EVERYONE NEEDS RED BULL FOR THE HOLIDAYS - Beneath the Veil no.46

I popped the top and took a sip of an energy drink called Red Bull. I was thinking I could use some Holy Spirit Red Bull right about now too, in preparation for the holidays. So what kind of Red Bull would it be?

Knowing the significance of Christ’s Red Blood sacrifice on the cross is one such powerful energizer. Refreshing myself in this knowledge will give me the power punch I need to prepare myself: to be gentle and kind, to yield to the Holy Spirit and be strong in Him too, to step out in love with confidence, to humbly acknowledge where I came from and excel in where I am now.

Take a short journey with me now through the seven bleedings of our Lord Jesus Christ and see what amazing things He’s given us. The Bible says that the “life is in the blood.” So in each area of His bleeding we have new life in that area.

The first bleeding for us was in the garden of Gethsemane when He prayed: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood” (Luke 22:41). Jesus was willing to do God’s will rather than His own. One drop of this sweat blood gives us the power we need to do God’s will rather than our own. “I CAN do God’s will.”

Jesus next was “scourged” by the Roman soldiers. They thrashed Him 39 times with a whip made of several leather pieces, each loaded with jagged metal or bone pieces that tore and ripped open strips of flesh on His back. The physical tearing of the flesh from His body would also leave gashes and wounds susceptible to disease. This point of bleeding covers all bodily things, including sickness, disease, and broken, torn or missing parts. 1 Peter 2:24 reminds us what Jesus gave us by enduring this suffering: “By whose stripes ye were healed.” We have access to total healing and no devil spirit or anything else has a right to talk us out of it.

The third place Jesus shed blood was from internal bruises. Isaiah tells us: “He was bruised for our iniquities.” Jesus was mocked and beaten. There was distress and swelling caused by broken capillaries and dislodged blood beneath the surface of the skin. When we believe the significance of this blood, it takes away any humiliation and deep emotional bruises we’ve carried—the wounds that we don’t want anyone to see.

The fourth bleeding was from the crown of thorns jammed into His skull. The blood from His head applied to our minds and we can think right thoughts, and make wise decisions like He always did.

Next they nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross. The blood from his hands applied to our hands gives us unique power in our hands. Think about what we do with hands—we touch, write, make things, give things, stop things, clap, lift, and much more. Believing to let the blood from Jesus’ hands pulse in our own can change everything we touch. .

Number six is the blood from Jesus’ feet. It changes the path we can walk on. Matthew 7:14 tells us “strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life.” Though narrow, it is the path of dominion like God says in Deuteronomy 11:24 “Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours.” This will only be true when we walk in obedience to the ability the blood of Jesus has given us.

And lastly, number seven. When the soldier came to see if Jesus was dead he took his spear and pierced Him through the side—through His belly, His lungs and His heart—making sure His entire life force bled out. That bleeding gave us His entire life for eternity. The blood shed from His belly made available Holy Spirit to abide within our bellies, in our innermost self. As Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” That’s what happens when we walk by the Spirit. The blood shed from His lungs made available new life in every breath. And the bleeding from His heart gave us the ability to extend that same love to everyone, like He did.

With this quick refresher, we can now be equipped and prepared for a loving and powerful holiday season.

Love, Carolyn

Amazon has a special holiday promotion on my e-book. BLACK FRIDAY it’s only $3.99! Then cheap for the following 4 days! Find it under my name.

COMBATTING TEEN SUICIDE

I was told about a 10-year-old girl who is continually cutting her wrists. Her dad is gone and has remarried and has a new family. Her mom is working long hours just to pay the bills. The girl is bullied at school. She feels abandoned and alone. She’s cutting her wrists to end her miserable life, crying out for attention.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in ages 10 to 24. And there are as many as 25 suicides attempted for each one that is completed. We need to get to people BEFORE they complete the process at any age! So how can we help?

First of all, people need some attention from the ones they’re close to. Actions speak loudest and words come in a close second. I tried to think of things a mom could say to a 10-year-old suicidal child. For people who aren’t used to talking heart to heart, it might take some real effort to come up with truly meaningful, helpful and specific things to say. Where to start?

The Lord gave me an exercise that I’m going to share. I did it this morning and it only took about 30 minutes. I found it extremely valuable and I know you will too.

STEP 1- I took a piece of paper and down the far left side I put a list of positive characteristics. These are the ones I put (you can of course add your own): brave, supportive, kind, helpful, calming, needed, good listener, go getter, flexible, focused, guiding, encouraging, assuring, organized, actively moving toward goals, perceptive, prepared, provider, guarding, resolved, succeeding, transforming, repair, simplified, uncover, understanding, competent, increasing, unafraid, resourceful, winning, improving, comforting, good example, broadening, counselor, correcting, challenging, moving, clarifying, fun, hopeful, seeker, strong.

STEP 2- Down the middle of the paper I put the name of the person I live with, my family members, relatives I’ll be seeing or hearing from this holiday season, friends and work people.

STEP 3- Starting at the top of the list of names, I took a pen and connected the name with at least two characteristics from the first list. Next to the person’s name I wrote down an incident that showed the positive characteristic. It was great.

STEP 4- I plan to keep the list with me so I can either tell the person about the exercise, or tell them in person what positive characteristics I admire in them.

I’m sure it will be well worth the effort. And by the way, I know the mom of that 10 year old has been instructed in a similar manner to be able to help her daughter. Please pray for the both of them. Thanks.

Love, Carolyn

YOUR KIDS ARE NOT TOO YOUNG TO READ MY BOOKS AND BOOKLETS. Kids need the spiritual weapons and implements that I share. Find the printed and e-books on Amazon under my name. Also my blog carries current 2013 articles TWO EACH WEEK -  http://spiritualgrowthchristianity.blogspot.com/

THE LORD IS PUSHY - Beneath the Veil no.45

When we had painting jobs that had to be done in a hurry, one of my favorite painters, a guy from El Salvador, had a saying that just cracked us up. He’d cock his head sideways, raise his eyebrows and say really slowly, “Dooooon’ push me!” We all adopted the saying and loved it. Sometimes we want to say that to the Lord. He gets pushy with us and we want to resist. “I want to stay right here. I’m pretty happy with things. Not in the mood to change things, thanks.” But the Lord says, “NOPE!”

Once He’s got us, He wants us to have the whole package. He wants us to grow. “Then He [Jesus] said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree” (Luke 13:18-19). In Luke 17:21 Jesus tells us “the kingdom of God is within you.” The seed of God’s kingdom is a living thing and it’s supposed to grow like the mustard seed into a large tree within us. There’s nothing in the Word of God that says once we’ve learned a certain amount of Bible, we have the right to just stop that tree from growing any more. Quite the opposite.

The Lord just keeps pushing us to go further, learn more. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “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.” That’s not a one time thing. The Lord is always knocking. Second Corinthians 5:14 says, “The love of Christ constraineth us.” That means He just keeps coming, imploring us to go further, learn more, experience more of His presence and the new things He wants to show us. 

You know when you’re being challenged to go further, so don’t settle. What’s He been pushing you toward lately? He’s knocking. Open the door.

Love, Carolyn

PS: The holidays are here! How about giving one of my books to someone you love. You can download them or get a paperback copy at Amazon under WINGS: A Journey in Faith. Since it’s a yearly devotional workbook, now’s the perfect time, so people can have it for the New Year. You can get one for yourself too while you’re at it. 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

DARE DEVILS

We’ve heard the term, but is it real? The answer is yes.

What is a dare devil? It is an evil spirit that dares people to do something that is obviously stupid, risky and life-threatening. It’s the spirit that quietly whispers, “What would happen if you just drove off this cliff?” “What would happen if you barely touched that hotwire?” When the dare comes, we always know in our conscience that it is wrong but we still wonder, “What would happen if I did it anyway?” The evil spirit says, “I dare you.”

My roommate told me the story of Loreen: “We played softball together and I knew her since she was 11. Loreen had a cocky attitude and liked to do dangerous and foolish things. She thought the consequences would never catch up to her. But ultimately she died in a gunshot accident at 27 years old.” There was a construction accident here in Las Vegas where a guy fell into an open elevator shaft. The area was cordoned off in red danger tape and it was obvious that no one was supposed to cross it. I’ve always wondered if the guy had been tempted by one of these spirits and risked it. The thing about this kind of devil spirit is that somehow it gets a person to actually consider doing a really stupid thing, if only for a second. But what happens in that second is life changing one way or the other. These dare devil spirits go for the jugular; they don’t fool around and death is their aim.

After being rescued from this several times in my younger years, I now know what to do when the dare devil throws me a fast ball. Slam him out of the park! I rely on the authority in the name of Jesus Christ and speak to the spirit directly (just like when Jesus talked directly to the fig tree). I say, “Shut up and get away from me right now, in the name of Jesus Christ.”  I know and believe James 4:7 that says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” And I believe and claim Philippians 2:9-10, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” Dare devil spirits are things, so they have to bow too! God truly does have the best answer for every situation!

Love, Carolyn

PERSONAL NOTE: I write these articles to help regular people like you and me. I don’t write them because I have all the perfect doctrine figured out or because I always make the right decisions. God has me share my weaknesses, errors, and sins, because He knows what He got when He got me and He knows I’m not afraid to expose my mistakes. In all these experiences the Lord has never let me go, but has made me knowledgeable and given me understanding. He’s provided me with specific keys, implements and weapons to share with others so that together we can overcome, conquer and rise in victory over any of life’s obstacles . I love you very much. In Christ, Carolyn

PS: Couldn’t leave the page without reminding you that my book is full of super situations, amazing victories and great stories. Available on Amazon for only $11.57 (paperback) and e-book only $9.25.

DO YOU EVER GRIPE ABOUT THINGS OR PEOPLE? - Beneath the Veil no.44

Last night my foreman texted me to say I could take the day off while they decided on the next step. We’d worked 9 days straight with overtime and yesterday I was crawling on my knees all day long doing baseboards, so I was sore and tired. But when he texted, in return I thanked him for the work they’d given me so far. After working long hours one is tempted to gripe rather than be thankful. But thankfulness is a great cure for the tendency to complain.

“Thank you.” These words aren’t said nearly enough. How much better would we feel if people thanked us more often? Think about it. It means that someone first of all had to take notice. And when someone tells us “thanks,” it means a positive effort, action, and decision, was made on our behalf. It’s like a baby compliment for something we said or did. And who doesn’t need a few more kudos and compliments now and then?

Okay, then what about when there’s a lack of thanks? Being thankful shows appreciation. So a lack of thanks brings depreciation. If we stop looking for things to be thankful for, the true value of the thing or person quickly deteriorates in our minds and hearts. If we let it go too far we can lose something or someone great.

We don’t want to let our relationships with good people depreciate just because we forget to say thank you. The same goes for our relationship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It takes concentrated time and practice and we may have to reach deep but God tells us it’s available “in everything [to] give thanks” (1 Thess 5:18). Let’s grab our minds and make the effort to start saying and receiving “thank yous” like they really mean something. Our lives will be more blessed if we do.

Love, Carolyn

Christmas is coming. I’ve got some free books coming out in the next few weeks. They contain chapters from my devotional workbook WINGS: A Journey in Faith, including the introspective questions at the end of each chapter. Find the free e-books and the printed paperback on Amazon for some exciting holiday reading.

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

DO EVIL SPIRITS LIVE IN MASKS?

 I want to know so much more—like how Paul’s handkerchiefs and aprons could heal someone and deliver them from devil spirits. (See Acts 19:11-13) I don’t know how it works. But I sure would like to see it. I’d also like to know more about the recent phrase going around, called “partnering up.”

About the Holy Spirit occupying a material object, I’m not aware of ever s...eeing it yet, but I do know that something similar happens when evil spirits occupy material objects. I once saw a painting that was the home of a demon. I was a visiting nurse helping a man who was in a wheelchair. Over his bed hung a small painting of someone’s face. It was dark blood red, purple, black and blue, muddy brown and gray. It was ugly and evil but it beckoned me to look and when I did, I was jolted. The face moved!

And not just once, but every time I snuck a peek, it moved again and changed in form and tried to come out of the frame. I know this sounds like a movie, right? But it was real. This happened every time I went to this guy’s house. I was just beginning my journey as a committed Christian, so I had no idea what to do, so I just told my boss I wouldn’t go back there and she gave me new clients. That experience made me aware of the possibility of objects having devil spirit occupation. I don’t go looking for demons on every doorknob but if the Lord leads me to see and do, I know it’s for real!

A friend once asked me to come do a house blessing and spiritually check out the house she was moving into. I could sense that a devil spirit lived in a small closed sink area. I told the friend she needed to have the landlord get rid of that sink. It didn’t happen and in a year or so, she had a very large fire start in that area and consequently decided to move. But I have also been in a house filled with masks and other objects used in idol worship. I expected an evil presence to be in at least a few of those objects, but they were clean—just wood and paint.

And as to partnering up with people, I’m aware of some really awful results of good people going into business with unethical ones. And every parent tries to keep their children from hanging around kids who are a bad influence. But what about connecting with people who have qualities we’d like to have or even learn more about—partnering upward? We can see in the Bible wonderful benefits of this collaboration. A few good examples are Lot with Abraham, Ruth with Boaz and Peter with Jesus.

Sometimes we are blind to what’s really going on in our own lives. We are looking for the big breakthroughs, the big dramatic explosions, and we miss the subtleties that may be even more lasting and in some ways significant beyond the showy things.
I told my best friend I wanted to write about the power of the Holy Spirit being present in objects at times, but I didn’t really understand it yet. I wanted to talk about the great benefits of partnering upward, but I didn’t have anything really big come to mind. I told my friend I was a little discouraged.

Then she told me about listening to a recent teaching from a preacher she likes. He had talked about how a certain military leader said that in battle you had to gain some ground and then hold it. It could look small, but it was better to hold onto it until you were prepared to go for more. If you jumped the gun, you could lose it all. My friend explained that even though I didn’t always have the spectacular stories to tell, I was still holding the ground I had gained so far.

She told me that even though I hadn’t yet experienced the positive spiritual power in an object, it wasn’t that I didn’t believe it’s possible. I could study the subject more in the Bible and ask the Lord to give me understanding. I could also listen to some teachings on this.

As for the good and profitable benefits of partnering upward, I started to re-examine my relationships and realized I was already getting so many benefits from the relationships I have, and that part of holding my ground is taking care of and really appreciating what I’ve got.

I'm not yet where I want to be, but God has taken good care of me. I’m in a good place and I’m holding my ground.

Love, Carolyn

PS: The holidays are here! How about giving one of my books to someone you love. You can download them or get a paperback copy at Amazon under WINGS: A Journey in Faith. Since it’s a yearly devotional workbook, now’s the perfect time. Get one for yourself too while you’re at it.

RAPE AT ORIENTATION - Beneath the Veil no.43

Summer of 1969. The orientation was over and I was headed back to the dorm. I was a stranger and alone in that Illinois farm town, a displaced hippie from San Francisco. Peace, love and Jesus had been my life for some time now and I felt out of place here. I toted a big leather, fringed handbag that I’d made myself. I wore my combat boots under a long paisley skirt. My hair was long, my legs and armpits unshaven and I was a California flower child.  But no flowers for me on this day.

It was a sticky hot July and I was anxious to get back to the air conditioning. A car pulled up as I walked along, “You want a ride?” I hesitated at first but I was from San Francisco where hitchhiking was my norm for transportation. I said, “Okay, thanks,” and got in. Big mistake.

As we drove toward the edge of town I said, “This isn’t the way to the dorm.” And I panicked. There were three of them and I was in the back seat. I quickly opened the door and tried desperately to get out. I scraped my boot and twisted my leg trying to escape. One of them grabbed me and pulled me back in. He threatened me and locked the door.

All I could see was corn fields. The car stopped. “Me first,” the cocky one in the front said. He exchanged seats with the guy in the back and raped me. Then the second one did the same. Frankly, the details are a blur. Then it was the third guy’s turn.

I could feel his hesitation. The other two got out of the car and I just started witnessing to the kid. I told him the Lord Jesus wouldn’t be too happy with him if he went through with this. I told him God loved him and had better things in mind for him. I told him enough about the Lord’s love and got him born again right there.

Without touching me, he yelled out to his friends that he was done. They got back in the car and he talked them into driving me back to town. The cocky one threatened to find me and kill me if I ever told. I had to go back to school there the very next month so I never told—I was too scared. The nightmares came but I eventually healed.

When I look back, I wonder how I had the nerve to talk to a rapist about my Lord Jesus. But it just happened and that night changed his life for ever. Fortunately for me, I didn’t get pregnant or have health or mental issues as a result of the rape. I was just thankful to be alive.

But the most amazing thing to me was that in the midst of this terrifying situation I got this young man born again. It was my fault for getting into the car, but it was the mercy and love of God that got me out and brought another lost soul with me to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And if any of you three ever read this, I forgive you.

Love, Carolyn

I just read in Ecclesiastes about how even the secret things get revealed: “a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” My book is called WINGS. It reveals the secret things God wants us to know to live a more victorious spiritual life. Use it as a devotional workbook or just enjoy reading the true life stories that call to your heart. 

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

AND YOU DO NOT 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/tablets.

HOW TO GROW BIGGER GOD EARS

“Blah blah blah blah blah blah.” My roommate was talking but my mind was racing ahead on something else and I didn’t hear a word she said. Some of us have the habit of letting our minds go ahead of where our bodies are. We mentally live a bit in the future and not in the present. So what does that have to do with “growing bigger God ears?”

If we don’t slow down enough ...to listen to each other, we will also be racing past listening to the Lord. First John 4:20 says, “For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” Listening is an act of love.

If we want to get better at hearing from God, one step we can take in the right direction is to start practicing our listening skills with each other.

Here are a couple tips that can help:

1.Have some paper and a pen on hand. Ask a question and after listening to the answer, write it down to see if you really listened!

2.Ask a question and then after you get the answer, repeat it back to the person to see if you got it right.

These are two very simple and practical ways to build our listening skills with each other. AND we can also use these with our Lord. Try it this week with the people around you and with the Lord too and let me know how it works out.

I saw this yesterday and wanted to share: “To live in the moment is a gift. That’s why they call it the present!”

Love, Carolyn