"MI SUN, GET UP AND WALK"

She was raised in South Korea as a Buddhist. We met about 20 years ago and began to have deep spiritual conversations. We understood what each other was saying; we just put it in different words. When I explained to her about God creating us in His own image, she got it and applied it. But still she felt religion was basically foolish…. until something happened a year and a half ago that changed everything.

“I felt something was going on, so I told the storekeeper next door I was going home. She came by the house later because she was worried about me. I told her I felt odd and could she help me to the bathroom. She did and the next thing I knew I was on the floor and had no feeling in my body.

My mind was perfectly okay but I couldn’t move my hands or arms or legs. I felt I was having a stroke. My husband passed away eight years ago and I didn’t have any kids so I was ready to go. I asked my friend to pull me into the other room by the fireplace and I told her I didn’t want her to take me to the hospital because if it was my time to go I wanted to experience it. She said okay, but she’d have to go home and print out a form to sign so she wouldn’t be in trouble over this decision. I laid in front of the fireplace and started to close my eyes to slip away. I said, ‘If there’s anything more, I want it.’ Then it happened.

I heard a strong male voice command, ‘Mi Sun, Get up and walk!’ Like a child I did just that. I started to move, got up and walked around in the house. Then I went outside and kept walking. That’s when my friend came back and saw me. She was shocked. ‘Okay, now take me to the hospital. I want to find out if there is any medical explanation for what happened.’”

They kept Mi Sun overnight and did all sorts of tests and found nothing wrong. She knew it was a miracle and that the God I’d told her about was for real. She told me that since that day everything is different. And even in the time I visited her in her shop, she mentioned God several times in our conversation and with others who came in also.

All the many years of Christmas conversations, and this was the best of all—to find out that the Lord personally visited my friend and got her born again.

Love, Carolyn

My book, WINGS: A Journey in Faith is available from Amazon as an e-book and in print. Also I publish one or two new articles each week on FB and my blog sites-- http://wingsajourneyinfaith.wordpress.com/ and
http://spiritualgrowthchristianity.blogspot.com/

YOU'RE BLEEDING - Beneath the Veil no.50

A couple days ago I read something that really bothered me. It kept twisting into my soul like a corkscrew into a cork. Today I had to get it out.

I told my best friend how twisted up I was getting. She listened and helped me to see things in a different perspective. Then I was completely clear again.

We all encounter rough patches in our thinking. Some preachers like to indicate that it won't happen if we do "the right things" but I don’t believe that. And I don’t see it documented in the scriptures either. The Bible is full of people who overcome problems, not people living perfect spiritual lives without any problems.

Life happens and we can't stop everything the devil throws at us before it hits our personal space, penetrates and sometimes causes us to bleed.

We have the Lord Jesus Christ; we have the Bible; we have angels; but sometimes we forget that we have each other. And it’s not a sin to ask for help. In fact the Lord tells us we are to confess our faults one to another, so we can get help. It doesn’t do us any good to keep things bottled up inside. If you were physically bleeding from an area of your body that you couldn’t reach, you’d find someone to put a compress on that area to stop the bleeding. It’s the same with us mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We have been given other people in the body of Christ to help stop the bleeding.

One of the biggest errors I see is that we often hesitate to ask. Pride gets in the way. Asking for help is sometimes hard, but we have to remember that not only does it help us to get our answer, but it also gives someone else in the body of Christ a chance to do some problem solving. It’s really a very healthy exchange, if taken in the right light.

I believe that as we head into 2014, honesty in the body of Christ and asking for help when we need it will make our bonds tighter and our overall strength increase.

Love, Carolyn

PS. WINGS: A Journey in Faith from the Earthly to the Heavenly – still an awesome spiritual adventure and great interactive workbook. Find it on Amazon in printed form and e-book.

CYNICAL SUSPICIONS - SHEEP OR WOLF

A guy at work told me his parents had a large wholesale floral business and one day his dad walked in on a trusted employee who was signing a large check to herself. She was embezzling. After the legal hassles they decided to go into the retail floral business and once again they were embezzled to the tune of several million dollars. Here in Las Vegas, one tends to see too much of this—embezzling, fraud, bait and switch, etc. It’s easy to get cynical and suspicious of people in this kind of environment. So, as Christians, what do we do?

Jesus said, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Wisdom comes from God. Not everyone out there is a wolf. There are plenty of sheep in God’s flock that we just haven’t met yet and only the Holy Spirit can help us decipher who is what.

We become wise as serpents by listening to the Spirit of Christ within. If we have suspicions, we ask for God’s wisdom and then believe what He shows us and act on it. Meanwhile we can stay harmless as doves by doing our best to try to see people through the Lord’s eyes. Again, we can ask for wisdom regarding this, “Lord how do You see this person?”

 At this time of year, when we travel and may be in situations where there are lots of new people around us, we want to walk in the wisdom of the Lord.  In any situation we are not alone. We have the Lord Jesus with us. And “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). The Lord is generous with His wisdom and He doesn’t get mad at us if we ask for some.

Love, Carolyn

PS. My book WINGS is full of great true stories and an exciting Holy Spirit workbook for 2014. Get it today on Amazon, in print or e-book under my name.

HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES SOMETHING NEW - Beneath the Veil no.49

SOMETHING TOTALLY NEW

When I get on the plane this Sunday I will have completed 13 straight days of work without a break and some of them with overtime and oddball hours. Though I’m a little tired, it’s been a great blessing and the people I work with at both companies are so talented and a real joy to work with. On Sunday, however, I start something totally new.

I’m going on vacation! I was thinking how happy I will be to have plenty of time in the airport and on the bus, just to read my Bible and learn some new things. I already know that the Holy Spirit is ready to show me and teach me. Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things” (John 14:26)

That’s what happens when we read the Bible with expectation. We ask the Holy Spirit to teach us new things and our affirmative action is to read. The words on the page aren’t going to talk to us unless we read them and sometimes we get so busy we get out of the habit. So I’m really looking forward to having some good chunks of time for reading.

God promises to teach us new things when we read His words and hear Him. “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:23). Well, we have ears, right? Isaiah 48:6 says “Thou hast heard, see all this. I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.” What this tells me is that there are still hidden things in the Bible that we never knew before. One job of the Holy Spirit is to teach those things to us.

Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us.” What things will the Holy Spirit be revealing to us this Christmas season? I’m going into my Bible with expectation and my notebook. How about you?

PS: I bet there’s also some new things in my book that you’ve never thought about in quite the same way. You can get your copy from Amazon. Just look under my name. Happy discoveries.

Love, Carolyn

PAIN OR GAIN

PAIN OR GAIN

“Ow! It hurts,” I moaned. My hardhat felt too tight and my head throbbed. Even my eyes hurt. I’d taken a couple ibuprofen but it wasn’t working so I complained out loud until I caught myself. If my head was going to stop hurting, I had to change what I was saying.

I repented and instead of saying what I had, I called for what I didn’t t have--healing. I said, “The Bible says by His stripes I’m healed. Head, you’re healed.” I called for what I didn’t have. That’s how faith works. Faith calls for things that are not, so that they come. It's like calling my cat. If I call, “Here kitty kitty, he doesn’t show up. But if I call the right thing, “Here Snickers,” he comes trotting down the hallway. The right things to call for are in the Bible.

Sometimes we start off good and we find a scripture or two that fit what we are calling for, but then we get distracted and let it go by the wayside and the problem returns. That's what happened to me. I started paying more attention to my head hurting than to the healing I was calling for.

I made myself stop and told myself, “You’ve been healed. Healing come here now, in the name of Jesus Christ.” I started to get distracted again so I gave my head a little swat with my hand and commanded, “Listen up. Stop hurting right now. I’m calling you healed by the stripes of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is in charge here, not you.” The pain went away and has never returned. The presence of health replaced the pain. God’s Word puts it this way: God has “chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought [zero] things that are” (1 Cor 1:28).

When it comes to the Bible we sometimes have trouble with calling “those things which be not as though they were” (Rom 4:17). But there are many things we do in every day life to call things in before we actually see them.

For example, you’ve been told there’s a Christmas present for you. You haven’t touched it yet nor actually seen it, but you’ve been told it’s there and you fully expect it. It works the same with God’s gifts from the Bible. If He says we have a present of protection (Psalm 91) then we do. If He says He has health for us, then we can call it to us.

Hebrews 11:1 says: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.” What do we hope for? We hope for all the things God’s gifted us with. Second Peter 1:3 says He “hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” It’s our job to first do a little research to find them in the Bible then exercise our faith to receive them. We CALL for them. Jesus said, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might SAY unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6). From this passage we see that “Faith Says.” I heard this morning an insight from Charles Capps: If you throw it into the sea, it could come washing back up, but if you plant it, it’s staying there. We plant it with words, God’s words. That’s how my head pain was. It never came back and that was several years ago.

God's promises of good health, freedom from disease, financial abundance, and good relationships—these are just some of the things God's provided for us. Second Corinthians 1:20 says: “All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen.”  Amen means “so be it.” It's up to us to call the gift ours then follow the breadcrumbs the Lord Jesus gives, to get to the right results that are especially made for us. And as Peter found out: “God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35 NLV). What God has made available for one person is available for any other person because He loves us all.

God only intends good for us. Any evil is only temporary and subject to change. Things change because we have Almighty God on our side. Jesus, His son, showed us how to use faith to call in any of the presents God’s already told us He has for us. Enjoy your presents this Christmas!

PS: It’s not too late to order my book for Christmas or even the New Year. Just go to Amazon and look under my name. There’s something there for you.

Love, Carolyn

WHAT DOES JESUS WANT FOR HIS BIRTHDAY? Beneath the Veil no.48

As Christmas approached I asked the Lord Jesus what He’d like best for His birthday. I kept getting the same answer: “For you to be happy.” That couldn’t really be His answer, could it? I considered it and decided it DID make sense, since it was God’s original plan for us. He planned for a happy family, a family that would tend to the earth and work alongside Him, enjoying and expanding the Garden of Eden. So what happened?

Adam and Eve turned away from God and each generation got more corrupt and evil. Things got so horrible that “it repented the Lord that he made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Genesis 6:6). People’s minds and hearts were so mean that “every imagination was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). WOW! Can you even imagine what it would be like for a person to have ALL evil thoughts ALL the time?!

When the flood overtook the earth and wiped out the evil people, only Noah and his family survived. But there was still sin in the blood because it went all the way back to Adam.

But new blood was on the way. With the explosive event of Jesus’ birth, there was just one baby boy with uncontaminated, non-rebellious blood. That was a HUGE event and no wonder a multitude of angels showed up and rejoiced!

Jesus got His blood from His Father God. He didn’t get his blood from his mother. If He had, it would have been contaminated just like everyone else’s, but in the womb, the mother’s blood doesn’t even mix with the baby’s. So Jesus’ blood was not prone to disobedience and rebellion. The same relationship God originally intended for mankind was now going to be available through believing in Jesus Christ.

Finally, God could have peace. Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Prince of Peace.”

When a person accepts Jesus as Lord, he or she receives new life. Leviticus says that the life is in the blood. And we receive the blood of Jesus. The old sin is wiped out, forgiven and forgotten. Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside and that changes every single cell of our bodies. Our part is to believe it and receive it.

Christmas is all about God’s gift to mankind. He gave us peace through His son Jesus Christ. And in doing that, God Himself has peace in knowing that some will accept His gift and share it with others.

Love, Carolyn

You can order my book WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH from Amazon. It’s entertaining as well as being a useful tool in growing spiritual awareness. There’s one chapter for each week of the year and special chapters for the holidays – a great workbook for the seeker, whether a church goer or not.

THE ROAR IS HORRIFYING

BOISTEROUS WINDS AND ROARING LIONS

Too often believers get sucked into what the world is saying and then get trapped into thinking like the unbelieving world thinks, instead of how God thinks. In 2 Corinthians the devil is called "the god of this world," so it makes sense that the things of this world will try to take us down. But the Lord gives us instructions through Paul:


"Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]" (Rom 12:2 AMP).

 We need to stop listening to people constantly saying how bad things are. If we start talking about it and agreeing with them, we’re going to bring it into our own life, even if we actually have it pretty good. If we continue to look at and believe all the negatives that the media propounds, we won’t recognize the good when it does come. I experienced this recently.


The construction business in Las Vegas had slacked off. New casinos weren’t being built, so a lot of people, including me, were sitting at home waiting for the business to pick back up. I was off of work from my union painting job for a few months and had to hustle to make ends meet. I began to get somewhat fearful and depressed. I had things that I needed and I didn’t have the extra money in the bank to pay for those things. I was doing well and then what happened? I prayed for the money but I wasn’t seeing quick results and I still had the needs. I felt like I was sinking like Peter in Matthew 14:

 "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me" (Matthew 14:25-30).

 Peter was walking on top of the water, spiritually on top of the world, but when he started paying attention to the blowing wind, he began to sink. We’ve heard the phrase, "she's full of hot air," or "he's such a blow-hard," which refers to someone who is just spouting off absurdities and foolishness. When Peter looked at and listened to the blow-hard wind, he got afraid and began to sink.


1 Peter 5:8 says: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Like the boisterous wind that Peter heard, the roar of a lion is loud, deep and horrifying. But it is still just a noise and it really can’t hurt anyone. However, since fear is believing on the negative side, if a person lets it take hold, the lion will definitely come to maim or kill. In actuality, the roar could be only a recording, totally deceptive and no lion there at all!



When I started listening to and looking at the roaring of financial instability, it said, "You can’t have what you need because you don’t have the money." I began to sink just like Peter did. I was getting fearful of the boisterous wind, fearful of the roaring of not enough money. But I immersed myself in teachings and scriptures about God being my supply and I began to say, "The Lord is my only source." Then I followed His instructions to me.



I thought I needed money for a medical bill, but the insurance decided to pay the whole thing. I thought I needed money for a portable DVD player to listen to Bible teachings on the way to work; the Holy Spirit told me I could use a laptop instead. I thought I needed money to buy a new oven since mine had quit working. The Lord told me to call the home insurance I have. They said they would cover it and I only had to pay $55. The boisterous wind and the roaring of the lion vanished entirely. God had totally answered my financial needs with very little of my own money.


John 10:10 says the devil is a thief and he's around only to steal, kill and destroy. The Lord’s mission is to give us an abundant wonderful life. Our God is diametrically opposed to the god of this world and we need to be too. We have to stop looking at circumstances the way the devil wants us to and put our focus on the Lord’s ways instead.

Think how much could be changed in our own life and the many lives we touch. The boisterous winds that predict our sinking and the roaring that says, "There’s not enough," can be replaced with walking victoriously through it all with our eyes focused only on the truly victorious one.


Love, Carolyn


QUESTIONS FOR PONDERING OR DISCUSSION

1. Can you think of a situation in which you started to get fearful because of something you heard or read? Were you able to reverse the situation?

2. Can you recall a time or two when someone started talking negatively about current circumstances and you joined in? How did you feel afterward? Was it profitable or would you consider reacting differently in a similar situation?

3. Have you had times when you’ve thought God should answer your prayer in one way and He answers it in a totally different way from what you expected? Explain.

4. Have you considered taking a day or a weekend to just focus on the Lord and not look at or listen to worldly things? If you haven’t done this, or if you are thinking about doing it, how would you plan your time? Would you pick certain teachings from preachers you like? Would you read particular sections from the Bible? What subjects would you focus on?


FOR FURTHER STUDY

Deuteronomy 8:13-18

Job 6:24

Psalm 23

Isaiah 55:9

Mark 4:19

John 10:10

1 Corinthians 1:27

2 Corinthians 4:3-5

2 Corinthians 10:5

1 Timothy 6:17

Revelation 12:9

NOTE: This is a revised chapter from my book WINGS. There is one chapter for each week of the year so it would make a great Christmas gift that would last the whole year long. Find it on Amazon under my name. Right now the printed and kindle version go for under $10.

A FIERY BITE OF JALAPENO AND THE NAMES OF GOD - Beneath the Veil no.47

I chewed on a delicious bite of tempura jalapeno--spicy and HOT! I told my friend, "If food could remind you of the names of God, this one would definitely be the roaring fiery Lord of Hosts when He ascends like thunder and lightning to avenge one of His own!  " Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it" (Psalm 18:7-8). That's what the hot jalapeno reminded me of. So I asked myself, "What other food associations could I make to remind me of the varied and wonderful names of our God?"

Macaroni and cheese (voted America's number one comfort food) would have to be Jehovah-shalom, the Lord our peace. Broccoli and asparagus marinated in fresh lemon juice, olive oil and lemon pepper would be Jehovah-rophe, the Lord who heals me. A glass of good red wine at the end of a hard day, Jehovah-shammah, the Lord is here. For me, a comforting bowl of Malaysian curry says "the Lord is my shepherd," Jehovah-rohi.  The names for God in the Bible cover His multi-facetted character. Our God loves variety and we can see it all around us, even in the foods we eat.

I've included a list of some of the names used to describe God, and where they're used. Make up your own delicious food list as you look at some of these names. Bon Appetite!

Genesis 1:1 Elohim - God the creator
Genesis 17:1 El Shaddai - God who is more than enough
Genesis 22:4 Jehovah-jireh - The Lord who sees and provides (uncommon, unusual or unexpected provision)
Exodus 15:26 Jehovah-rophe - The healer
Exodus 17:15 Jehovah-nissi - The Lord my banner, my victory
Leviticus 20:7-8 Jehovah-mikkadesh - God who sets you apart
Jeremiah 23:5-6 Jehovah-tsidkenou - The Lord will make it right
Judges 6:23-24 Jehovah-shalom - The Lord my peace
Psalm 23 Jehovah-rohi - The Lord is my shepherd
Ezekiel 48:35 Jehovah-shamah - The Lord is here
Isaiah 13:13, James 5:4 Lord of Sabaoth - Lord of Hosts (hosts indicates masses of angels organized for war and includes all the physical elements as well) fiery and rescuing
Psalm 47:2 El Elyon - The Lord most high

Love, Carolyn

Friendly reminder: look on Amazon to order my book WINGS: A Journey in Faith. The complete book has enough short exciting chapters to cover an entire year of spiritual awakening and growth. It'll make a great Christmas gift and right now the e-book is only $6.99 and the printed as low as $9.72.

"OH YES! HIS NAME IS SPIKE."

I went to put down the foot of my recliner, carefully avoiding bumping my little dog Spike. But he wasn’t there.

 

Yesterday he passed away. 14 years ago a young neighborhood boy stood by my roommate’s car with his dirty-face little sister. At the end of a short red leash he held a wiggly little white and brown soft-haired puppy with floppy ears and a waggy tail.  The boy’s head was turned down. He stared at the sidewalk and barely muttered, “My dad won’t let me keep him. We already have two dogs. Ma’am, could you take him?” That’s when I came over. We agreed to take the puppy. As the boy and his sister clasped hands and started to walk away, I asked, “Oh by the way, does he have a name?” The boy straightened right up, “Oh yes! His name is Spike.”

 

We miss him so much. He remained a happy, sweet wiggly dog with a smile on his face his whole life.

 

I’ll get past this, but for now I’m just sad, walking around in kind of a daze. Yesterday the Lord said to my roommate, “I am even concerned about EVERY sparrow.” Wow, God created even the most insignificant little birds out of love and cares about them too.

It will be great to see Spike again one day, in a place where there is no more death and no more sorrow.

 

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. Be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create. The voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 65:17-19 and 25).

 

Rev 21:4-5 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

 

Thanks for your prayers.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

PS. If you’d like to see some great Spike stories, here’s the Amazon link for my book:

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