POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

When first looking to buy a house in Las Vegas, we drove around town, and I found what I thought was the perfect one. It was way above what I could afford, but it was God’s way of getting us a realtor with amazing clout. Just mention her name, and we got everything we needed and more. That’s an example in the physical of what the name of Jesus Christ does in the spiritual. God gives us supernatural clout to use the name of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us how powerful the name of Jesus is: ^“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 

Since God created everything in the first place, if He says everything is in subjection to the power of the name of His son Jesus, then it’s true. And if anyone says different, they’re lying. John 8:44 tells us the devil “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

 

Sometimes, at night, if I have a bad dream, I wake up and say the name of Jesus repeatedly, and then I go back to sleep easily. Just saying and believing in the power of His name gets the job done. There is certainty in saying the name of Jesus Christ when you believe in it.

 

When I pray for someone or minister healing or deliverance to someone, I check with Jesus first, and then often He directs me to speak straight to a demon or demonic forces and tell them they must bow and obey whatever I say in Jesus’ name. I remind the devil spirit that it is not more powerful than the Son of God. Then I believe for wisdom and revelation and do whatever the Lord directs.

 

James 4:7 says: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We’ve been given the powerful name of our Lord Jesus to use in making any demon spirit flee from around us. And we can also help others. Just like I’ve told friends about my realtor’s recommendations, and they’ve been blessed, we can help others by sharing what happens when we use the name of Jesus Christ and we get blessed.

 

In the book of Acts, we have many examples of the believers using the authority of the name of Jesus. In Acts 3, Peter and John heal a man born lame, and the people are astonished. “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, ‘Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus” (vv.12-13).

 

Peter goes on to say: “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole” (Acts 4:10).

 

That’s a lot of power behind a name, the biggest power in the universe, in fact! And God loves us so much He’s given us the name of Jesus to flash at any force that is coming against us or the people we love. Let’s get more familiar with the power of Jesus and His name by reading the Gospels and the book of Acts too, and start to walk in even more victory than before.

 

Love, Carolyn

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LEARNING THE PHYSICAL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND GOD'S SPIRITUAL

LEARNING THE PHYSICAL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND GOD’S SPIRITUAL

How does a 3-dimensional printer work? It takes a digital file with all kinds of numbers and coordinates, and from that information, it makes a physical object. That’s similar to how faith works. Faith takes a God-given idea and brings it into the physical world. How is it that you can make a call from Las Vegas to a friend in Hawaii, and you can communicate in words as if you were right there in the exact same space and time frame? Or what about a Zoom meeting? Think about it. It’s like you are in two places at the same time—kind of similar to the way our Lord Jesus has always been able to be in two or more places at the same time.

 

We need to pay attention to what we are guided to learn in the physical realm. God will use it to open portals of understanding from heaven—to connect the dots, to use what you know in the physical realm, to teach you the spiritual.

 

Learn much. Observe it. Hold it. Understand it. The things we take the time to study and grasp in the natural will help us to comprehend the spiritual.

 

Romans 1:20 tells us: “For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” Let’s get better acquainted with some of the things that have been made by men, as well as concepts and things that were created by God in the first place. We need to stay awake and alert with a curious mind.

 

God created ants, and anyone who has watched ants knows they are not lazy creatures. God uses a person’s knowledge of ants to make a point.

 

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard: when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?” (Prov. 6: 6-9).

 

In this passage, God tells us about the habits of ants, but there are many passages in the scriptures that can be better understood and easier to apply if we know something about the physical thing God is talking about.

 

We’ll only know everything God’s got in the Bible when we go to heaven, but for now, we can keep our ears and eyes open to what things and concepts the Lord has put right in front of us.

 

For instance, one time when it was kind of slow at work, and I had nothing to paint, I took the opportunity to learn a few things from Chris, the carpenter I worked with.

 

Jesus learned carpentry, and there’s a reason God has that in the Bible. One thing I learned from Chris is that there are specifically designed tools for different tasks. That seems logical enough, but I never really thought about it until I started paying attention and asking some questions. Then I started thinking about what Jesus would have learned at a young age in the trade, such as the importance of keeping things straight, using the right tools for the right project, measuring things twice and cutting once, and so much more.

 

Let’s keep our hearts open to what the Lord is magnifying in the physical, then see how He connects the dots to a more spiritual understanding of Him and the world we live in.

 

Love, Carolyn

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ALL THINGS ON EARTH HAVE A VOICE, AND GOD GAVE US DOMINION

 

ALL THINGS ON EARTH HAVE A VOICE, AND GOD GAVE US DOMINION

I held a small handgun. It was one of the lightest in weight and easiest to handle. That was true, but I was surprised at how I instantly felt the voice of power in that gun. It was not a toy. The manufacturer made the gun to be used in a certain way, with purpose. The things of the earth speak of what they are and what they want. Once we realize that, we can choose to respect the voice and go with it, or we can choose to say no to the voice. God has given humanity the rule over earth things. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men” (Ps.115:16).

 

As far as earth things having a voice, our plants tell us when we’ve neglected to give them what they need, and most of us are tuned into the messages from our pets as well.

 

But there are many inanimate earth things that also have voices. We all know that our cell phones and computers have a voice. They say: “Pay attention! You need to open me right now.” We’ve learned to answer no at work (mostly), and at other times we’ve said yes and found ourselves sucked in for hours.

 

Money has a voice. I have a funny story about that. Jane was working in the computer department at the University. One Monday afternoon, she was sitting on a stone bench by the grass. She put her fanny pack with her wallet in it, at eye level on the column next to her. Jane won a large sum of money at the nickel slots over the weekend, and the money was still in her fanny pack. Her work schedule was pretty loose, and she was free to come and go as long as the work was done.

 

She looked over at her fanny pack, and the money started to talk. “Let’s get in the car and go over to Terrible Herbst Casino and play some slots.” Jane said: “Shut up in the name of Jesus Christ. We’re not going anywhere!” It was quiet for a few minutes; then it tried again: “Let’s go spend some money at Terrible’s.” Jane looked straight at that wallet and told it again: “Shut up in the name of Jesus Christ. We’re getting on that cart and going back to work!” And it never happened again, and Jane never forgot that incident.

 

I had an interesting experience with a Mazda rental car. The commercials on TV always displayed the words “Zoom, zoom” associated with the car. Then, when I went to drive it, I swear, it was really difficult to get the car to slow down. It wanted to go at least 45mph no matter what, even in school zones. That car was a real battle, but I could see why the young people really liked it—“Zoom, zoom.”

 

What inanimate objects are talking to you, and how are you reacting to what you hear?

 

Jesus said: “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear” (Luke 8:17-18).

 

The Lord is saying that we are responsible for knowing what’s going on. We need to be aware of the voices and make good, strong choices. We’re in charge. Let’s listen carefully and decide wisely.

 

Love, Carolyn

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DON'T LET DEMONS DIVIDE YOU FROM YOURSELF

 DON’T LET DEMONS DIVIDE YOU FROM YOURSELF

God always was and is still the Ultimate Authority: “In the beginning: GOD.” He is “the MOST HIGH OVER ALL THE EARTH” (Gen. 1:1 and Ps. 83:18b). Then comes man: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Gen. 1:26).

 

The devil himself was named Lucifer (light-bearer) in the beginning. God created Lucifer as an angel of light. Light makes things grow. Things are made clear in the light. They’re illuminated physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This mighty angel, Lucifer, was to illuminate things for humanity, but he was never supposed to have authority over us. Like other angels, he was supposed to help God by helping us.

 

God gave angels, like humanity, the freedom of will; they could abuse it just like humans do.

 

Lucifer didn’t like the idea of being subservient to God or humans. He became blinded by his own light and thought He could be greater than his creator. In this act, he began to destroy himself.

 

Isaiah 14 tells us Lucifer’s story:

 

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:12-14)

 

To “sit upon the mount of the congregation” means to sit at the top, above all beings, and judge them. (See Ps. 82:1 and Ps. 75:2.) Lucifer liked that idea—to be the bully on the throne and rule as he pleased. He craved that position and the power.

 

But God couldn’t let him have it. There’s only one God above all else, the God of the Bible. Lucifer turned against God, so he basically threw himself out of God’s presence. He was tossed out of heaven and no longer had the name Lucifer because now his light was darkness. Any light he gave would only be a counterfeit of the true light. He could no longer be called “light,” but instead, he was called Satan or the Devil:

 

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

 

“[But] woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:9 and 12).

 

Satan, being tossed to the earth, quickly tricked Adam out of having authority over the earth. God sent Jesus, a perfect man, to give authority back to God’s people. Jesus overcame the devil in areas where Adam did not, thus taking back humanity’s dominion on the earth. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b).

 

So where is the devil now? He would like us to believe that he is still running things, and he will continue to do so for those who let him. But legally, he has no authority. He is a liar and a divider.

 

Just like Satan tricked Adam into a type of suicide and self-destruction, Satan works to destroy people today. If we let him, he tries to get us to self-destruct. He gets us to turn on ourselves. When God tells us in His Word that we are wonderful, we instead listen to Satan and say to ourselves, “We are not wonderful.” All the things we see in ourselves that are not good come from demons. Demons divide. They work to tear us apart from each other and apart from our own true selves. How many diseases can you name that are in the anti-inflammatory group? Those are diseases where one part of the body fights to destroy another part of the body. That shouldn’t be.

 

God made the human body to work together. Ephesians 4:16 not only speaks of the body of Christ, the church, but to the human body: “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

 

And our physical bodies are not to be at war with our minds or our emotions either. All parts of us, body, soul, and spirit, should be yielded to God. He is to have authority over every part of us, to give His salvation, His saving, His DNA to every aspect of us. Then, we can exercise our God-given authority over every demon that tries to divide us from ourselves.

 

First Thessalonians 5:23 says it this way: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The only way that happens is if we relinquish our every part to the Lord. If we are holding on to some unhealthy part of us, it is because Satan has sent a demon to convince us that we need it.

 

Let’s stop letting demons divide us from our true selves. Let’s give every part of us to the Lord, believe in our total salvation, and let the Lord personally begin to show us what the new whole me looks like! It’s available, and it’s true. The devil is a liar and a thief. Don’t let him steal any part of you.

 

Love, Carolyn

More TRUTHS from God’s Word, and HOW TO APPLY these truths in everyday living—

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"POWER OVER ALL DEVILS" - LUKE 9:1

“POWER OVER ALL DEVILS” – LUKE 9:1

I walked into a small phone store, and a man waiting to get served was staring at me. I walked away and stood on the opposite side of the store, also waiting to be served. When I looked over at the man, he was staring at me more intently, and his face changed shape, with his neck jutting out and oddly connected to the bottom of his chin. He looked kind of like a chameleon. I could see the evil in his expression. I looked at the demon directly and told it (in a whisper because the whole store didn’t need to know what was going on), but I told it: “Keep away from me in the name of Jesus Christ, and shut up.” His face changed back to something more normal and non-threatening, and then he got called up to the service desk, and when I looked at him again, I knew he was no longer a threat to me. The authority we have in the name of Jesus Christ is a powerful weapon.

 

Luke 9:1 tells us: “Jesus called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power [dunamis] and authority over all devils.” The word, dynamite, comes from the same root as the Greek word, dunamis. The power in the name of Jesus is like dynamite! Philippians 2:10 explains “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” No devil can cut across the powerful use of name of Jesus Christ.

 

But we can forget to use our weapons if we don’t recognize an attack.

 

That’s why God tells us in Second Corinthians 2:11: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” In other words, we need to know something about the devil’s ways of doing things. If we don’t know, we can become easier targets for his evil ways. In the spiritual realm, ignorance is NOT bliss!

 

So, I let the Lord reveal to me evidence of the dark side, so I learn. The devil is not happy with that, but too bad; it’s God’s will for me right now, and I know that I belong to Him. Because Jesus paid for me, I am his and have the victory. The authority and the power belong to us, not the devil!

 

Don’t worry about me or anyone else who is researching the enemy, his kingdom, or his devices. We know that magnifying God and keeping our eyes on Him is primary and priority in this kind of study.

 

God can fully deliver us from the evil around us. Jesus gave his original disciples and us a prayer and a promise in Matthew 6:13a: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Knowing God delivers us from all evil, we can then look at what He says about it.

 

In Matthew 6:13a, “evil” is the Greek word “poneros.” It means “the active form of evil, in thoughts, speech, and actions. It is used when the Bible talks about the deeds of devil spirits and is used when talking about Satan as being “the malignant one.” We know what a malignant cell is. It is a normal cell that has been perverted into something else, something that grows, migrates, and destroys. “Poneros” are evil actions that are “harmful, lewd, and malicious.” But we pray in the manner Jesus instructed: “Pray to thy Father...deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6: 6,13), and He does it.

 

Another word used in the New Testament for evil is “kakos.”  “Kakos” means that a person or thing is “bad in character, morally, by way of thinking, bad company, bad desires, and all kinds of evil just for the sake of evil itself.”

 

“Kakos” is used in Titus 1:12, talking about when people accept demons into themselves that have the nature of wild, vicious, biting beasts, venomous snakes or reptiles, or other predatory animal spirits.

 

“Kakos” is also used in James 3:8, talking about a person’s tongue being a restless evil wanting to harm and injure. It’s vicious.

 

There are many things to learn about the ways of the devil. The Lord doesn’t want us to be ignorant, and He gives us great insight and wisdom in this field. But best of all, He has given us His dynamite! -  the power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ to win every time!

 

Here are some important verses that point out our authority and power in Christ. Let’s take the time to look some of them up this week.

 

I am a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

I triumph in Christ ((2 Cor. 2:14).

I have boldness and access in Christ (Eph. 3:12).

I have victory through Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).

I reign in life by Christ (Rom. 5:17).

I have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).

Christ is my life (Col. 3:4).

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM

 THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM

I’m sure we all know people who are naturally wise. They just seem to have a very solid sense of what will work to the positive and what won’t. They exhibit an uncanny plethora of common sense and seem to be able to make good choices and good decisions that keep them out of trouble. Jesus told a parable about a man like this. The man wasn’t a good and honest person, but he was wise.

 

“Now Jesus was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager [of his estate], and accusations [against this man] were brought to him, that this man was squandering his [master’s] possessions. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management [of my affairs], for you can no longer be [my] manager.’

 

“The manager [of the estate] said to himself, ‘What will I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig [for a living], and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management, people [who are my master’s debtors] will welcome me into their homes.’

 

“So he summoned his master’s debtors one by one, and he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of [olive] oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

 

“And his master commended the unjust manager [not for his misdeeds, but] because he had acted shrewdly [by preparing for his future unemployment]” (Luke 16:1-8 AMP).

 

The KJV puts verse 8 this way: “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely.”

 

Some people seem to have this kind of worldly wisdom already, and I have no idea where they got it. But then there are people like me who drew the short end of the stick when it came to worldly wisdom. My guardian angels must have been very busy because, unlike the manager that Jesus talked about, I didn’t make many wise decisions as a young person, and even into adulthood, I made a lot of stupid choices. I’ve done my best to do God’s will, and He’s given me tremendous wisdom in so many situations, but there’s always more to learn.

 

My friend, Kathy, shared some insight on wisdom that changed my life. She posted The Passion Version’s translation of Ephesians 1:17a: “I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom.” Then she went on: “The book of Proverbs came to mind because of the subject of WISDOM throughout the book. I then recalled that King Solomon wrote most of the proverbs. And what is Solomon best known for? He received wisdom and riches above all others, for all time.”

 

Solomon also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and The Song of Solomon, so how much wisdom can we also learn from these two books?

 

Though we’ve read the Bible many times and prayed to the Lord for wisdom, I can see that it would benefit us to take a closer look at the writings of the wisest king ever. I believe that in doing this, we will definitely be asking and allowing God to impart into our lives—to our daily choices and decisions—even greater wisdom than we’ve ever experienced before.

 

Love, Carolyn

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SEEING BEYOND THE CARNAL, AND NOT BEING SO QUICK TO JUDGE

SEEING BEYOND THE CARNAL AND NOT BEING SO QUICK TO JUDGE

 I’m reading the chapter about Giotto in Vasari’s book on Renaissance artists. At first glance, I wrote Giotto off as a very primitive artist, especially compared to Michelangelo, Raphael, and some other Renaissance artists whose works I knew better and really liked. But I decided to stop judging Giotto so negatively and take a closer look. I found a great website, wikiart.com, and I was so elated when I saw how he could communicate so many facial expressions and different body positions. This was many years before the discovery of how to use perspective and other techniques of realistic figurative painting.  

 

I spent all afternoon just looking at many of his paintings and blowing them up so I could get a closer look at the wonderful details. I thought about how important it is for us to stop judging things so carnally. When it comes to people, if we always believe our first impressions, we’re probably looking carnally and not seeing the truth.

 

Jesus never did this when he lived as a man on earth, and he doesn’t do it now. He judges if God shows him something. We need to look at people the way Jesus does. Like it says in 1 Samuel 16:7: “But the Lord said unto Samuel, ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’”

 

We can see in the Old Testament many examples of how God chose many people with physical, mental, and emotional issues to be witnesses for Him. Moses had problems with anger; Jacob had a bad leg and limped. God chose four cast-out lepers to save the whole city of Samaria. God is not concerned about anything we may consider a negative carnal characteristic. He is only concerned about what’s in our hearts. If people want to serve Him, He’ll show them how.

 

In New Testament times, people often criticized Jesus for his interaction with regular people. Zacchaeus was one of those. Zacchaeus was a Hebrew but he was a chief tax collector for the hated Roman government. Not only that, but he was over-charging his own people and getting rich off of the illegal profits. It’s interesting that his name in Hebrew is translated “pure,” and that’s how Jesus saw him. We see the story in Luke 19: 1-7:

 

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 

 

“And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 

 

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, ‘Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.’ 

 

“And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”

 

Jesus didn’t judge Zacchaeus by the way he looked, how short he was, by the money he had, or by any other standard, but only that the man really wanted to see Jesus. So, Jesus went to spend a little time with the man at his house.

 

Have you ever had Jesus come to your house? He will if you want him to. Just ask. You may think I’m crazy, but Jesus has come several times to our house in the evenings to just hang out and be with us. That’s what he did with Zacchaeus, and he even tells us in Revelation 3:20: “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.” We can take that literally as well as spiritually. When he comes to our house, he brings a peace that fills the whole living room. Jane says that everything just always feels sweet when he arrives. And he doesn’t even care that we’re in our pj’s or are having a bad hair day. He doesn’t care about any of that carnal stuff at all.

 

As it turns out, it seems Zacchaeus was deeply moved by the consideration Jesus showed him: “So then Zacchaeus stood up and solemnly declared to the Lord, ‘See, Lord, the half of my goods I [now] give [by way of restoration] to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I [now] restore four times as much (Luke 19:8AMPC). Four times as much was a greater restitution than the law required (See Num. 5:7: “Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.”

 

When I first looked at Giotto’s paintings, I only briefly looked at a very small photo and quickly dismissed it as primitive, and not that great. But at a closer look, I saw his heart and his tremendous talent. The heart and talent is what Jesus sees, and it’s what God sees. Let’s walk in the image of the Lord and remind ourselves to see people like he does.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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"HEARTILY, AS TO THE LORD"

          

 “HEARTILY, AS TO THE LORD”

When I got laid off in September 2021, I started working on a painting expressing my feelings about COVID-19. It was a complex painting and quite a challenge. These photos are just two different sections of the painting. At this point in the process, I still had a long way to go, and although there were many obstacles along the way, I gave it my all. When I was a young girl, my earthly father would tell us kids: “If you’re going to do a job, do it right.” He wouldn’t allow us to cut corners, and if we did, we’d have to go back and do it again. Whether schoolwork, chores, or whatever, we were told to “always do the best you can.” Our Heavenly Father puts it this way:  

 

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Col. 3:23). Living this verse will help us to retain the right attitude about just about anything we do.

 

Many years ago, there was a phrase being passed around in the Christian community. It goes like this: “What would Jesus do?” But we need to change it up a bit. Jesus Christ is alive now, and as Paul writes to the believers in Rome:

 

Jesus Christ is our Lord and our brother in the present time. “Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom 8:34).

 

Because Jesus Christ is alive now, we don’t have to ask what Jesus WOULD do, as if in the past, but we can ask him directly, “What do I do now?” Let’s think more about Jesus being with us. He always does things with his whole heart, serving God in everything. We are already aligned with him spiritually, but we can also be with him mentally. Before I pick up my brushes, I remember to ask Jesus to be with me as I work on my painting, and I know he is present because he inspires me to change things, colors, shapes, etc. It’s really exciting.

 

Let’s have a great week remembering to live Colossians 3:23, doing our “whatsoevers” heartily unto the Lord, and not unto men.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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PROTECTING YOUR GOD-GIVEN ANOINTINGS

PROTECTING YOUR GOD-GIVEN ANOINTINGS

I sat in the car waiting for Jane. I looked over at the passenger side of the car next to ours and a young man was opening the door for his wife. I thought, “Wow, you don’t see that much anymore!” Opening the car door for a woman used to be a common act of respect, appreciation, and honor—to show that the woman was someone special in the man’s eyes.

 

Many good ideas and practices like this one have been dropped, and many of us Christians have been wrongly taught when it comes to appreciation, honor, and respect, not only for others but even more insidious, as I see it, is the lack of respect for the anointing God’s put within us individually. Are we protecting that anointing, or are we sabotaging ourselves without even knowing it?  

 

In 1 Chronicles 16:22, God says: “Touch not mine anointed.” Verse 21 says: “But the Lord did not let anyone mistreat them. He warned kings not to harm them.” But what if we are the culprits ourselves, not giving honor to the God-given anointing within us?

 

Are we sometimes being like Jeshurun of Deuteronomy 32:15, who “lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation”?

 

When I thought about the man opening the door for his wife, I thought about some of the wisdom Solomon shared about a virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. “She perceiveth that her merchandise is good” (v. 18). And as a wife, “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life” (v. 12). And verse 10: “Her price is far above rubies.” Isn’t the anointing of God in us at least as valuable as this? We need to honor who we are spiritually and take care that we aren’t sabotaging our most precious treasure.

 

So, what are some of the ways we can honor and protect who we are spiritually? We can consciously be more aware of our physical surroundings. Is the environment in our home, at the grocery store we go to, where we choose to go for entertainment—does it encourage us spiritually, or is it a place we merely endure? Or can we possibly choose a different environment that is better for our spirit and our soul? Jesus can lead us there if we are willing.

 

Are we being cognizant of the food, the drink, the medications we take, and how they are affecting our spiritual treasures? And are we practicing healthy boundaries with other people, or are we letting others step all over us? These are choices we make.  Are they encouraging our spiritual anointings, or are they stealing energy from who we really are?

God says we have Christ in us. It’s a mystery and treasure beyond anything the world has to offer: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

 

So, like the man who cared enough to walk around to the passenger side of the car to open the door for his wife, let’s open the door for our anointings, treating them with respect and honor, and protecting them from all enemies.

 

Love, Carolyn 

More TRUTHS from God’s Word

And HOW TO APPLY these truths in everyday living—

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=BOOKS+BY+cAROLYN+mOLICA&crid=16D4X7I4BV76Z&sprefix=books+by+carolyn+molic%2Caps%2C450&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

TIME TO RECHARGE

TIME TO RECHARGE

9 o’clock the other night I’m watching TV, and the lights go out. No electricity in the whole neighborhood. Thoughts fly through my mind in rapid succession like bullets from an automatic rifle: “I’ve got a generator. I need to take it outside. I have to get my flashlight. It’s dark. I won’t be able to see out there. Sh..t, I should have recharged the batteries the last time. Do I have any other flashlights?  In my car. Phew!” 

 

I’m just about to get up out of my chair, and all the lights and sounds come charging back to life.

A couple of days later, I thought about not having the batteries ready for my flashlight when we had the power outage. It reminded me of the Bible story about the ten virgins with the oil lamps. They took their lamps to meet the bridegroom and go to the wedding. But only five took extra oil for their lamps so they’d be prepared. The bridegroom was late, so the five without extra oil were running out of light. They thought they could borrow some from the others, but that wasn’t going to happen.

 

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 

 

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then, all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.’”

 

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not.’ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 25:1-13).

 

We learn from this passage that each of us is responsible for getting our own oil. No one else is responsible to read the Bible for us, and no one else can do our believing for us. The women who were prepared went on to the party and the others missed out. This parable is about being ready when Jesus comes back. Nobody knows when that will be, but there will be a day when Jesus returns and everything changes.

 

“The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:10). “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God” (1 Thess. 4: 16).

 

Jesus said that when judgment day comes, every man will have to account for every idle word he speaks (Matt. 12:36), and fire will try every work. Our works are to be built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss” (1 Cor. 3:13-15). “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be?” (2 Pet. 3:11).

 

People want to feel that their lives are meaningful and that they are contributing good things into this world. Once Jesus comes back, we don’t get the chance to do it over again. We only have one life to live here on earth right now, no reincarnation. We need to make every day count.

 

We don’t want to miss a chance to say something kind, do something significant for someone else, give a smile, help someone, minister healing, cast out a devil spirit, etc. “We are all the children of light” (1 Thess. 5:5), and we can “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel” (Matt. 5:15). Let your particular light shine.

 

The end of our world is imminent, and according to the Bible, it could be any day. And for those of us who have experienced near-death events, we also know that our time on earth could end unexpectedly. So, let’s make a difference here while we can. If we think more often about Jesus’ return, we will live our lives more like the women who carried extra oil, rather than the ones whose light ran out.

 

As it says in Romans 13:12: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

 

If we live like today could be our last, it just could be our best.

 

After the lights came back on the other night, I recharged the batteries for my flashlight. Today, I’m recharging my heart for the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

More TRUTHS from God’s Word

And HOW TO APPLY these truths in everyday living—

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=BOOKS+BY+cAROLYN+mOLICA&crid=16D4X7I4BV76Z&sprefix=books+by+carolyn+molic%2Caps%2C450&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

GIVING OUR LORD SPOKEN RECOGNITION IN DAILY LIFE

GIVING OUR LORD SPOKEN RECOGNITION IN DAILY LIFE

It occurred to me this week that many Christians, including me, are neglecting part of our mission as followers of Jesus Christ. How? You ask. Well, we just don’t talk about the Lord in our everyday speech. God does so much for us. And yet, when we relate our daily events, we use a lot more of the phrase “I did this and that, and great things happened” rather than “Jesus did this for me” or “God opened this for me, AND THIS IS HOW He did it.” When the Lord answers prayers, we give the recognition in private, but too often, we don’t acknowledge the spiritual interjection publicly in our everyday speech or in our written communications.

 

When we’ve taken Jesus as our Lord, our lives aren’t nearly as much about us as they are about our Lord and brother Jesus Christ, and our Father God, the true God of heaven. As it says in Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Whether we recognize it or not, God loves us and is personally interested and involved in everything about our lives every day.

 

God has given us a personal Lord to guide us, talk with us, help us, and be with us all the time. He’s arranged for signs and wonders to happen around us. He’s given us angels to protect us, warn us, and push us in the right direction at times when we are hesitant. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit to teach us, as Jesus told his disciples: “The Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things (John 14:26a ASV). God has also arranged for other Christian believers to befriend us, and He’s even inspired unbelievers to do certain things that benefit us.

 

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God not only rescued us forever from Satan’s hell, but He took oversight of us and continues to orchestrate as many of His blessings toward us as we will accept. He certainly deserves our spoken recognition and praise.

 

I love how the King James version translates Philippians 1:27: “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” I know that several translations replace the word “conversation” with phrases like “your manner of life” or “how you conduct yourself,” and that is definitely the bigger picture, but what we say out loud is a huge part of who we are and who we represent.

 

2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” If we are ambassadors for the Lord, we need to talk about it.

 

I think the saying, “Actions speak louder than words,” has been taken way too far. We have over-emphasized the action part and nearly annihilated the words part. But I really don’t think any of us have done this on purpose. It’s been a sneaky trick of the devil, so much so that it’s difficult for people to even figure out HOW to talk about the Lord’s involvement with us.

 

To learn how to do anything comfortably, we must first start.  And Job speaks God’s promise and His truth: “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase“ (Job 8:7).

 

So, if someone may need a bit of help in this speaking category, here are just a few phrases we could start with: “Jesus did this for me,” “God opened that door,” or “Jesus brought that person to me,” or “The Lord got that person away from me.”

 

These verbal recognitions of the Lord’s presence in our lives are part of how we present ourselves as ambassadors for our Lord. And using these phrases are doing the commission the Lord gave us from Mark 16:15: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news’” (Mark 16:15 AMPC).

 

We are the courageous ones. We are the Lord’s ambassadors to help humanity. Start today, and others will do likewise.  

 

Let’s fasten this in our brains and speak it out of our mouths: “EVERY good gift…is from above” (James 1:17).

 

Love, Carolyn

In my books, WINGS: A Journey in Faith Vol 1 & 2, you’ll find awesome spiritual adventures and wisdom from the Bible that is perfect for applying to our current lives.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=BOOKS+BY+cAROLYN+mOLICA&crid=16D4X7I4BV76Z&sprefix=books+by+carolyn+molic%2Caps%2C450&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

REPENTING UNLOCKS THE DOORS TO GREATER FREEDOM

REPENTING UNLOCKS THE DOORS TO GREATER FREEDOM

I love this quote from T.L. Osborn, one of the great healing evangelists of the ’70s: “Jesus did enough! He did enough even to cover the worst thing we can do. He did enough for ALL mankind, FOREVER. There’s nothing we can do to shock Him, scare Him away, disgust Him so much He’d ignore us. He got tempted by whatever tempts us. And when He was crucified for all the results of giving in to those temptations, He took it to the devil and shook it in his face and dumped it off at the devil’s feet: ‘There, finished for all time!’”

 

Jesus paid the ultimate price for every sin against nature, against God Himself, against each other, and the things we do against ourselves, as well. But if someone doesn’t think they’ve ever really sinned, then they don’t believe the Bible, and they’re not going to ask the Lord for forgiveness because they don’t think they’ve done anything wrong.

 

People may not be concerned about changing anything they do or think. Some who can’t say they are truly sorry for anything they’ve done to God, themselves, or anyone else will not perceive any need for a savior. And they don’t think they need a Lord because they believe they’re doing okay by themselves. They think life’s full of necessary bumps, and they’ll handle it themselves in their own ways. These people have been taught to accept themselves as they are. This philosophy is deceptive.

 

God, our creator, accepts us as we are so that He can help us change into better. Anyone who believes they can’t be better is being deceived. And anyone who doesn’t want to be better is also deceived.

 

To be a better version of ourselves, we need to be genuinely sorry for things we’ve thought, said, and done in our lives that we know in our hearts were wrong. It’s not necessarily shameful that we did them, but it is shameful never to say we’re sorry about them. Jesus told his disciples to repent.  

 

The word “repent” is translated from a Greek word, “metanoeo,” meaning to think differently afterward, to reconsider morally. It means changing one’s mind for the better and heartily amending oneself.

 

Right after Jesus’ experience in the wilderness, where the devil tried to get him to say and do things against God, Jesus came back to the people, and the first thing he preached was repentance. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). We learn from Jesus that repenting is paramount to one’s freedom from deception.

 

Jesus also said: “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:13). And Matthew 11:20 tells us this about Jesus: “Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.”

 

When a person first decides to believe in Jesus and want Him in their lives, repentance is essential. They say they’re sorry for all past sins, and they accept Jesus as Lord of their lives because they know they have not done a very good job at leading themselves. They believe He took their sins to the cross and that He even went to hell for them and then was raised from the dead to everlasting life.

 

But repentance is an ongoing thing. A lot of Christians think that repentance is for things like thinking evil of others, being rebellious, swearing, sexual sins, stuff like that. Yes, those things need to change, but we also need to repent for thinking too little of ourselves. We are not to be doormats that people walk over and wipe their dirty boots on! 

 

The older and wiser we get, the more we may reflect upon our past, which means we discover a few new things we need to think differently about now, things to reconsider Biblically. I know that has been the case with me. Things I’d written off, things I did where I thought I was right, and didn’t find out until I was 50 or 60 that I wasn’t right at all. But I found that when I told God I was sorry and repented of my past ways of thinking, I experienced new freedom, and it’s been awesome! Heavy loads I didn’t even know I was carrying were lifted off.

 

It is always God’s will that we have a better and better life physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Repentance is a significant part of freeing ourselves from specific ideas and deeds that God knew about, but maybe we didn’t, so they continued to burden us, popping up in our minds and holding us captive. Everybody has had wrong thoughts and done wrong things, so if they continue to bother us, let’s get free! Repent NOW and receive a renewed liberty and righteousness in Christ.  

 

“Stand fast therefore in the LIBERTY wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).

 

Paul speaks to the believers in Corinth: 2 Cor. 7:8b-9a: “I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to REPENTANCE: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner” (2 Cor. 7:8a-9b). 

 

2 Cor. 9:10 “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and INCREASE THE FRUITS OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Love, Carolyn

 

In my books, WINGS: A Journey in Faith Vol 1 & 2, you’ll find awesome spiritual adventures, and wisdom from the Bible that is perfect for applying to our current lives.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=BOOKS+BY+cAROLYN+mOLICA&crid=16D4X7I4BV76Z&sprefix=books+by+carolyn+molic%2Caps%2C450&ref=nb_sb_noss