YOU SEE

YOU SEE

We’ve all experienced times when we’re pretty sure we know what someone is thinking. But we don’t acknowledge it because if it’s something bad, we don’t want to be accused of being judgmental, and we don’t want to be wrong. But I’m telling you, “Start believing what you see! Believe what you hear and understand the deeper levels of human behavior.” Perception and understanding come from the Lord. Jesus told his disciples that it is the unbelievers that don’t perceive the truth when they see it and they can’t understand the truth when they hear it.

“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matt 13:13). And in verse 14: “and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.”

To consistently and accurately understand the deeper levels of human behavior, you have to have the spirit of Christ within. Throughout the gospels we see Jesus demonstrating the ability to know what people were thinking, perceiving accurately what He saw and understanding perfectly what he was hearing. Jesus wants us to be doing this too. The following are just some examples with Jesus:

Matt. 12:14-15: “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence.”

Matt. 12:25: “And Jesus knew their thoughts.”

Matt. 16:7: “And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves.”

Matt. 22:18: “But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?”

Mk. 2:8: “And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves.”

Mk. 8:17: “And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?”

Lk. 5:22: “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts.”

Lk. 6:8: “But he knew their thoughts.” 

Lk. 11:17: “But he, knowing their thoughts.”

Lk. 20:23: “But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?”

The Apostle Paul explains: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). And with Christ in us we can do what He did. In fact, He said in John 14:12: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.”

Don’t doubt your ability to see and perceive, hear and understand. The Lord Jesus gave you His same ability to know what’s on people’s minds. Test it out. Believe what you see. There are just some things in life we need to know ahead of time, and we can if we allow the Christ in us to open our eyes and ears.

We already see and hear. Now we need to believe and understand.

Love, Carolyn

WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH

This compelling volume will heighten your awareness and change how you look at circumstances around you.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=WINGS%3A+A+JOURNEY+IN+FAITH+ 

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

I was up on the ladder with my camera in my hands, ready to photograph the rocks I painted; I hear a big crack of thunder and the lights go out.

The warehouse has enough natural light for me to see to get off the ladder and go over to check the breakers, but not enough light to get an accurate picture of the rocks to send my boss.

It reminded me of how Jesus is the light of the world; without Him, we’ll never get an accurate picture of anything that’s going on, just smoke and mirrors, falsehoods and disconnects. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth [is following] me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,” (John 8:12). 

Light replaces darkness: “For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness’” (2 Sam. 22:29). What a great promise. We can repeat this scripture to ourselves until we believe it and expect the Lord to shed light on any dark areas in our lives.

The lights in the warehouse came back on slowly. Sometimes it’s that way with things for us too—we want to understand; we need more light from Jesus on the subject; we pray about it and the truth comes to us slowly, a little at a time. At other times Jesus illuminates our circumstances like a floodlight, and everything becomes clear.

Lord bring on the light in our relationships, our finances, our ability to follow You, our understanding of current events, our part in politics and community, and our many small or big choices in everyday life.

Love, Carolyn

Today through Tues I’m offering Part 2 of my WINGS series. This section is PART 2 and contains chapters 10-23. Each chapter is a stand-alone true story of living the Christian life in our complicated world today.

10. PAY ATTENTION!
11. SPEAKING FAITH INTO EXISTENCE
12. HISTORY IN THE HEAVENS
13. THE MISSING MANUAL
14. PRAYING AND SINGING IN TONGUES
15. POWER-PACKED BLESSINGS
16. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
17. PREACH YOURSELF HAPPY
18. PAYMENT FOR SIN
19. CALLING THE DOG
20. THE ADVENTURE OF PLANTING SEEDS
21. FIXING EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS
22. NIT-PICKING
23. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA HAS ARRIVED

Get it on Amazon, or if you can’t, then I can send you a pdf file or word doc to your email. cjmolica@hotmail.com

AMAZON LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Faith-Earthly-Heavenly-ebook/dp/B007B23JTY/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1550768669&sr=8-13&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&fbclid=IwAR1Cw5jDi416Z07k8YNmjoNKfuUs03Q7guszjDAzxl_hkPozYciMTf7ROdM

BRAVERY

BRAVERY

My mom at 89 years old is reading through the whole Bible again. She’s on Judges 5 and we read it together a couple days ago. 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 love my mom for being a faithful, courageous and brave woman of God like Jael.  

We may not always hit the nail on the head, all the time, but we do all fight spiritual battles for ourselves, our families, our friends, our nations and God’s people around the world.

Love you, Carolyn

WARRIORS' PRAYER

WARRIORS’ PRAYER

Yesterday morning on the way to the airport, Jane and I prayed like we usually do when she takes me to work. I realized we are warrior soldiers and our morning prayers are our weapons. Every morning we exercise like people exercise their physical bodies, only we use prayer to get our spiritual muscles working. In prayer I bind Satan, principalities, and other evil spirits like God says in Ephesians 6:12: “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

I “first bind the strongman and then spoil his house” like Jesus tells me in Matthew 12:29 and Mark 3:27. My picture of binding the strong man is wrapping him up in duct tape and rolling him backwards. I do this to all the principalities and powers that come against people I know and Christians all over the world. When I bind them, I picture naked ground open for angels, people, and the Lord to get through to them to help.

As I exercise this prayer, I get wound up, motivated, bold, confident and strong. My voice is raised up and I’m energized. It’s like when you exercise your body and it reaches a point where the endorphins kick in.

Praying a warrior’s type of prayer in the morning is my spiritual awakening exercise. It’s coffee for my spirit, my mind and my emotions. I feel deeply for God’s people and that they get the truth. John 8:32 tells us: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” so I try to do my part in teaching God’s truth from the Bible, I and pray my warriors’ prayer in the morning. I’ve always been a great fan of freedom.

Have a great rest of your week. See you again Sunday.

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.

If you know of any family members or friends who would like to get my weekly Preach Letters, let me know.

I publish two every week, on FB, Wordpress, and Blogger and can send them to an email address, or physical address too.

I sell my e-books and booklets on Amazon, as well as a paperback of my first book.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=WINGS%3A+A+JOURNEY+IN+FAITH+ 

SOMETHING TOTALLY NEW

SOMETHING TOTALLY NEW

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

That’s what happens when we read the Bible with expectation. We ask the Holy Spirit to teach us new things, and our affirmative action is to read. If we can, it’s great to read aloud because that way we use two of our senses to receive God’s messages: by way of our eyes and by way of our ears. Sometimes we get so busy doing other things, that we get out of the habit of picking up a physical Bible and reading it. Instead, we watch Youtube video Bible teachings or listen to teachings on the radio or TV. But there is something special about reading the Bible for ourselves. So I’m looking forward to having some good chunks of time for reading.

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

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

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

Love, Carolyn

TODAY THRU TUES, on Amazon, or if you’d like I can send it to your email cjmolica@hotmail.com:

WINGS: A Journey in Faith  PART 4. It’s a compilation of true narratives—insights, revelations and guidance.

PART 4 contains 15 stand-alone chapters opening your awareness of how to apply Christian principles to everyday life and see the miracles that take place when we make room for Christ in our lives. The chapters include: 

SATISFIED FROM THE INSIDE OUT
MIRACLE OF BETTER EYESIGHT
LENDING MONEY TO JESUS
DIG AND DUNG
THE LORD OF SABAOTH STILL ROARS!
BOISTEROUS WINDS AND ROARING LIONS
WHEN EVERYTHING GOES WRONG
JEHOVAH-NISSI TO THE RESCUE
FIGHTING NEGATIVE ANTICIPATION
GENERATIONAL CURSES
SPEAKING OUR FUTURE
GOSSIP AND HEALING
HOW FAST CAN YOU OBEY?
A DIFFERENT TAKE ON ANGER AND FORGIVENESS
I LOVE YOU, NO NAGGING NECESSARY

This compelling volume will heighten your awareness and change how you look at circumstances around you.

LIFT UP HANDS IN VICTORY

LIFT UP HANDS IN VICTORY

I was working on a faux finish that would go on the outside of a building. I was matching an existing piece and was having a lot of trouble. The pressure was mounting, and I was getting more and more fearful as the day went on. The deadline was growing closer than the possibility of a solution. I got both my bosses outside to take a look at the pieces I’d done and get some suggestions. All the suggestions included mixing more paint, starting from scratch and going through all the steps again. Yikes!

We all went our separate ways for lunch, and I took the opportunity to pray. I prayed for Jesus to help me. I really needed Him, and I told Him so. I was directed by the Lord to open my Bible to the book of Ruth. As I was soaking in her story, the scripture came into my head: “Lift up the hands that hang down,” from Hebrews 12:12.

That scripture coming to my mind was evidence to me of the love of Jesus and the mercy of God to answer my cry for help. Next, the Lord reminded me of a TED talk I watched on YouTube about nonverbal communication. The premise was that if a people lifted their hands in a victory pose for just 2 minutes, their blood levels of testosterone would go up and they would feel more confident.

 I decided now was the time to try it.

I went into the restroom. I laid down my cell phone on the sink and looked at the time. I lifted my arms above my head as if I’d just won a race and I said out loud, “I have the victory through Jesus Christ; I have the victory through Jesus.” I snuck a look at my phone, and I’d only done it for one minute, so I stretched out my arms a little more and said it a few more times till 2 minutes were up. I left the restroom and doggone if I didn’t feel more confident. I really did. I felt invigorated and even a little carefree.

It worked! I lifted up my hands as it says in the Bible, and like it was confirmed and demonstrated on the TED talk.

When my one boss came back from lunch, he started working on the pieces with me, and we had some good laughs as we both came up with almost the same exact colors. We took them outside to see how they looked against the sample; they were way off! We both looked at each other with wrinkled brows. We shrugged our shoulders and back inside we went to try again.

The goofy thing is that the piece we were looking at appeared to have mustard color in it when we saw it outside, and the same color seemed to be reddish when we had it inside! We got out a fan deck of colors and took the piece outside to match it up, so I’m sure we’ll do better tomorrow. One thing’s for sure: I will have a better attitude, and my hands will stay lifted in victory.

Life is better with Jesus for sure and God’s kindness and mercy to me today was well appreciated. “With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (Is. 54:8).

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands” (Heb. 12:11-12).

Well as it turned out, God’s mercy prevailed: I finished up the sample; the guys put it on the side of a huge building in California and the client loved it.

If you didn’t get to watch the TED talk before, here’s the link. I think it’s less than 10 minutes long. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

Love, Carolyn

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

If you know of any family members or friends who would like to get my weekly Preach Letters, let me know.

I publish two every week, on FB, WordPress, and Blogger and can send them to an email address, or physical address too.

I sell my e-books and booklets on Amazon, as well as a paperback of my first book.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=WINGS%3A+A+JOURNEY+IN+FAITH+ 

GOD AND HIS SON JESUS

GOD AND HIS SON JESUS

Several years ago I realized I didn’t know Jesus as well as I wanted to. I’d been taught a lot about relating to and praying to God, but Jesus somehow got bypassed. I’d been taught that it was Christ in us but not how to connect with Him as a real person. I couldn’t help questioning, “If He is our brother, shouldn’t we be able to talk to Him? We don’t have to go through our parents to talk to our human brothers, so why should it be different with Jesus?”

In Acts 2:36 we’re told that God “made the same Jesus, both Lord, and Christ.” Hebrews 13:8 tells us it’s “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” We read in the Gospels that when people came to Jesus, they called Him “Lord.” When the disciples talked to Him both before and after the resurrection (John 20:26-21:25), they also called Him “Lord.” Should we do any less?

The Greek word for “Lord” here means “supreme in authority; by implication, Master (as a respectful title).”

According to Romans 10:9, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

I was born again when I was about eight years old. But it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I consciously realized I wasn’t doing such a great job at being my own master. I went back to Jesus, confessed that I was a mess and I needed Him to not only rescue me but be my Lord in guiding me in life. He was here on earth and experienced everything we’ll ever face, so He knows how to handle every situation, and he can guide us through. But sometimes we slip up a little in that category. We direct all our prayers and communication to God Almighty and leave Jesus out.

I was reading Acts 7 about Stephen: “And they stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (v. 59). In the King James Version of the Bible, whenever a word is in italics, like the word “God” in this verse, it means that the translators added it. Since the word “God” was added to the original text, we can take it out, and the verse reads: “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” And guess who was standing right there? Saul of Tarsus!

“The witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul” (v. 58). Saul heard Stephen speak to Jesus.

Later when Saul was on his way to Damascus “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1), a light from heaven shone, and Saul fell to the earth, and everyone there heard a voice. When Saul asked, “‘Who art thou?’ The Lord said, “‘I am Jesus’” (v. 5). When Jesus Christ spoke to Saul, it didn’t surprise him at all because he had been there when Stephen talked with Jesus.

When Saul got to Damascus, the Lord Jesus told a regular disciple, Ananias to talk to Saul.

“And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 9:17).

Isn’t that awesome?! There are many more verses in the Epistles that document a real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul tells the Corinthians: “Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?” (1 Cor. 9:1). Peter writes: “Even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me” (2 Pet. 1:4).

I’m not trying to direct anyone away from praying to God Almighty, our Father, and the kind of relationship we have with Him. I’m saying that our relationship with our Lord Jesus can grow as well.

I learned a long time ago that my secular work is directed and orchestrated by Jesus Christ. That realization wasn’t an instantaneous revelation. It didn’t come in a dream or audible announcement or anything flashy. I prayed to God about it; then one day I just knew it in my heart that Jesus was the one in charge of my work. I knew that secularly He would supply the jobs and the money I needed to live and pay the bills and do what I needed to do.

Every time I was out of work I consciously went to Jesus, expecting direction as to what’s next and I thanked Him for what He was arranging. In this category of my life, I know that God wants me to trust in the directions of His son Jesus Christ.

First Timothy 1:12: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”

I believe that there is a wonderful balance in our spiritual lives, things that God handles with us and things that our Lord Jesus handles and the Holy Spirit as well. We have all the help we need at our fingertips, closer even than breath itself.

Love, Carolyn

This preach letter is part of my second WINGS book. I’m currently working on its second edition. It’s going to be much better now 😊. At the end of each chapter I have some Questions. These are the ones for this chapter.

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. In addition to praying to God as your Father, do you talk to Jesus Christ as your Lord? How often would you say?

2. Name three or four Bible figures who spoke with Jesus after He was raised from the dead. Document with scriptures relating to these encounters.

3. If you haven’t talked much with the Lord Jesus, name some possible ways you might begin to acknowledge Him more often in your daily life.

TODAY THRU TUESDAY ---FREE BOOKLET: SUPERNATURAL SPIRITUAL POWERS WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Sample-SUPERNATURAL-POWERS-ebook/dp/B00HZ2CB58/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1546194534&sr=8-12&keywords=WINGS%3A+A+JOURNEY+IN+FAITH

If you can’t get it on Amazon, let me know, and I’ll send a pdf or word doc to your email. cjmolica@hotmail.com

If you know of any family members or frien

ds who would like to get my weekly Preach Letters, let me know.

I publish two every week, on FB, Wordpress, and Blogger and can send them to an email address, or physical address too.

I sell my e-books and booklets on Amazon, as well as a paperback of my first book.