, betray you, or forsake you. Trust Him to be your confidant and call Him before you call anyone else.

God has no tolerance for bondage, so He sent Jesus to set the captive free (Luke 4:18). Jesus is identified and associated with freedom. If you feel bound by any relationship or feel that a particular person or group is trying to tie you down, silence you, or stifle you, by all means, DENY ACCESS!

Evil communication corrupts your spirit and contaminates it. Don’t allow access to backbiters and gossipers. Gossipers bring to you and carry away from you false news. They are liars, deceivers, mockers, and hypocrites who flatter with their lips. They are two-faced, and they wear many masks to try to deceive you. God will shut the mouth of the lion, and your enemies will be unable to assassinate your character any longer. When God blesses you, no man or demon can curse you.

Deny access to wicked, unsaved, and nonspiritual people. Show them God’s love from a protective emotional distance, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ while still attending to your protective shield. Minister to them and witness to them, but restrict access to your space and inner circle. You control your inner circle, and you are its master. Deny access to people who mock your faith in God. If you don’t, their sinister seeds of mockery can infiltrate or penetrate the tiniest of cracks in your shield.

Nobody will be able to choke the word from you if you guard who you allow to speak into your life. Satan is not omnipresent, and he doesn’t know the future—only God the Father does. He is, however, very intelligent. He plans strategically, he is ruthless, he is a critical thinker, and he is very cunning. Satan tracks what God is doing in the life of a child of God. He can sense when a victory or breakthrough is coming your way. We should not be ignorant to Satan’s devices and tricks. The stronger and more mature you become spiritually, you should be able to preempt Satan’s attacks or at least be more prepared to fight when they come. Most assuredly, when Satan intensifies the warfare against you, it’s because he feels that God is about to do something stupendous for you. It is imperative that you are guarding who has access to you during this critical time, when you are on the cusp of a breakthrough. You must shut down access to people who are not part of your journey. Your obedience and faithfulness to God and your skillful wisdom and knowledge are vitally important during this time in your walk of faith.

Sometimes we must choose to place ourselves on lockdown or confinement. Close the door to the world, and make time for just you and God. Choose to seek Him out and choose to seek His presence. Good things happen for you when you turn your back to the world and face God. Don’t look for tangible signs, but rather seek the Spirit, the presence of God.

Train your children to respect and cherish the integrity of your immediate/nuclear family. With the exception of threats of danger such as physical, verbal, or mental abuse in the home, you must train your children to keep your family affairs, business, and plans private. This blocks enemies, undercover agents of Satan, and hypocrites from knowing and trying to thwart your plans. Additionally, the less the world knows about your family affairs, the better. People will seek to use your love for your family against you. Adults are devious, and they target your children in order to get important details on your affairs. Be careful what information you give the world, because they will use it against you. What you give the world, what you release to them, you cannot take back.

Teach your children about personal space and your family’s inner circle. Let them know that all people should be placed in specific categories. Teach them that their inner circle should be a very small one. Even Jesus had an inner circle within His circle of disciples. From His twelve disciples that ate, traveled, and shared in ministry with Him, He chose only three disciples to be in His inner circle. Teach your children that the six-letter word FRIEND is a very serious word. Teach them that a classmate or schoolmate is an associate and not necessarily a friend. Teach them that there are times when people give a big smile or a grin while at the same time devising mischief in their hearts (Psalm 28:3 and Psalm 55:12–13 and 21).

Satan cannot enter in and take up residence in your body or your home if the holy spirit of God dwells there. If he does try to, he would be trespassing and therefore denied access. The spirit of God dwells where He is welcomed and invited to stay and where the atmosphere is conducive to His presence. Stay prayed up and keep your spiritual house swept clean. Do not bring any unclean things into your spiritual house (the temple of the Lord) or your physical house (home). Don’t allow people who are being manipulated by Satan to have free access to you. Don’t give them your attention or access to your space. When you unclutter your home and your life, that sometimes means letting go of some people.

Evil spirits are always on assignment against mankind, and they try to deter people so they would never accept the free gift of salvation. When you deny access to certain people, you deny access to the evil spirits that work through them. God will not destroy the righteous with the wicked. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous (Psalm 1:5 KJV). We see then that even God has an access denied policy.

Don’t allow a spirit of divination to deceive you. Familiar spirits also deceive you, and they are attracted to people who are disobedient to God’s word, His commandments, statutes, laws, etc. The spirit of divination opposes leadership, and a very popular divination spirit is the python snake spirit. This spirit is double-minded, it acts without thinking, and it operates in emotion. It also acts against the Spirit of God. It reacts when you least expect it. It is closely linked to the Jezebel spirit and seeks to undermine the people of God. If you deny access to this very dangerous and debilitating spirit, you would save yourself a lot of grief.

Many self-proclaimed prophets are trying to mimic the authentic prophetic anointing. They don’t really hear from God and are prophesying their own words and ideals. These false prophets are very dangerous because they can deceive and derail many believers and frustrate their assignment. It’s vitally important that a child of God has the gift of discernment, which can block access to these manipulators.

Another spirit we should deny access to is the controlling spirit. These spirits are selfish dictators, and they are very habitual. These evil spirits recognize the anointing on your life, and they are commanded to attack the servant of God.

We can even deny access to the kingdom of darkness by refraining from bringing certain objects and artifacts into our homes. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6 KJV). How many times have we traveled around the world and taken artifacts back to our homes, our workplace, and even our church that we know nothing about? You are bringing foreign idols into your homes that are disguised as souvenirs. Demonic spirits are watching you through these objects. Why do we do this? Why do we feel compelled to purchase these artifacts and take them home? Traveling the world to gain information and to experience new things are great, but we don’t have to take items into our homes from these trips. The One God is not confined to any object, and He cannot be contained. He is a spirit, a divine and supreme being who is found everywhere and in everything.

Keep your private life private and keep your personal business in the home. We hate it when people show up unannounced at our homes, and we don’t like it when people barge into a room without knocking, don’t we? In the same way, don’t allow people to barge their way into your life or personal space. Let the inner court of your life be holy and sanctified unto God. Avoid godless, negative, and wicked people who mock your faith in God and who speak contrary to the word of God (Psalm 28:5 and Job 12:9–10). Ask the heavenly Father to open the eyes of your understanding so you can see spiritually what God is doing in your life. Surround yourself with people who have overcoming faith, people who have a testimony, and people who are lightkeepers and glory carriers.

People hate you and envy you because they recognize that you can now see through them to their hidden plots and schemes. You can now hear their evil whispers. Whatever God has rejected or ejected cannot help you. Walk away from it and don’t try to reconnect or force interaction with these people. Your life and your witness may depend on obedience in this area. The fulfillment of your destiny can also be hindered by trying to hold onto what God has already released you from.

When the anointing of God is on your life, everything is covered in that anointing. You must restrict access so that the enemy will have a hard time devising mischief against you. When you seek God in prayer, He will show you who to deny access to. People will fight against you because of the anointing and purpose on your life. The enemy will incite them to hatred and jealousy against you, and these are roots of presumptuous sin. What the enemy meant for your harm, God will turn it around for your good (Genesis 50:20 KJV). Don’t lose heart and don’t lose hope. Denying access at most and restricting access at least are imperative if you are to walk in success.

Chapter 2

God’s Got You! Don’t Panic!

It’s wonderful to have a true friend, and it’s even better if you have a few of them. They are priceless and can be a real blessing to your life. However, no friend has your back like Jesus does. Put your trust and confidence in Him, because He won’t disappoint you. He won’t lie to you or tell lies on you. He won’t get tired of you or avoid taking your call. He won’t steal from you, and He won’t set you up for a fall. He won’t conspire against you with the enemy, and He already knows everything that you will have to endure and overcome.

Don’t allow financial constraints to weigh you down and steal your joy. Get up, dress up, and show up, even on the days when you don’t know what to anticipate. Your haters want your business to shut down, and they want to see your car and your house repossessed. They want to see you divorced and raising your children on your own. Don’t panic! God will not give you over to the will of your enemies.

The devil desperately wants you to miss the move of God in this season of your life. He is watching the pattern of your calling and has deduced that God wants to do something awesome in your life. God wants you to humble yourself in the midst of your experiences. If you allow panic to overtake you, it proves that you are not totally leaning and depending on God. Praise God and exalt His name and do exactly what He tells you to do, even in the face of great adversity.

The devil wants you to believe you will never see it come to pass, God’s promises. Do you believe God is faithful? Do you believe that in the midst of your hell, God is with you? Well, if you do believe, you will have to take your trust in God into deeper depths of proving God. Too many believers are fainting and are giving up the ghost during their walk of faith in matters concerning their family issues and even in the affairs of the church.

God sends a prophetic word before the manifestation of that word, and He wants us to hold fast to that word. Don’t let anyone tell you it won’t come to pass. David was anointed king of Israel as he was taking care of numerous sheep. He was promoted from a place of lowliness to a place of exaltation. His new position didn’t manifest for some years after the spoken prophetic word and the physical anointing, but that didn’t change the fact that he was anointed and appointed for a set time.

When people are going through a storm, they take their eyes off the promise, which is the prophetic word of God spoken over their lives. They subsequently forget the will of God for their lives and often get sidetracked. The devil is thrilled when we do this because he wants us to give up before we see the word come to pass.

When you have a deep and trusting relationship with God, you can be all alone and God will find you (King David). God will even find you like a needle in a haystack. When God is getting ready to promote you, you may be alone physically, or you may feel like you are alone emotionally. Sometimes being alone is a wonderful place to be, because something awesome can happen when you are alone.

If God chose you to do a work for Him and it looks as if your life is going downhill, this is usually when God moves. Let go! Let God have His way! No matter what happens in your life, God calls you by your name. He knows our names and everything about us. If God sent you on a journey, He will fully equip you for that journey. He will not leave you defenseless, but He will send the Comforter to help you to fulfill your purpose.

You asked God to reveal Himself to you and to take you to the next level in Him in your walk of faith. However, when God does something to get you there, you panic and wonder what is going wrong. You ask yourself if you’ve done something wrong! God’s ways are not our ways, and there is no searching of His understanding (Isaiah 40:28). Remember, the kingdom of God works in direct contradiction to the world’s system. The world has it wrong and sees things upside down. If you are a believer, then you are a child of God. If you are a child of God, then you are an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. If you are walking in purpose and all hell is breaking loose in your life, then something is going right, not wrong!

Don’t try to figure things out, but simply trust God and move with Him. Place your hands in His hands and ask Him to lead you. If God moves left, you should move left also. If He moves right, you go right. Watch the signs so that you can synchronize yourself to His movement. Your panic level is a clear indication of your trust level (and lack thereof) and speaks to your level of spiritual maturity. You cannot say you trust God if your heart is filled with panic whenever challenges arise.

Stand firm in the midst of the storm so you won’t get swept away. Sometimes God withdraws Himself from us like He did with Job, because He knows our potential and He wants to use our triumph to shame the devil and to release multiplied blessings to us. Pray to God and He will answer you. He has the answer and He IS the answer! Trust Him! The word trust has five letters and draws you closer to God. The word panic also has five letters, but takes you further away from God.

If you are not trained in the art of spiritual warfare, you may seek a true and anointed warrior for Christ so they can train you. Pray and ask God to direct your path to this person. The anointing must accompany knowledge and understanding as you study the art of spiritual warfare. You must learn how to work with the anointing.

Trust the Kairos timing of God and don’t try to force or speed up the process. When all the pieces of the puzzle come together, watch for the move of God. Watch God! The storm came to strengthen you, to build your character, to make you more resilient, and to build your faith. You will not die in the storm, because purpose cannot be killed or aborted.

Before you can get what you desire from the Lord, you must allow Him to complete His work in you. Don’t fret. Don’t worry. Don’t panic. Flow with God. He is stripping some Sauls and is anointing and appointing some Davids in this season. Don’t rest on your laurels with those people you think are for you. People are fickle and double-minded and may change at any moment. Don’t be bothered by people who don’t help or support you, who don’t understand you, or who don’t understand what God is doing in your life. It takes someone who is absolutely unaware of the details of your life, your circumstances, and your life story to recognize the move of God in your life. Oftentimes, the people who know us best are either intentionally ignoring the hand of God in our life or are too spiritually blind to see and understand it.

After your faith has been tried and stretched, you will trust God more, you will be more patient, and you will rest in God. When you go through the fire, God is right there with you. Run the race with patience. Keep on running. Don’t give up! Be encouraged and motivated by the fact that when God sent you to this earth, purpose was sewn into your DNA. There are souls cheering you on to keep running, because their deliverance is wrapped up in you walking out your purpose.

Don’t panic concerning your money or resources (or lack thereof). When you sow your best seed, God honors it (1 Kings 17:15; John 12:3). Even if you have to borrow in order to sow a seed for your deliverance, that is a great show of faith in God. You cannot be blessed of God financially until you understand the principle of sowing and reaping.

Whatever God promised you shall come to pass because the promises of the Lord are as follows: Yea! And Amen! Unto the glory of God by us (2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV). If God said it, believe it and stand on His word. Fear not! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord (Exodus 14:13). Panicking may cause you to beg, borrow, and, yes, maybe even steal, because it wants you to see the problem in flash mode. It clouds your judgment and prompts you to make hurried and rash decisions. Panic may even cause you to abort your assignment and can cause you to speak out of turn or too quickly and irrationally.

When your enemies challenge you, they are challenging the God in you. Be sure of who you are and to whom you belong. When you become a child of God, you are adopted into His family, and therefore change must come to your life. Things aren’t as bad as they seem. What’s happening for you in the spirit realm is more real than what you are experiencing in the natural realm.

When God allows predicaments in your life, He will show your enemies and Satan that you can be delivered. The devil knows his power is limited concerning you because he must ask God how to deal with you (Job). From the dungeon and deep pit of your life, sing praises unto God, and He will hear you. Your deliverance is for an appointed time; cry unto God right there out of your place of bondage, your pit, or your prison.

Why panic when you can praise instead? Satan wants you to be in a panic-stricken condition all the time because when you are panicking, you cannot focus on anything but the problem. The panic distracts your focus away from God. How do you think panic attacks happen? They are brought on by extreme worry, fear, and stress. I’ve experienced a few panic attacks in my life, and now that I am more resolute in my faith, I feel a bit ashamed of my past episodes of letting go of God’s hand long enough to panic. I’ve even experienced a panic attack before preaching the gospel! What a contradiction! How can one preach the gospel of peace, love, and faith in God while panicking? It shows how the enemy will do all he can to sidetrack you. I admit and confess without reservation that the panic attacks I’ve experienced were brought on by fear, an inferiority complex, a feeling of unworthiness, fear of rejection, intimidation, worry, and thinking about circumstances I was dealing with while preparing my sermon and even while preaching them! I thank God for spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, faith, and the power to pray and praise Him.

As you grow in God, you will not allow panic to overtake