LENDING MONEY TO JESUS?? - Beneath the Veil no.42

I wanted to give something to my favorite bank teller who’s having her first baby. I didn’t know exactly what, but then the Lord Jesus told me to give her $100. He didn’t tell me in an audible voice, but more like an urging or prompting from within me. It shocked me because that was a big amount for someone I didn’t really know very well. I questioned Jesus, “Are you sure? Am I just making this up?”

This time I heard the words, “No, you’re not making this up. Give her a hundred dollar bill and a card.” I was still a little doubtful, and my mind was shouting right back at me, “You don’t even give that much to the people you know!”.... “This is weird!”.... “You don’t need to give her that much!”.... “You need that money!” I didn’t know exactly what I would do.

But I’m working on trusting Jesus Christ with all my financial decisions, so I thought maybe this was part of testing my trust, so I went for it. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” In all thy ways. Well, spending money is one of my ways, so I’m making a conscious effort to really involve the Lord with every bit of it.

I answered Him, “Okay, I’m going to do this.” The Lord’s desire was to bless my pregnant bank teller and me too. He led me to Proverbs 19:17 where it says, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.” I thought that was pretty wild, “lending to the Lord”?

I knew that when my teller opened that card and found the hundred dollar bill she would be totally shocked. She would never expect money from such an unusual source. Then the thought hit me and I said out loud, “As long as I’m giving it, I think I’ll plant it as seed for money coming back to me from an unusual source too.”

The Lord didn’t waste any time in getting me back the money I let Him borrow to bless this girl! When I came home my roommate gave me exactly $100; she knew nothing about me giving my teller $100. Then, the very next day I got a check in the mail from my mortgage company for $108. That was an unusual source! I also received another $100 that day that didn’t come from my paycheck. So I lent Jesus $100 and He gave me back $300, plus $8 extra! Wild, right?

Trusting the Lord Jesus Christ with my money decisions has sure been a blessing and I can hardly wait to see what other magnificent money maneuvers He has in store for me.

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS FOR PONDERING OR DISCUSSION:

1.Have you had times when the Lord asked you to give money to someone or something unusual? Did you do it? What was the outcome?

2.Can you recall receiving money from unusual places? What about times you didn’t have to pay as much as you thought or you received an item for free that you thought you were going to have to pay for?

3.In what other ways has the Lord blessed you financially?

FOR FURTHER STUDY: Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 2 Kings 8:6, Nehemiah 5:11-12, Psalm 126:1-6, Proverbs 22:9, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 28:27, Ecclesiastes 11:1, Isaiah 1:19, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6, 9,

The preceding is one of the chapters from my book WINGS: A Journey in Faith . One reader said, “It’s like reading a spiritual reality show!” By sharing my daily discoveries and spiritual adventures, my goal is that others will be able to apply what I’ve learned also.

You can order my book for as low as $12 from Amazon.com. Just type in my full name or the name of the book in the search box.

Until next time......Love, Carolyn

IMPALED ON HIS OWN SPEAR - PT.2 of GETTING RID OF EVIL PEOPLE BEFORE THEY GET RID OF YOU

He told me, “We’re running out of copper paint.” I said, “Okay, I’ll make some.” It would take some time so I immediately started up on the mixing process. Meanwhile he went out into the other part of the warehouse where we were doing a 5-step faux finish process to make metal panels look like wood. Typicall...y he ignored the other workers and began on a section of panels he could call his own. I had no idea of the coup he was planning and the trap he’d set for me, so I went about my business happily mixing paint.

When I’d finished, I did a few other necessary things to set up for the next part of the process, which kept me away from the goings on in the main part of the warehouse even longer.

When I got back to the panels I could tell he’d rushed through the steps to get as many panels done as possible. The room was 3/4s full of his completed panels. He was so proud of the production—he’d completed way more than my partner and I had done, especially with the delay of me having to mix more paint. Then it hit me and I spiritually knew what he was up to.

This guy was what the Bible calls a “son of Belial, “a worker of iniquity.” He was looking to climb up as far as he could go and it didn’t matter who he had to step on to get there. He always remained aloof, was not a team player, did things on his own terms and tried to be in control, though he was never given that authority.

Three others were above him in the chain of command and he didn’t like it. He wanted to be running the job and definitely wanted me out of the way. He brought discord into the group and everyone was uneasy with him around. He was always scheming and mentally critical of everyone. He would wander around the warehouse and offices and act like he was special. We never quite knew what he was up to but we had the weird feeling that he was spying on us and spewing lies about us to the higher boss. His bad-mouthing had already caused more than one person to lose his position. He would pretend to be real friendly, but then turn on the person. His characteristics were typical of those described as belonging to sons and daughters of Belial. So what to do?

I began to come to work early and park in a remote spot, where I’d get out my verses—those psalms of David that are specific weapons (spears) against people like this. I prayed them out loud with conviction. This guy was NOT GOOD for any of us there. By the grace of God, I knew what to do and I did it.

Back to my story: This worker of iniquity sent me to mix paint so that my production would be low. Then he sped up and finished multiple panels. His plan was to show how bad I was and how great he was. But God had something else in mind.

The big boss came in and started looking at the pieces. He was horrified. He called me and another lead person over and started handing us the panels, “This one has to be done over. This one too, and this one and this one!” By the time he’d finished, there were 40-plus panels that had to be re-done. And you guessed it... all done by the SOB!

His plan failed miserably. He’d gotten me out of the way so he could show off for the boss and instead of being rewarded, he was made to look really bad, so bad that the boss sent him out of town on a different job for a week. At the time I thought, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he never comes back.”

What actually happened is that he did come back—for one day. He was in street clothes and he resigned! I found out later that God got him so far out of the way, the guy took a job half way around the world—in China!

One of the spears I’d been repeating each morning was Psalm 7:15, “He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made.” That certainly came to pass! Praise God!

Just a few words to those of you who have been beaten and hurt by these people and maybe lost, or are losing the battle. It’s bad, but you’ll be okay in the end. God will never allow you to go through something you can’t handle. And now if you ever get into a situation like this again, you will know exactly what it is and what to do for your victory. If you have encountered these SOBs, know that you are mightier through Christ. Use the weapons God’s provided.

Love, Carolyn

Here is a list of other word swords that God gave David to use: (All of these are in the book of Psalms) 2:2-5 and 10-12, 3:7, 5:5-6 and 10, 6:8 and 10, 7:9 and 11-17, 9:15-20, 18:6-17 and 37-48, 28:3-5, 33:8-11, 35:19-27, 37:7-20 and 34-38, 46:6-11, 52:1-9 54:1-7, 55:1-3 and 15-23, 69:22-28, 73:12-13 and 16-20 and 26-28, 75:4-10, 89:20-2392:7-11, 109:6-20 and 26-31, 132:13-18, 143:9-12 and many more.

Please get Dr. Dale’s booklet for only $8 from his website http://www.lmci.org/ for a more in depth study on this subject of Exposing Sons of Belial : Identifying and Overcoming Children of the Devil.

And remember you can order my books from Amazon by putting my first and last name in the search box.

GET RID OF EVIL PEOPLE BEFORE THEY GET RID OF YOU - Beneath the Veil No.41

Too many of my friends have been fired, pushed out of their jobs or are being attacked right now by evil people who possess high positions or are avidly seeking them. I wish this was a fairy tale but it’s not. Those of you who have experienced it or are experiencing it now, know how terrible it is. I’m going to share God’s plan for you to be ab...le to take them down BEFORE they take you.

The Bible calls these powerful people “sons of Belial” or “workers of iniquity.” They willfully serve the devil and they attack Christians. Though we haven’t heard much about them in church, they are exposed over and over in the Bible. Their methods and characteristics remain the same and once you are aware of them, you will never NOT recognize them again.

In this article I’ll take the time to expose who they are and what they do. In next Sunday’s I give a real life incident and more about how to get rid of them.

They are “merchandisers of men” (2 Pet 2:3), using good hard-working people to work for them. Often they try to learn or extract skills from good people then use the skills to step on and over them to get to the top. They plot, manipulate and control. Often they are not the spokesperson, but the one behind the scenes, calling the punches. They oppress and strip people of personal idiosyncrasies. They would rather have an obedient automaton than a skilled worker who has a personality. In fact they don’t even care about your skills or how good you are at your job. Those are not attractive features anymore with these sons and daughters of Belial.

They desire to be applauded and put on a pedestal for all their good charitable works; but behind the scenes they are out to take down anyone they perceive as being in their way. They speak peace and work wickedness at the same time, speaking out of both sides of their mouths. They are extremely sneaky and try to befriend and snare people with their smooth words. They are never to be trusted.

As Proverbs 6:17-18 tells us, they have “a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” These are just some of the general characteristics of these sons of Belial, or as Dr. Dale Sides calls them, SOBs. (I call them that too.) I suggest getting Dale’s booklet, Exposing Sons of Belial : Identifying and Overcoming Children of the Devil. The booklet is inexpensive and packed with information; it is because of the revelation in this booklet that I was able to overcome and defeat an SOB that entered into my own realm of influence. (I will tell you more about that in Sunday’s post.)

Just like Jesus defeated the devil in the wilderness with “the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God,” we can do the same. But what we believe and what we say has to be pertinent to the situation and the devil involved. God’s Word specifically tells us, “The sons of Belial cannot be taken with hands.” In other words, hand to hand combat DOES NOT WORK! You can’t afford to get too close to these powerful possessed people. They will recognize who you are.

“But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear” (2 Sam 23:7). If you are holding the staff of a spear, then there’s distance between you and the enemy. This is important to remember. You don’t want to try to talk to these people or make friends or try to love them. You can’t love the devil.

God is willing to take them back if they repent (see Ezekiel 18:32). But you are probably not going to be the one to deliver them. Of all the Christians Paul murdered, not one was able to deliver him; Jesus had to do it Himself! So don’t try to be a hero.

David was attacked by SOBs many times. Because of this, we have an entire arsenal of specific weapons God gave David to pierce these evil ones and bring them down. Many are found in the Psalms. These spears are sharp and not for the weak hearted; but if you or your friends are being attacked, you need the strongest, sharpest swords to win the battle. And, you must BELIEVE in their inherent power because they are God’s words.

“Let the high praises of God be in [our] mouth, and a two-edged sword in [our] hand, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the written judgment—This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 149:6-9)

Following are the powerful scriptures I have successfully used. I say them almost every day. This coming Sunday’s article includes a list of others you can look up and use if they suit you better. Fight on to victory!

“God is angry with the wicked [SOBs] every day. If he [a SOB] does not turn back, He [God] will sharpen His sword; he bends His bow and makes it ready. He [God] also prepares for Himself instruments of death; he makes His arrows into fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked travails with iniquity, conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown” (Psalm 7:11-16).

“Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; and make their loins shake continually” (Psalm 69:23).

“Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt. Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them” (Psalm 35:4-6)

NOTE: When the word “let” is used, we are the ones “letting.” We give the authority, but the angels do the doing! Satan has protected the SOBs and he has paid them well. They think they cannot fail, but without the heavy devil spirits, they will absolutely shrivel. When we pray these psalms, God’s angels attack the devil spirits that are protecting and helping the SOBs, and they are utterly stripped of their power over us.

“Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken” (Psalm 37:12-15).

“Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (2 Thess 1:6).

“God shall likewise destroy you [SOBs] forever. He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah” (Psalm 52:5)

“Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them” (Psalm 55:15).

“Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them flow away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow, Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes. Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun” (Psalm 58:6-8)

“Set a wicked man over him [SOB], and let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few, and let another take his office. Let the creditor seize all that he has, and let strangers plunder his labor. Let there be none to extend mercy to him” (Psalm 109:6-12).

If you still think that this is too harsh of a message then you probably haven’t been aware of SOB persecutions. The unfortunate thing is that if we are in their sites and we don’t start using these verses immediately, it’s much harder and sometimes impossible to get rid of them or escape their evil deeds.

But honestly, speaking these psalms against them is the most loving thing we can do. It can force them into a place where they would have a chance to see how horrible the devil really is and they could turn around like the Apostle Paul.

Enough for now. Stay tuned for Sunday’s post on an attack by an SOB and the great results of using these word spears to a victorious end. Also included will be a list of more of the scriptures God gave David to use against them.

Stay strong. I pray for all of you.

Love, Carolyn
P.S. You can get Dr. Dale's booklet from lmci.org for only $8 and my books are available in printed and digital form on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You don’t have to own a Kindle for the e-book version. Amazon has free software to read e-books on the computer and a free Kindle APP for phones and tablets

BREAKING IN WITH HOT THOUGHTS

“Put him on the phone.” Wendy’s 6-year-old son Jack didn’t feel like taking a shower. “You need to get in that shower and be clean by the time I get home.” “Okay.” Jack instantly changed his mind and obeyed. What about us?

Children can make changes easily and learn the benefits of obeying. They remain flexible and grow. As we mature into adults there’s no reason that has to change. So, how do we do it?

Just this morning I was feeling burdened, thinking I had too much to do. Then when I went to write this, I heeded my own words. “Change your mind. It’s only a thought away.” So I told myself, “It’s going to be a great day.” My attitude instantly got brighter. Oh, yeah, of course the devil wanted me to slip back into thinking about why it couldn’t be that easy. But I said, “No. With God it is that easy!”

Romans 12:1 says, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” So, by even one tiny thought, I can change the whole direction of my day and be pleasing to God. That’s awesome!

We can only think one thought at a time and we have the power to choose the next thought. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7). What gets into our heart starts with one thought. A right thought is just one thought away from a wrong one. And right thoughts come from the Word of God. It really is just that simple. Jack instantly changed his wrong thought to a right one by listening to his mom and obeying. We can do the same with God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are our own best friends when we take a thought from God’s Word rather than one that collides with it. Simplicity is a good thing. Life is not that hard if we keep ourselves flexible and obedient like children, one deliberate thought at a time.

Love, Carolyn

PS: One reader commented on my WINGS book: “It’s like reading a spiritual reality show!” My stories are entertaining and reflective at the same time. You can find my book on Amazon or B&N, both in written and digital form. Just put my full name Carolyn Molica in the search box.

WHY DO YOUNG PEOPLE LOVE VAMPIRE STORIES - Beneath the Veil no.40

Vampire stories are popular among young people. I needed to know on a spiritual level, why the big draw? After asking myself that question, I was invited to a party where I had the opportunity to chat with a 15-year-old girl. She filled me in on vampire lore and then the Holy Spirit filled me in on the vampire lure.

In America we’ve been hit with a new and terrifying phenomena—the shootings and murder of school-age kids in public schools. The Holy Spirit reminded me that during pre-teen and teenage years, we search for the big answers to life. We want things to make sense. When they don’t, we keep searching. For young people, the idea of vampires answers some of the basic questions concerning death.

My young friend explained, “Vampires are people who have been killed, but they don’t want to be dead.”

These school children who have been brutally murdered didn’t want to die and didn’t do anything to deserve death. But the idea of vampires, who still have earthly life after they’ve been dead, gives a kind of balm to the uneasy fear of unwarranted and unreasonable death. Someone might think, “Even if I did get shot and died, I would still be able to have a life if I were a vampire.” And the new vampires have wonderful love interests too; what teen doesn’t crave that?

The majority of young people don’t really believe in vampires, but on a subconscious level the idea gives enough false comfort to allow them to go to school day by day and not be overwhelmed by the fear of being shot to death.

The truth, however, is that God and the Lord Jesus and the angels are all available and more than willing to protect us from death. There were many thousands of people who did not show up at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. They felt unusual urgings to go a different way, to stay home that day, to go out for breakfast and be late for work, etc. There are many stories of how the Lord warned people and kept them from death that day.

Another part of vampire lore is that they desire to live, but they need a supply of blood to do so. What I didn’t know is that, according to my friend, they have choices when taking blood. They can take all of a person’s blood or only a portion. Then they take on the personality of the person whose blood they took. For instance, if the person was cruel, they might not take all their blood, but take enough to live until finding a different, more desirable host.

When we first got born again we willingly accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts. He gave us new life with His blood. And we also have a choice as to how much of His personality we want to take on. For some people, believing they get go to Heaven when they die is enough.

Vampires need to replenish their blood supply. We also have the opportunity to replenish our intake. We need constant refreshing, new insight into the things of God, new experiences, new wisdom and new relationships. We need to re-up our information and revelation of what Jesus' blood accomplished for us. (You can read the scriptures and the article I wrote “Jesus Blood was Shed 7 Times On Purpose.”)

God gave me understanding on the lure of vampires for young people and I really enjoyed hearing a 15-year-old's take on vampire lore. It's valuable sometimes to take a look at what's culturally popular and get the Holy Spirit's take on it. It can help us to understand people better and minister more effectually.

Love, Carolyn

PS: FREE E-BOOK (6 great sample chapters) THURS thru MON! Download from Amazon.com

GOD HEALS PETS

I opened the sliding glass door and out he went past the patio to take a leak (the dog, that is). The next thing I know, I hear a yelp and he’s limping. He must have gotten his foot caught in one of the loops of a new vine I planted. I figured he might have just pulled it a little and was being extra cautious. He was favoring the foot, and still limping, but it didn’t seem too bad. But the next day it took a turn.

In the morning he couldn’t put any pressure on it at all and I had to lift him to take him anywhere, including outside to do his business. My roommate and I got together and prayed for him. As I prayed, I realized that I couldn’t pray for Holy Spirit to start the healing him from the inside. He’s a dog. Dogs don’t have Holy Spirit inside. But in the next instant it came to me that God created dogs. He created their bodies to be able to heal themselves just like our bodies have that capacity. So what could I pray for?

I could pray and believe that the healing process would speed up, and I had a scripture to back it up: “I the Lord will hasten it in his time” (Is 60:22). What a great promise! I’ve put my faith out by revelation on this speeding up process many times with super results. This was one of those times and I thank our God for it.

By the afternoon, he could put pressure on the leg and the next morning he was bouncing down the hallway once again. Even if it was only sprained, normally it would have taken longer to totally heal, but the Lord speeded up the process.

Luke 12:6 says God doesn’t even forget about one sparrow. So I know He cares about our pets that bless us so much too.

Love, Carolyn

PS: Any of my books would be good for gifting. You can find them by putting my first and last name in the search box of Amazon or B&N. My books inspire you to reflect on your spiritual potential with the introspective questions at the end of each chapter. I’ve been told the stories are like reading a spiritual reality show!
Here’s the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn%20mol#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn+molica&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Acarolyn+molica

A DESTROYING WEAPON IN HIS HAND - Beneath the Veil no.39

I was reading Ezekiel 9 and it was frightening:

“He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

And, behold, six men came and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. ...And the glory of God was gone up and he called to the man which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

Go through the midst of the city and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst.

And to the others he said, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare. But come not near any man upon whom is the mark.

While they were slaying them, I fell upon my face, and cried, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all?

Then said he unto me, The land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

And, behold, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.”

I am a writer, so I could relate to the man with the inkhorn at his side. The Lord has called me to write what He puts in my heart. I obey. But when I was reading this I was taken back. The writer was assigned by God to find those who had a heart for God. If he happened to miss even one, he would be responsible for them being destroyed! I said, “God, I couldn’t do that without You!”

And He told me, “That is totally true!” I’m glad I don’t have the responsibility to find everyone who has a heart for God these days. I only have the responsibility to find the ones God has put in my path, and that includes all of you.

I believe that the people who read my writings are those who the Lord calls to my writing. We all have different people in the world that we respond to and that respond to us. God made it that way so He could get His messages out to everyone. I pray Mark 4:9 “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” over the articles I send out. That way I can trust the Lord to take those messages to whoever needs to read them.

I have a friend who works diligently on my promotion (it’s an anointing for her and a huge blessing for me) but ultimately it’s the Lord who does the work of connecting people around the world to the messages He needs them to know from my heart. That’s a great comfort.

In Ezekiel, the writer went to find the believers physically and mark them with ink. Today I get to go by way of the internet with electronically transferred words on a device, as well as by printed words on a page.

I am so thankful that you have chosen to be marked with the ink of my writing. God bless you. We have a heart for God and are free from the “destroying weapon in his hand.”

Love, Carolyn

PS: Any of my books would be good for gifting. You can find them by putting my first and last name in the search box of Amazon or B&N. My books inspire you to reflect on your spiritual potential with the introspective questions at the end of each chapter. Here’s the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn+mol#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn+molica&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Acarolyn+molica

SUICIDE AND MURDER AT THE TOP

How is it possible that the son of a famous Christian author commits suicide and the body guard of a renowned woman preacher commits murder? You’d think the people closest to them would be well protected. So why do these horrible things happen?

Because faith needs to be a personal thing. Even if someone receives healing or deliverance from devil spirits or miraculous answers to prayer, he or she won’t be able to maintain it for very long without developing his or her own personal faith.

We are told in Galatians 6:4 to bear one another’s burdens and we do that joyously without griping. But Paul goes on to say in verse 5, “Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” No one can continue to do our believing for us. We have to develop it by our own selves.

When we got born again we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, and that’s great. But didn’t we also say we were giving up the lordship we had over our lives and make Him Lord instead? We decided we didn’t do the best job as our own lord, right? We sometimes tend to forget about that part. Remember Romans 10:9&10? The Bible says Jesus is THE Lord, the promised Messiah. But it also says He is to be OUR Lord. That makes it personal!

When the disciples talked to Him they called Him, “Lord.” (See John 21:20.) Should we do any less? Romans 8:39 tells us nothing should be able to “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus OUR Lord.”

Do we still go to our Lord Jesus Christ with real personal trust and faith and expectation on a daily basis? Do we ask Him as our Lord, what His assignment is for us today, what He’d like for us to read or do for the day, so He can help us stay on top for the next few hours? Or are we slipping a little in this category and relying more on other people’s faith to keep us up?

Don’t get me wrong, preachers and others can inspire us and minister healing and deliverance and miracles, and we need that. But it’s time to dig deep and find our own faith inside of ourselves too. Our challenges come daily and we need to have daily faith to meet those challenges and overcome them. Healings, deliverances, and answers to prayer need to be maintained. Other people can’t do that for us. We have to do it.

We can build our personal faith by renewing our vow to say and practice Jesus as our personal Lord on a daily basis.

Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily [what I accomplished on the cross for you], and follow me” (Luke 9:23). We are to deny the old person we used to be, receive all that He did for us on the cross and make it a daily thing to follow Him.

It wasn’t the fault of the famous Christian author that his son committed suicide. Nor was it the fault of the Christian woman preacher that her body guard committed murder. Those kinds of devil spirits don’t just come overnight. They are the result of days on end without taking faith personally, without consciously making Jesus Lord each day. If the son or the body guard had done that, the suicide and the murder spirits would not have been able to penetrate.

Other people’s prayers, ministering and faith can maintain us for awhile, but at some point, for consistent and lasting victory, we have to find our own faith in the Lord.

This past August my cousins renewed their vows after 25 years of marriage. We can renew our vows daily, telling Jesus Christ He’s our Lord today and following Him. No suicide or murder for us because we have made faith a personal daily thing.

Don’t just talk to God; Call on Jesus. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” Rev 3:20.

Love, Carolyn

PS: My book WINGS: A Journey in Faith would be a great Christmas gift. The paperback as well as the e-book version are available on-line from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It’s a wonderful workbook with 52 chapters (one for each week of the year) and each with a few questions at the end for self reflection. An added bonus is the section in the back for special holidays. Enjoy!  

Here’s the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn%20mol#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn+molica&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Acarolyn+molica

STRIPPED DOWN TO THE BONE - Beneath the Veil no.38

Working swing shift is definitely not my best. It messes with my eating, my sleeping and everything else too. I only have time for the bare essentials. I’ve done it enough times that I know I get crabby, sensitive and want to blurt out harsh words that I’m sorry for later. So is there anything good about it?

Yes! Working this schedule periodically is great because it strips me down to see what my basic spiritual priorities are. This time they were prayer, reading the Bible and watching what I say. These should probably always be priorities, but other things get crammed into life when there’s more space for them, right? That’s not a bad thing, but I really like the feeling of being stripped down to the bone every so often just to see where my head’s really at. It’s my own personal test.

This time I was happy with the results. I worked this shift for a week and only reacted with sharp words one time. That’s remarkable compared to other times I’ve been on this schedule!

The other great thing was that I made sure to get my prayer time in, praying prayers of praise to God, prayers against evil spiritual forces, praying for spiritual assistance for the needs of friends and family and special prayers for the couples I told I’d pray for the babies they want. I feel strongly about keeping my word when I say I’ll pray for someone and I was happy to see that even though I was exhausted in this crazy schedule, I managed to remember to pray like I know to do.

Thirdly, I made sure to read my Bible. Normally I listen to teachings and read a lot of different books as well, but I wouldn’t have time. In pressurized times like this, I would absolutely need to hear from God through His written word. And it was thrilling!

Each time I opened my Bible, I depended on the Holy Spirit to show me what to read and where to go. It was like a treasure hunt. I’d read, then I’d hear from the Lord, read and hear more from the Lord. It was some of the tightest times I’ve had with Him.

The swing shift schedule when it is only temporary is like a roller coaster ride: up, down, sharp corners throwing me side to side, stomach up in the air then back down. My only stability—knowing I was attached to the track.

When and if you get in this type of exhausting situation you have to look at it as a test. See where your spiritual priorities lie. You may be surprised like I was, to find out how well you do.

Love, Carolyn

PS: My book WINGS: A Journey in Faith would be a great Christmas gift. The paperback as well as the e-book version are available on-line from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It’s a wonderful workbook with 52 chapters (one for each week of the year) and each with a few questions at the end for self reflection. An added bonus is the section in the back for special holidays. Enjoy! Here’s the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn%20mol#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carolyn+molica&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Acarolyn+molica