WELLS OF LIVING WATER

WELLS OF LIVING WATER

I was involved in a Bible group for several years until it became spiritually corrupted. I knew I had to leave it behind, but what to do next? At first, I felt at a bit of a loss, but after a while, I recognized I’d been given a gift of free time to get closer in my relationship with the Lord alone. I didn’t want to immediately jump into another Bible organization, but rather, to explore my personal relationship with God, through Bible reading and prayer. But I had a bit of a dilemma.

 

In 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 we’re told: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” And Ephesians 4:25 tells us: “We are members one of another.” So how was I going to stay away from another organized church denomination, yet remain an active part of the body of Christ and continue to receive the living water Jesus promised? And my journey began.

 

In Genesis 25, God shows us, through the life of Isaac, a real-life way to take this life journey.  In Genesis 25:11 He tells us Isaac was settled near Beer-Lahairoi (“the well of the Living One who sees me”). He was there for quite a while, raised his sons there, and had a good life. But then “there was a famine in the land” (Gen. 26:1). And that was the beginning of his next journey.

 

No matter where we are on our spiritual journey, we all have felt the famine a time or two. It’s when we feel we are lacking something necessary for the abundant life God promises us in the Bible. We may feel we don’t know enough about healing; we don’t have the skills to deliver people from demons; we don’t have the loving human relationships we seek. We’ve all been there. When famine hit Isaac, he knew he had to move on. He trusted God. He needed to find a new well for his life. One of the great keys to walking by the Spirit is truly walking out on a limb in trusting God, and not automatically going where others have gone.

 

When Isaac’s father, Abraham, found himself in a famine, he went to Egypt, so Isaac would have thought to do the same. But God told Isaac differently: “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of” (Gen. 26:2).

 

We have Holy Spirit in us, and if we are willing to be led by God’s spirit, rather than our own will, He will show us where to go physically, like with Isaac, or as in these days, traveling the highways of the internet.

 

Isaac had a big need, but his journey with God was different from Abraham’s. When you listen to different Bible people on the internet, or you try out different church groups, the Holy Spirit within you will resonate with some and not others. We need to test it out as quickly as we can, so we don’t waste time with preachers and teachers that are not part of our path right now.

 

God told Isaac to go to where the Philistines were, in Gerar, which was North, the opposite direction from Egypt. He went, and he prospered. “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds and great store of husbandry: and the Philistines envied him: (Gen. 26:12-14).

 

Isaac prospered in Gerar, but now he was met with another type of famine. The people around him were not favorably responding to him anymore. It became time for him to move on. He had a big need for water for all the people and animals who relied on him. He tried to dig in the old wells, but “the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth” (v.15).

 

Then Isaac found what he thought was a great well of water. “And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of springing water” (v. 19). “Springing water” is “living water.” Verse 20 says: “And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, ‘The water is ours.’”  Isaac had to keep moving.

 

This part of the story is so amazing and pertinent. Isaac found living water, good water, and others said it was theirs. He called the well, “Esek,” because there was contention there. It wasn’t for him at this time. So, he kept looking. He dug another well, and again, it wasn’t good for him. Then he dug another well, and the Philistines finally let him be. It was good for the time being, but the journey continued. Eventually, Isaac left the wells in Phillistine, and he went East to Beersheba and dug a new well, where he stayed and prospered.

 

When we feel like we are in any kind of spiritual famine, we need to keep moving until we find something that truly resonates with our Spirit, something that feels totally right. We check it out with God and test it. Then if it doesn’t really resonate in our heart, and if it’s not giving us the living water we need, we mustbe willing to move on.

 

One of the great things about the story of Isaac and the Philistines is that after Isaac moved to his well in Beersheba, the Philistines came to him.

 

“And Isaac said unto them, ‘Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me and have sent me away from you?’ And they said, ‘We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, ‘Let there be now an oath betwixt us.’” (vv. 27-28). And he [Isaac] made then a feast, and they did eat and drink” (v. 30).

 

Walking by the spirit of God is a marvelous journey. Let’s be sensitive to where we are on the journey and sensitive to the Lord’s urging to move on if need be. Let’s not criticize others on their journey or doubt our own. Instead of getting mad or disappointed with others who aren’t on our same journey, let’s let God play it out and let’s be willing to feast with all the body of Christ in the end, (or along the journey, any time we can.)

 

Our individual journeys may take many turns, and like Isaac, we’re not afraid if a well dries up. We never quite know where Jesus, who is the living water, will lead us. We trust and we follow.

 

As a side note: Why do you think we find so often in the Bible that our God is called “The father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”? What is it with each of these men that God is showing us? And it’s not just their genealogy.   

 

Love, Carolyn

 

REMOVING THE EFFECTS OF WORDS SPOKEN AGAINST US

REMOVING THE EFFECTS OF WORDS SPOKEN AGAINST US

“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” When my brother, sister, and I would fight as kids, we’d retort using that phrase. But looking back, I think you’d have to be superhuman not to have spiteful words affect you. Many of us as adults are still affected by the things spoken against us. We can reverse and eliminate that baggage.

 

In many Pagan religions, when they got together to put a curse on someone, they believed that spirits went out with the curse to make sure they got the results. Curses were powerful in the old days but are still very much in effect today.

 

The story of King Balak and the Israelites in Numbers 22 gives us a prototype of what curses do and the antidote. The principles still apply today, over 3000 years later.

 

The Israelites were on their way to the blessing, the peace, and the good life God promised them. They met with two renowned kings and asked to pass through their domain. The kings said no and came against the Israelites. Everyone figured the Israelites would get wiped out because these kings were very well-equipped and strong, but instead, the two kings were defeated. The defeat of the mighty kings shook the world around them. When King Balak heard about the fallen kings, he feared for his land and kingdom because the Israelites were coming there next.

 

“Balak saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites and was sore afraid of the people because they were many: [He] said ‘Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field’” (Num. 22:2-4).

 

Balak and the people back then believed in the power of the words spoken by prophets and soothsayers. They believed in the spiritual powers backing the words these people said. There was a very famous soothsayer named Balaam. He was not an Israelite. He lived over 400 miles north of where the Israelites were now traveling and Balak’s kingdom. Balaam could be compared to a current day psychic, who may have some truth but also bad stuff. In Balaam’s case, God wouldn’t let him say anything against Israel.

 

King Balak sent his messengers up to get Balaam and bring him down to where he was. Balak was willing to send his men over 400 miles one way and pay Balaam a large amount of money for the curse because he knew it worked. Balak sent the following message to Balaam: “Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot [know] that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed” (Num.22:6).

 

We can see from this verse many things about curses. First, curses are directed not toward weak people but against “mighty” ones. Next, we see that the purpose of the curse is to “smite” them. The word “smite” in Hebrew is powerful and has many synonyms, including: “to strike home, strike deep, to wound or kill. It means to “beat, to overpower, overcome, crush, stop, ruin, plunder, suppress, lay waste, attack and destroy.” This word “smite” also refers to being smitten like a plant is smitten when it begins to wither.

 

King Balak believed that just the words of Balaam in a curse (with the attached devil spirits to go with it) would “drive them [the Israelites] out of the land.” The word “drive” in Hebrew implies violence, power, anger, and hatred. It means to expel or cast out like mire is cast up by the sea. It carries with it the idea of shame and disgrace. It is a sentence of banishment.

 

Even today, when negative words and phrases have been spoken against us by people who believe in what they are saying, the same motivation and intent are behind it.

 

The Lord says we are His people. We are mighty in His sight. If you ever feel like you are on the right path with the Lord and you are being beaten at every turn or stopped or any of the other definitions of what it means to be smitten, then it just may be that someone uttered words to stop you.

 

Yes, there are witch covens and other groups of Satan worshipers that get together in our villages, cities, and suburbs for the exact purpose of speaking curses against God’s children. But often, the curses come in a much subtler way.

 

Curses can come in answer to the simple question, “How’s so-and-so doing?” Answers like: “Oh, she always has problems with her finances.” “He can’t seem to make a marriage work.” “She is sick all the time.” These seemingly innocent responses can act like sections of a chain-link fence, combined to make a monstrous barrier preventing the person from the freedom they seek. Word curses have power, good or evil.

 

But things we often think and say about ourselves are even more insidious than what others say about us. Things like: “My father died of a heart attack, and it’ll probably get me too.” “I probably won’t ever get a better job.” When we say things like that, they can keep us in a state of being cursed, smitten, withered, or even violently spewed out of our own promised lands.

 

BUT THERE IS AN ANTIDOTE. On Balak’s second try to get Balaam to come and curse God’s people, Balaam did go. King Balak took Balaam up to the mountaintop, where he had a good view of the Israelites, but when it came time to speak the curses, Balaam opened his mouth, and blessing words came out! After three tries from three different viewpoints, Balak was furious because Balaam could only speak what the Almighty God gave him, which were words of blessing over the Israelites. Finally, on the last try, an amazing thing happened:

 

Balaam not only did not curse the Israelites, but he prophesied a wonderful blessing instead. In many situations, we need to do the same. It takes wisdom to respond to spoken curses in a more encouraging and positive way, but not phoney! God doesn’t want us to call a snake a puppy! I know you know what I mean.  

 

Balaam spoke of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would cut down and eradicate every possible curse ever! 

 

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star shall come forth from [the descendants of] Jacob. A scepter shall rise out of [the descendants of] Israel and shall smite [remember the definition of “smite”] the princes of Moab and destroy all the sons of Sheth. And Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city” (Num. 22: 17-19).

 

Balaam prophesied how Jesus, the King of Kings, would rise out of Israel and “smite” the princes (devil spirits that instigate the curses) of Moab. And Jesus shall have dominion and destroy any curses that remain to this very day. And that “day” includes the present day.

 

We have the privilege to use the powerful name of Jesus to rebuke and halt any curses spoken against us. Jesus took all those things that have been and will continue to be spoken against us, to the cross. He took them and destroyed their power. In His name, we stay vigilant to confront and destroy them now.

 

1 John 3:8b says: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

 

And Galatians 3:13 tells us the truth about curses: “Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us.” All the things spoken against us, including the things we have recently said about ourselves, are wiped away when we believe what Jesus has done for us, not only in the spirit but in our hearts, minds, emotions, decisions, and bodies.

 

Deuteronomy 28:15-68 lists curses of the Law of Moses. The King James Version says God brings them, but truthfully, God only allows them if people aren’t willing to accept redemption from them or maybe don’t know that they can be free or know how to get there.

 

That’s why we have to get more of Jesus, less of us, less of our intellect and reasoning, and more simply believing and receiving. I am right there with you on this.

 

Among the curses and their effects in Deuteronomy 28 are:

 

Vs. 20 – despair, confusion, and rebuke in every enterprise you try to do

Vs. 22 – consumption (emaciation, anorexia perhaps?), fever, inflammation

Vs. 27 – tumors

Vs. 28 – insanity, blindness

Vs. 29 – oppression, not prospering, being robbed

Vs. 30 – adultery, failure in business

Vs. 32 – sons and daughters turning away

Vs. 35 – problems with knees and legs

Vs. 61 – every sickness and every disease

 

Suppose we take a look at some of these verses and see those things in ourselves. In that case, we’ve probably been cursed by thoughts that have turned into words from our own mouths, words from others in our lives, other communication’s media, and even curses that have come down into our lives through our ancestors, down into our blood and DNA.

 

We rebuke those curses in the name of Jesus Christ. We call on the King of Kings to crush the powerful spirits who backed King Balak, and we accept new freedom and release as we both meekly and boldly follow the leading of Jesus Christ, the curse breaker, receiving our victory in Him.

 

Love, Carolyn

My book, WINGS: A Journey in Faith – an awesome spiritual adventure and great interactive workbook. Find it on Amazon in paperback or Kindle.

 

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GOD'S LOVE

GOD’S LOVE

God loves us unconditionally. Matthew 5:45 says God “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” And Romans 2:4 tells us: “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Sometimes it takes a lot of convincing, but even in our human relationships, if we absolutely know and see it in action, that someone truly loves us, we want to reciprocate. 

 

Everyone wants to feel that they matter to someone, and you matter to God. He has a wonderful plan for your life. I once heard a Bible teacher give the listeners this challenge: “I want you to say, ‘God loves me unconditionally,’ 50 times a day and then watch for His love.’” So, I tried it.

 

Wow did I have some big surprises. I was doing pretty well until I went out on my patio and started to re-pot a few plants. One of the plants was super heavy, and I was very intense on getting it out of the one pot and into the other without hurting myself. Then I was moving everything around and sweeping and working hard. I love doing this, but I realized that I was so intense that I didn’t think about God much.

 

During those intense times when we’re working so hard to produce, we may forget that the Lord is right there with us. The first time I did the “God loves me” challenge, the transplanting project knocked the challenge right out of me. I didn’t say, “God loves me unconditionally,” even one time! Maybe if I’d relaxed a little more and said my quote, I would have enjoyed myself more and not stressed out my shoulder muscles!

 

But the next day after the flowerpot incident, I was at work, and I had a project that was on a tight deadline. All day long I was saying “God, You love me unconditionally. I matter to you. You have a wonderful plan for my life.” I kept a tally, and during work alone, I said this or a version of it 75 times. And in spite of the difficulty of my project, I finished it in time. I was happy while I did it, and it turned out well.

 

How about taking on this challenge for the upcoming week? Keep a record and try to say some version of “God loves me unconditionally” 50 times each day.  Let’s see what happens.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

All of my books and booklets are available on Amazon. I’m now working on Volume 3 of  WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH. Thanks for the prayers, as I have a lot of material to go through for this one. Thanks!

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THE WOMAN WITH THE SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY

THE WOMAN WITH THE SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY 

 The Gospels are filled with some of the wonderful healings and deliverances God did through Jesus Christ. By faith, we too can receive and give the same kind of miraculous blessings. The record of the woman who Jesus “loosed” from the demon of infirmity is what the Lord gave me to talk about today, because it is one of the demons attacking and trying to attach itself to many of God’s people in our world today. The story is in Luke 13:11.

 

“And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.”

 

The Greek word for “infirmity” is astheneia. This is the definition:  The “want [lack] of strength, weakness, infirmity A. of the body, its weakness and frailty, feebleness of health or sickness. B. of the soul, want [lack] of strength and capacity requisite [required] to understand a thing, to do things great and glorious, to restrain corrupt desires, to bear trials and troubles.” All of the above is in the definition of what infirmity is.

 

We all know people with this problem, or you may have it yourself. In this woman’s case, her frailty even affected her posture, and she was bent over under the overall strain of life itself.

 

“And he [Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.  

 

“And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, ‘Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.’ And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luke 13:10-13).

 

The woman knew this was from God and she honored and celebrated Him for healing her. Life could no longer push her down. Jesus gifted her with the understanding and the strength to do great things and overcome corrupt desires and bear up under trials, things she could never do before.

 

We all have things that bother us about ourselves, but Jesus is here to heal us of all that. As He said to the man whose son was suicidal: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

 

Got a problem? Jesus has the answer. Let’s respond like the man who had the suicidal son: “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe” (Mark 9:24).

 
Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Amplified version puts it this way: “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”

 

Faith believes what God says, before it’s seen in our reality. God wants us to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

 

We have the kind of faith like the woman in Luke 13. She went to where Jesus was. She sought his teaching, his wisdom, his love. And she received what he offered. She was lifted up—she was straightened up and set free, relieved from all her weaknesses. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ makes us strong. And faith connects us to God.

 

For more examples of faith, check out Hebrews 11.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

STAND AND BE GRAND

 

STAND AND BE GRAND

The Lord is involved in everything we do, including our choices politically, socially, and emotionally. When we voice our choices publicly, we better be ready to be criticized. Nobody really likes criticism. It can be hurtful, but we need to learn to deal with it. It’s better to take a stand for something and be criticized than to remain apathetic and fearful. Even in olden times, kings respected strong enemies who were brave enough to stand tall for what they believed. God’s Word has a strong Word for those who He deems lukewarm:

 

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:15-16).

 

Wow, that’s powerful!  I used to be more afraid of offending friends and family, than of offending God. I wanted people to like me, and I didn’t want to argue or get into any debates where I had to defend what I thought. But after a while, I learned that no matter what I did, I wasn’t going to please everyone.  There are many adult children who are still trying to please their parents, and it just isn’t happening.  I was one of them.

 

Finally, in my mid-forties, I realized I didn’t have to try to please my parents anymore. The very middle verse of the Bible says: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Ps. 118:8). When I changed my focus to pleasing God, it was shortly afterward that my parents began to totally respect me as an adult person and not as a needy child anymore.

 

I was taught to be polite (which I think is a good thing), but polite became timid, and timid became fearful. I’m not fearful now, and you don’t have to be either. We can speak our minds openly and disagree. Paul and Peter disagreed about certain things, but they didn’t hate each other. They were loud and proud. I’d rather say what I think and be criticized than be lukewarm and have God’s opinion be that I’m too “milk toast” to even swallow, but rather, as He says in Revelation 3:16: “I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

 

Peter was a bold guy. He boldly told Jesus that He shouldn’t have to die. Well, Jesus rebuked him. But Jesus didn’t forsake Peter. He just corrected him, and they went on being friends. If we think that not voicing what we think is going to make us a better person, it’s not. We all have opinions, and God knows what they are. When we don’t speak them out, we might not even be fully aware of what we really think.

 

Putting a pen to our thoughts, or a voice to our thoughts helps us to articulate what we think. When we know what we think, we can either keep thinking it or we can change it. Changing what we think is part of growth. People change what they think all the time.

 

But when our thoughts are fuzzy and unspoken, they aren’t clear, and they aren’t cold or hot. They become lukewarm like the Bible says. And that goes for what we say to ourselves as well as what we say to others. Our thoughts about ourselves need to be lined up with what God says about us. Isaiah 61 is a prophetic word about what Jesus Christ would do for those who believe. It’s our job to boldly declare His truth if we are to be true disciples of the Lord.

 

Verse 1 says he was anointed “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” So, if a person feels like they are bound to some addictive action, for instance, Jesus is here to set us free from that, and we must boldly claim ourselves free in Jesus’ name. Later, in verse 3, part of Jesus’s mission is “to give unto them beauty for ashes.” This gives us the right and responsibility to boldly declare to ourselves: “I am beautiful.” Or a person could boldly say: “I am not beautiful,” and in the 5-senses that may be true. But our mission is to get to where we are “hot” to God’s truths, helping others to do the same.

 

Taking a stand, hot or cold, on what we think, requires boldness in either case. Boldness is a quality God admires. Just take a look at your Concordance to see how many times the word “bold” is used in the Bible!

 

Let’s be brave. Let’s step out without fear. As Paul writes in Romans 13:11: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation [wholeness] nearer than when we believed.”

 

We want to keep growing, “with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor, 3:18).

 

It’s time to Stand and be Grand!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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HOPE AND VICTORY

     

 

 

 

    

 

 

HOPE AND VICTORY

This past week I was inspired to move my HOPE chime out to the end of my trellis. When I went to take a photo of it, I noticed that one of the sticks that the chimes are attached to is broken and ragged, like we all were before Jesus came into our lives, and the trellis formed a cross, like the cross Jesus bore for us so many years ago.

 

The trees are still blooming, the doves are still loving on each other and making babies, and we have the ultimate victory because of that cross and because God raised him. When Jesus was killed and put into the tomb, it looked like all was over. But to those who had hope in the scriptures of old and in the words Jesus spoke himself, after three long days of grief and fear, their dream came true, and their prayers were answered. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, thus defeating death for every person who believes.

 

Matthew 28:6 – “For he is risen, as he said.”

Mark 16:6 – “He is risen.”

Luke 24:6 – “He is not here, but is risen.”

John 21:14  - “This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.”

 

JESUS IS ALIVE NOW, AND WE WILL BE WITH HIM FOREVER.

 

Love, Carolyn

(the "victory" painting isn't done yet, but I thought it was a good one to represent Victory :-))

 

DON'T BE AFRAID TO FAIL - GOD IS FAITHFUL TO A HUMBLE HEART

DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL - GOD IS FAITHFUL TO A HUMBLE HEART

I remember the day when I discovered I was totally okay with my own failure. After three days of trying to make a piece of Masonite look like a piece of maple, I’d run out of ideas. I’d completed hundreds of wood samples that looked great, so I was shocked with myself when I realized I just could not do this one. I had to admit failure, and the result was surprisingly wonderful! In that moment, I was totally set free. I did fail, and I was actually happy for myself. Odd, yes, and yet this was a deliverance for me! I was very prideful growing up. Failure was never an option. I was good at almost anything I tried, and I avoided activities I couldn’t do well. No one really likes the idea of failing. But sometimes it can be a good thing – a lifesaver, actually.

 

Though I’d accepted Jesus as my Lord and confessed my sins, pride kept popping up in other categories. It’s funny how God can use the most mundane things in our lives to show us the most important spiritual things we will ever experience. This incident with the wood sample was one of those things.

 

Many of you have experienced similar awakenings. We go along in our regular life, no real “Las Vegas” moments to speak of, no bells and whistles, just plodding along, and all of a sudden, in the middle of doing something we normally do, God opens an amazing realization about a very big thing in our lives that we never expected.

 

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that if we are faithful to seek God and read His life manual, the Bible, He is faithful to us, to reward us with revelations, insights, and deliverances that we not only wanted but some we didn’t even know we wanted! A preacher once said: “God can make taking out the garbage the most exciting thing you’ve ever experienced.” I‘ve found this to be absolutely true.

 

The key on our part is to be faithful to Him. Jesus tells us a parable in Matthew 25 about a man going to a far country who gives his goods to his servants to take care of while he was away. 

 

“And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several [own] ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

 

“And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

 

“After a long time, the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

 

“And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.’ His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’

 

“He also that had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them’. His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’

 

“Then he which had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.’

 

“His lord answered and said unto him, ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant’” (Matt. 25:15-24).

 

The servant that received one talent was afraid of failure. He didn’t even try, didn’t risk anything, didn’t step out in faith to gain anything more. He buried what he had. He reminds me of Christians who stop reading the Bible, stop praying, stop exploring and questing after more of the Lord’s intimacy in their lives. They bury their desire for Him or get snared by fear that it might not work, or they may look foolish even trying.

 

In the above parable, the two servants who were faithful to do more with what they had, were the ones who were brave enough to step out. And look what the Lord told them: “Enter into the joy of thy Lord.”

 

As Christians, we are still human, and we are going to fail sometimes. But failure isn’t a crime. “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’” (Rom. 3:10).

 

We were failures when we came to Jesus the first time and admitted we weren’t very good at being our own Lord. Don’t be afraid of being a failure at something. It’s worth a try.

 

We must pick ourselves up when we fall and continue to seek the Lord’s guidance. Let’s be like David, who said to God: “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes” (Ps. 123:1).

 

Humility is a sweet smell to our God. And pride is a stinker. Shut it down by going back to the scriptures with a humble heart for truth.

 

God is faithful to us. “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” (Deut. 7:9).

 

In the New Testament, the Lord promises: “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). And God keeps His promises.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Other teachings and true-life stories I’ve written to help you live the Bible way:

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CULTURAL EXPLANATION OF THE JAEL AND SISERA STORY

Bishop KC Pillai was an expert on the culture and customs of the people of the Bible. My friend, Doug, sent me this write-up on the story of Jael and Sisera that I talked about on last Sunday’s preach letter. I think this will give everyone a deeper understanding of that record – well worth the reading!

 

Eastern Customs and Idioms of the Bible: Orientalisms

Bishop K.C Pillai

Jael Defends Her Honor

Judges 4:18-21

And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my Lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink: for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink; and covered him. Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? That thou shalt say, No. Then Jael, Herber’s wife, took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. (Added for clarity, it was her tent.)

 There was a war at one time between the Israelites and the Canaanites in which the Israelites defeated the Canaanites. The captain of the army of the Canaanites was Sisera, and he ran when he saw defeat. He came to a tent where Jael lives and (1) she gave him refuge. He asked for water and (2) she gave him milk. (3) She also covered him with a mantle. These three actions of her were very significant. Jael belonged to a neutral party, so Sisera was sage there. In the tents, there is one part for men and one part for women, divided with a tarpaulin. Men could never enter the women’s side and vice versa. Only family could visit back and forth. Even military or lawmen could not go into a woman’s apartment. Sisera was a stranger to Jael, so why should she help him? It is believed that to give a man refuge who is running for his life is doing the word of God. Otherwise, it would have been against her culture to speak to the man.

She put him in the men’s side of the tent and covered him up with a mantle. A mantle is a three to four foot long cloth, folded in four parts and worn around the neck. The mantle represents authority, or protection, or when it is torn in two, it signifies an outward sign of inward grief or anger. Authority may be transferred by transferring the mantle from on to another. Jael invited Sisera in. Whenever a guest comes under the shadow of one’s roof, he is treated as if he were God or an angel. The host would rather die than allow any harm to come to the guest. He may be “no one” but when serving him, one is serving God. Receiving a guest is a religious thing and even the government would not interfere with it.

When Jael gave Sisera milk (buttermilk) in which there is salt, she took a covenant of salt with him, which is inviolable. She gave him three assurances of protection: (1) invited him in, (2) covered him with a mantle, and (3) took the covenant of salt with him. Being an Eastern man, he should have understood the significance of these three things. He then asked her to tell a lie. In their philosophy is an unwritten law: one can tell a lie to save someone’s life, but one can never tell a lie to profit or save one’s self.

She was offering to Sisera God’s assurance for protection. She would lay down her life for him (indicated by her standing in the doorway for him), rather then betray him. Later on, she comes inside from standing in the doorway and found him fast asleep. Sisera had three assurances, but he snuck into the women’s apartment. He did not stay where he was put. Any man can come into a man’s side of the tent. So Sisera began thinking, “maybe they will chase her away and come into the tent—although she means well, she could not defend me if men walked in. But if I get into a woman’s tent, no men, no power, no army can come in. I will be safer here.” So his unbelief in the three “securities” or assurances, led him into her apartment of the tent. His unbelief killed him. The woman found him in her apartment and carried out her part of the contract. She took a nail of the tent and drove this nail through his temple and he died. Why? 

If a person makes the covenant of salt with another person and one of the two breaks this covenant, the punishment is death. The reason that she drove a nail through his head was because he moved over into her side of the tent (verse 22). He broke the covenant of salt by doubting her protection, so he deserved only death. She was dealing with his unbelief by driving tent nail through his head. She had no animosity, she was not his enemy. She covered him with the mantle, exchanged the covenant of salt and she called him inside.

Because we do not trust in God, we try to make our own securities. Because of our unbelief, we forsake the sufficiency give to us in God. We do not believe because we do not understand. Knowing God is different from knowing about God. We must understand our security, freedom, heritage and rejoice in God for the rest of our lives.”

 

 

HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD - BE BRAVE

HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD – BE BRAVE

My mom was a faithful woman when it came to the Bible. At 89 years old she was once again reading through the whole Bible. When I came to visit, she was on Judges 5 and we read it together and talked about the great lesson it teaches. It’s the story of a woman named Jael, a story of bravery and the courage to do the right thing. Judges 5 is a song sung by the prophet Deborah concerning the overthrow of Israel’s enemies. In verse 2 she sings: “Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.” The Lord was able to work in them to bring peace to themselves for many years because of Jael bravely yielding to the will of God.

 

The people were being oppressed. Verses 6-8 tell us:

 

“In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel. . . . They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?” The answer is no.

 

The land was full of anarchy and confusion, everywhere infested with bandits. No public road was safe; and in going from place to place, the people had to take unfrequented paths. Village life ceased. Not only was life hard under the oppressors, but they also confiscated all weapons, so the Israelites could not fight. By spiritual analogy, we can say that Satan not only wants to oppress the Christian; he also wants to disarm us as well and make us feel small and unable to do anything to change any situation.

 

Sisera was an enemy leader who fought against God’s people. We are told in Judges 4 that “Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred of iron, and all the people that were with him” (v.13). But “the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet” (v.15).

 

Sisera had spiritual help from the devil and he was getting away. But God had a plan and He had someone who was bold enough and brave enough to take care of the final problem, Jael. She was a simple married woman, one of the ones who “willingly offered themselves” to do the Lord’s bidding. Sisera came to this married couple’s tent and expected to be treated well. Sisera’s king was friendly to the clan of Jael’s husband so Sisera thought he was perfectly safe in the presence of Jael and her husband. He was not! When it comes to loyalty to God versus loyalty to family friends, God is always going to win for committed people like Jael.

 

“Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.  And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.  And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him” (Judges 4:17-19).

 

Jael was not going to let this enemy go. She knew what she had to do. She made him comfortable, gave him the favorite drink of the culture, curdled milk instead of just plain water, and she had his confidence. He lay down to rest after pursuing and killing God’s people, totally unaware of what was about to happen. As he slept, “Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died” (Judges 4:21).

 

Deborah in her song puts it this way (Judges 5:26): “She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.”

 

This is where we get the phrase, “You hit the nail right on the head!” In other words, you got it totally accurate and final.

 

What bravery and confidence to believe that she had the means and the right to carry out this act to deliver God’s people from their oppression. Deborah ends her song with this: “So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years” (Judges 5:31).

 

My mom and I read this together and talked about bravery and truth. Every time I read God’s Word, the Lord teaches me more about trusting Him and being willing to fight for the freedom and peace of His people. I love the Word of God and I sure loved my mom for being a faithful and brave woman too.

 

We may not always hit the nail on the head, but we stay faithful and brave, doing our part to follow Jesus, confronting our own spiritual battles, and standing up for our families, our friends, our nations, and God’s people around the world.

 

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

 

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 

“As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:31-38).

 

Love, Carolyn

 

 

A LONG AND SATIFYING LIFE

A LONG AND SATISFYING LIFE

My friend was in surgery and was starting to come out of the anesthesia when she hit a distinct point of decision. She saw the male nurse walk across the room calling her name. At that moment she knew that she had the choice to wake up or just let go. Then she said to herself, “I’m not done yet. God has more for me to do.” And she made herself wake up. In Psalm 91:16 God promises: “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

 

The word “satisfy” in this verse comes from a Hebrew word meaning to be fulfilled, to have plenty, to be enriched. Who doesn’t want that, right? 

 

Where it says God will show us His “salvation”, that comes from a Hebrew word which means His victory, His prosperity, His saving, health, and welfare. God’s welfare plan is way better than any government plan. The older we get the greater opportunities to experience more and more of God’s magnificence: more revelation, more wisdom, more understanding.

 

As we age and continue to faithfully seek the Lord, there are different levels of glory to experience. Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

 

“Glory” in this verse means “splendor, brightness and excellence.” Wow, what awesomeness to look forward to! More splendor to see in the physical world God created, splendor in relationships, accomplishments, ideas and so much more. What about the promise of being able to be brighter?: Mentally? Emotionally? Physically?

 

Glory also means to be more excellent. I think about the Biblical word “dunamis,” used in the New Testament, which means excellence in our soul life, i.e. better decisions more of the time, good moral values, controlling our emotions without even trying, living a more Christ-like life. The word, dynamite, comes from this word dunamis!

 

The word glory also means dignity and honor. As we change from glory to glory, we become more honorable and our self-view becomes more and more as the Lord sees us, rather than how we may see ourselves at this point.

 

Glory also means grace.

 

It’s interesting that glory also means opinion, judgment, and view. That changes too. Our opinions start to change to God’s opinions. We judge not according to politics or peers but more in line with the Lord’s judgments or lack thereof. Also, our view of things starts to switch from old views to new ones as the Lord leads us to another level of glory.

 

And, of course, glory also means kingly majesty and the personal excellence of Christ. Honestly, who doesn’t need lots of years to develop into the Christ-like person we desire to be, a majority of the time, not just sporadically, or when we try really hard?

 

I want to live a long life so I can experience all I possibly can of God’s glory to glory here on earth, like He says we can.

 

People in certain church groups have been taught that 70 or 80 years would be considered a good long life and they base it on Psalm 90:10, which says: “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” But if you’ll notice, this Psalm was written by Moses. It was regarding the Israelites who disobeyed God and their lives were cut short in the wilderness. Since people in our times have believed this was concerning them, they’ve missed out on so much wisdom and great insight that comes with the ages beyond 70 to 80.

 

Genesis 6:3 tells us God’s will for mankind’s lifespan on earth after the flood: “Yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

 

God wants us to be satisfied with a long healthy life, so we don’t have to give up if at 70 or 80 we’re not fully satisfied yet. According to Genesis 6:3 we can certainly live longer, until we’re totally satisfied.

 

I want to reveal an amazing truth about death that many people don’t know. It’s such a great comfort and will get rid of any fears we may have about dying.

 

Hebrews 2:9 says Jesus tasted death for every man: “But we see Jesus, who, ... by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” The word “taste” is translated from the Greek word which means “feel, experience.” Since Jesus went through the physical experience of death for us, and felt it in our place, we don’t have to. We don't have to feel or experience a horrible or scary death, but our failsafe is that we must train our brains AHEAD OF TIME to truly believe what Hebrews 2:9 says. In God's eyes, death is to be only a transition. Suddenly we will just be changed. Our next waking moment we will be in heaven with Him and go on with our spiritual life there.

 

My friend has had three distinct near-death experiences and in each, she never had any five senses feelings of death. It was always just a decision to live or die, and not based on any five senses horrible feeling of death. This is documented in the Word of God. For the believer, death is only a passing from this earthly realm to a heavenly realm. What a comfort and what a blessing to know that for us there is absolutely nothing to fear in death! Amazing and wonderful.

 

But while we’re here on earth, let’s believe to be Psalm 91:16 people, living a long wonderfully satisfying life, changing from glory to glory until we are as fully satisfied and ready to go see our Lord face to face in heaven.

 

Love, Carolyn

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TAKING THE BRAVE NEXT STEP

 

TAKING THE BRAVE NEXT STEP

Have you been tempted lately by anything that tried to get you off track? I have. the place I usually go to write has changed. I had been going to the same place for quite a while and the atmosphere was perfect for studying the Bible and writing. It was awesome. “WAS” is the operative word here.

 

More and more distractions came up; the atmosphere changed. I noticed it, but I thought it would work out and everything would be okay. But finally, I had to face the fact that it just wasn’t working. I was fidgety nearly the whole time I stayed in the same place and tried to work. I had a harder time getting into the Bible, and it was a struggle to write.

 

Oftentimes our temptation is not the one that lures us out into other places but the one that gets us to stay where we are. Generally, people are more apt to go with the status quo, with what they’re used to, rather than venturing out into the unknown. No matter how bad the situation gets, our tendency is to stay put. The unknown just seems too scary or too hard. But that is exactly what our adversaries want. The situation gets slightly worse, then gradually gets so bad we wonder what happened. Satan manipulates to delay us and hurt us.

 

Wisdom is to become aware of a deteriorating situation as soon as possible, and if we haven’t got the authority or revelation to fix it, get out. You will probably be surprised to know that Jesus our Lord often walked away from bad situations. Check it out. Here’s one poignant example:

 

Matthew 4:12-13: “Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast.” There was no confronting the authorities to get John out of prison. God gave Jesus the message to get out of there. Jesus knew 1 Samuel 15:22: “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Jesus got a word from God to leave and Jesus obeyed, even though his cousin John was stuck there in prison.

 

Another example is in John 8: 59: “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

 

And look at John 7:1: “After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.”

 

Jesus just moved on to do God’s will for his life in another place. That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do, too.

 

I don’t have to keep going to the same place I used to study and write just because it’s convenient for me. I don’t have to think I can stay and make it better either. I just have to pick myself up and say: “Jesus, where to next?”

 

Let’s be brave. Let’s believe to see quickly and clearly if a situation is one we need to remove ourselves from, and then be willing to step away if Jesus says go. That goes for people too. We need to recognize that in the big picture of our lives, some relationships are going to be on a time limit, and we need to be willing to let go without animosity or blame. As with many events in our lives, we go to the Lord to help us to step out courageously into the unknown with our hand interlocked in the hand of the One who knows it all.

 

I’ve found a new place to study and write, and I love it!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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