JULY 2016 - PATIENCE IS LIKE A DIAMOND

JULY 2016 - PATIENCE IS LIKE A DIAMOND

An amazing thing happened this week that proved to me that through faith and quoting a particular scripture, one of the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22 had fully developed, and we didn’t even know it.

This past Wednesday, I woke up in a sweat. I checked the thermostat, and it was over 80 degrees at 4 a.m.! The temperatures have been 109 degrees to 113 degrees during the day, so we had to get this fixed as soon as possible. I had to be at work, and my roommate Jane had an appointment at 1:00 p.m. We had to think about the cat and the dog, call the insurance people who would call the air conditioning company, and we also needed to figure out a place to stay until it could be fixed. We had lots of arranging to do and were chock full of pressure.

We actually handled it well, one thing at a time. Jane took me to work, called the insurance, went back to check on the animals, called me, and was able to make her 1 o’clock appointment. The air conditioning guys couldn’t make it out until Friday, so the next two days were a whirlwind of driving me to work, driving back to check on the animals, getting our stuff to the motel and checked in, back again to check on the animals, getting a ride after work to the motel. And in the middle of this, we had a quick rainstorm and a flash flood.

But with all the tension and stress of the situation, we didn’t even argue one time. When the anxiety mounted up, we shut up and didn’t let it out of our mouths. We just kept our trust in the Lord that all would be well, the air conditioning would be an easy fix, the animals would be fine, and everything would be okay. And it was.

Galatians 5:22 tells us: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” We ate some of that “longsuffering” fruit. The Greek word for “longsuffering” means “patient enduring.”

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says: “Patience only grows in trial.” In other words, patience is only developed under pressure, so we don’t even know we have it until we’re put to the test.

Lots of times, we don’t see what the Spirit is doing to change our lives, and we even may wonder if anything is really happening. I know that since the beginning of the year, Jane and I have had several opportunities to be stressed. We were both very aware of the reason: I started working on publishing my second WINGS book. The adversary hit me with just about everything he could to get me to quit. But with Jane’s help and the help of friends like you, I didn’t give up.

Every day on the way to work, I would say Philippians 4:6 and 7 along with the other scriptures we quote. It says: “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Then when this incident with the air conditioning happened, and we were put under even more pressure, we just kept the faith and trusted in the Lord all the way through. We even got a mini-miracle: The air conditioning guys were scheduled to come late Friday afternoon, but they had a cancellation, so they were able to come at 9 a.m.

When the whole incident was over, we discovered that in this experience, the fruit had become fully ripe. I can honestly say, it’s as if the entire thing never happened.

We talked this morning about what could have happened if we had let the stress get to us: we could have argued about things, which would have brought about emotional strife, which would have remained and would have needed to be handled after the incident of the air conditioning was long over.

So many other negative things could have happened and lingered beyond the actual incident, but because that fruit of patience (longsuffering) was already developed, when the event was over, the stress just fell off like a scab and had no more effect on us at all – like it never even happened.

It's not great, humanly, that patience (longsuffering) only gets developed under pressure. It’s just NOT fun, but once you’ve been through it, it’s amazing and thrilling and a great joy to know you really have it.

Like Jane reminded me this morning, a diamond is formed only under pressure. And we’ve found that true forbearance (patience) is a very precious diamond to own.

Love, Carolyn

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MEEKNESS ISN'T WEAKNESS

MEEKNESS ISN’T WEAKNESS

September 2014. It was another rush job. The designers were sending over three samples of red brick, and they wanted me to do variations of whitewash and aging on them. The samples arrived late. The mortar wasn’t even dry yet, but they still wanted me to finish so they could pick them up the next day. This project was a tough one.

I was under pressure to work quickly. I got three fans out to dry the mortar first. Then I started to mix my colors. When somebody pushes me in a situation like this, I want to push back. But I told myself, “Jesus is with me. It’s okay. I can do this.”

Then the project manager told me they were coming for the pieces two hours earlier than planned. For a few minutes there, I mentally lost it. “What?” I thought. “They bring me the pieces late. They aren’t even dry enough to paint, and now they want them completed two hours earlier?” I started to get angry, but then a strange thing happened.

My old nature of rebellion just disappeared instantaneously as an overwhelming meekness enveloped me. I didn’t even have to try to overcome anger or any of that. It wasn’t me trying to be meek. It was genuine. It clothed me inside and out, and it felt really true and good. It was like an atmosphere of meekness, through and through, beautiful, elegant, and powerful. “This isn’t me,” I thought. But I didn’t have the time to ponder it, so even though it felt alien, I went with it.

I finished up the samples before the deadline, and I’m sure it was the Lord helping me on that one too. I told my project manager he could call the guy to pick them up, and I followed him over to the job site with my touch-up kit.

I was so calm and peaceful in this new air of humility. I walked onto the job site in my typical work attire: a T-shirt and painter pants that used to be white but now were about 75 percent covered in paint. My boots were also paint-spattered. I had on my hard hat and my safety vest that didn’t fit because they only come in one size: large. I found a place to sit on a dusty stack of bricks, but I felt like an elegant, powerful queen in a gorgeous dress and beautiful crown. The meekness wasn’t weakness. It made me feel tall and free.

The designer arrived and picked the sample he said he just loved. That made me happy, but not nearly as happy as this new humility I was experiencing.

It was great to feel genuinely calm inside, in contrast to the uproar I usually felt in these hurried, stressful, last-minute situations. Some part of my soul had changed. The old me was sharp-tongued, rebellious, and angry. This new meekness had to be the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, part of the new me, the Christ in me: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Romans 7:24-25 talks about the two natures we have in us, the old one and the new one. Only God, through Jesus Christ, can deliver us from our old character: “Wretched and miserable man that I am! Who will [rescue me and] set me free from this body of death [this corrupt, mortal existence]? Thanks be to God [for my deliverance] through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness, my sinful capacity—I serve] the law of sin.”

I had tried my best in the past to be meek under stress, but even with my most vigorous efforts, it wouldn’t last very long, and it definitely wouldn’t be true humility.

But with the miraculous working of the Lord Jesus Christ, the rebellious, angry nature of the old Carolyn was replaced by the pure and wonderful meekness of Jesus Christ. That’s the new nature God intended for me to have. It had nothing to do with me changing myself. It had everything to do with the Lord working in me to transform me into my real self in Christ. All I did was have to desire to be more like Him. The Spirit of Christ in me changed my soul. It took time, but the change came, and here it is many years later, and the meekness is still here. It’s for real.

Almost every morning, my roommate Jane and I add this little phrase to the end of our prayer: “I can hardly wait to see what the Lord is going to do today.” It’s an exciting life.

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. How do you honestly react when someone pushes you to go faster?

2. Have you ever experienced a fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness or temperance) come over you supernaturally? How did it feel? Describe the experience.

3. Are there characteristics from your old nature that have entirely disappeared? Others that have periodically dematerialized?

4. Which of the fruits of the Spirit would you most want to experience at this time in your life?

FREE THRU TUES.      Part 3

This section of WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH contains 14 true-life short stories, opening your awareness of how to apply Christian principles to everyday life and see. The chapters include: 

24. THE DEVIL HAS NO AUTHORITY
25. RISE LIKE THE EAGLE ABOVE THE STORM
26. OUR SPIRITUAL FIVE SENSES
27. I KNOW THE BOSS AND I'M WITH HIM
28. GOING THROUGH THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE
29. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TIL WE DIE TO GET SOME HEAVEN?
30. SEEING IN NEW WAYS
31. GOD'S SPIRIT TOUCHES OUR SPIRIT
32. NEGATIVE PRAYERS
33. ROLLER COASTER FAITH
34. HOLDING YOUR GROUND
35. THE CICADA
36. NO GLASS CEILING
37. DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS

PRIDE COMES IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES

PRIDE COMES IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES

My best friend Jane was driving, and I was in the passenger seat. Typically, when Jane drives, I do the backseat driving. This morning was no different. The traffic was extra heavy, and I could see that someone had stopped about six cars ahead of us. As Jane approached, it seemed to me she was going way too fast. I jerked up both hands, palms stretched out, signaling her to stop immediately!

Out of her mouth the words cut loud and sharp—vicious, almost: “Don’t you think I saw it? I’ve got plenty of room!” Then the angry silence; one of those silences that are fraught with tension on both sides. I wanted to defend my point of view, but this time, I knew better. It would have led right into a bigger argument, the kind where every sentence begins with the acidic phrase: “You ALWAYS . . ..”

Anybody who has had a very close friend for a long time, or those of you who are married, know exactly what I’m talking about with the backseat driver syndrome.

This time, though, I handled it differently. Jesus has been working with me, healing various soul wounds, and delivering me from the dark sides of my personality, changing me into a better person.

Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us: “And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord.” (AMP)

The word “glory” is translated from the Greek word doxa. It means “dignity and honor.” As we look to Jesus and take His reflection as our own, among other things, we become more honorable.

In a matter of a few minutes, I calmed down, got peaceful with the Lord and knew what to do. I opened my mouth and said to Jane, “I’m sorry. I’m not going to do that again. You’ve never had an accident, and I’m not going to be a backseat driver anymore.” As I heard the words come out of my mouth, I felt different. I had just spoken simple words, and yet they were life-changing truth; they opened a door I never expected.

The Lord soon revealed to me that my backseat driving was just plain pride, mixed with a little fear. I didn’t realize it of course, but that’s what it was, PRIDE, thinking I would have done it better! Yikes!

Sometimes it’s hard to admit to the dark sides of our personalities, but if we do, and we want to be delivered from those things and the demons that cause them, we can be. Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

Who would have connected pride to backseat driving, right? But there it was. We may tell ourselves we’re just trying to help, but the thought, “I’m helping” is sometimes a sneaky perversion of “I can do it better.”

Biblically, pride is a snake. Job 41 tells us: “Leviathan . . . is a king over all the children of pride” (vv. 1 and 34).

And Isaiah 27:1 calls “leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent.” In Hebrew, the word “piercing” means “fleeing, escaping, bolting, noble, imposing, aristocratic, crooked, devious, corrupt, fraudulent, underhanded, deceitful, and unscrupulous.” The word for “crooked” means “twisting, winding, circuitous, indirect, convoluted, labyrinthine and tortuous.”

A snake is sly. It uses camouflage to look like something it’s not. A rattlesnake blends with rocks and you would hardly know it’s there unless you knew what to look for, or you heard its rattle.

Pride is a snake that manifests in many ways. How many times have we cut someone off in mid-sentence to say what we wanted to say? That’s an indication of pride. We think what we have to say is more important than what the other person is saying.

What about when we look at our boss and think, “I could do this job much better”? Maybe that’s true, but it’s still prideful if we haven’t considered all the boss handles. Would we really do a better job at everything?

In Numbers 21 there is a great record about serpents. The Israelites had been in the wilderness a long time, and “the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses” (v. 4-5a). They started complaining, “Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread [manna]” (v.5b).

Their complaining brought fiery serpents, and many people were bitten and died. “Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.’ And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (vv.7-8). The fiery serpent Moses put on the pole represents Jesus on the cross. When the people who were bitten by snakes looked on it, they were healed and delivered.

It’s the same today. The only way to get rid of the leviathan snake of pride is to look on Jesus Christ. It takes the miracle of the cross and the power of the resurrection to deliver us from the serpents that bite us.

When I realized pride was the cause of my backseat driving, I got quiet and looked immediately to the Lord for help and deliverance. He led me first to apologize, admit my sin, just like the Israelites went to Moses and acknowledged their wrongdoing.

Then I looked to the dunamis power of Christ, the DYNAMITE miracle-working Spirit of Christ working in me. I expected it to invade my soul—my thoughts, my emotions, my actions—so that I would have excellence of soul and do the right thing.

In the story of the serpents in Numbers, it was the soul of the Israelites that was messed up, and it got them fearful, prideful and complaining, and that brought the fiery serpents. It was something in my soul that let the sneaky serpent of pride take over, but it was Christ Jesus who got it out. I’m free now to maintain my victory.

This backseat driving incident took place in the summer of 2016. I like to re-read my stories and see how I’ve grown and also see where I need to be reminded.

Love, Carolyn

USER-FRIENDLY BIBLE PRINCIPLES FOR EVERYDAY LIVING: true life stories of how GOD works to make an ordinary life extraordinary:

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OVERNIGHT IN THE WOODS BUT NOT ALONE

OVERNIGHT IN THE WOODS BUT NOT ALONE

I woke up and felt something on my back. I thought it was just bumps from the rocks I’d slept on, but no. It was ticks! Three of them that I could feel, and they’d embedded themselves into my skin and were getting fat from my blood. I could reach around to my back and tried to twist them out. I probably didn’t get the heads, but I’d deal with that later. I was lost in the woods, had slept on the rocky shore of a lake all night, and needed to get home. But I wasn’t afraid because something wonderful had happened the evening before.

I was walking up in the hills behind my apartment. I took my Bible and thought I’d hike a little and then sit down to read. I hiked a lot more than a little, sat down to read, and when I got up, I realized I didn’t know which direction was home. It was getting late, and I started to get very scared and hungry. I prayed and walked on. In about an hour, I found some berries, and that satisfied my hunger somewhat. I sat down again and started to cry. “God, You’ve got to get me out of here. It’s going to be dark soon, and I’m afraid.” I cried some more, and then through teary eyes, I looked up into the sky and saw an amazing sight.

A real angel! It was in white and was blowing a trumpet. I didn’t know if it was male or female and I didn’t see any wings either, but what I felt was peace. In my Spirit I heard, “It’s going to be okay, don’t worry.” At that moment, I knew which way to go, and I wasn’t afraid anymore. It was dusk when I looked down the hill, and about 100 feet away, I could see a lake. I was so thirsty by then; it was a really welcome sight. But what now?

It was getting too dark to go any further, and I didn’t want to go back up into the trees, so I decided to sleep where I was. The ground was rocky and kind of slanted, but I found what I thought was the best spot, curled up and slept.

When I woke in the morning, after pulling out tick bodies, I started around the lake. I only walked a few steps  and realized the shoreline twisted in and out a lot. I knew about lakes up in that area, so I knew if I walked around the lake, I would come to something I recognized and I could get home. But hen I spotted some fishermen coming down to the water, straight across from me. I yelled over to them, and they saw me. But how was I going to get to them?

I would have to swim across. I wrapped up my Bible in the jacket I was wearing and began to swim across the lake. It looked like a very long swim, but I was a good swimmer so I knew I’d make it. Although it was May and the water cold, I hardly noticed it. I was like a wet rat when I got out of the water and exhausted. The fisherman and his two sons kindly gave me a ride several miles back to my home.

In Genesis 24, God sent an angel ahead of Abraham’s servant to protect him and prosper him when he went to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham told the servant, “He [God] shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence” (v.7). Verse 40 says, “The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way.” The servant took ten camels laden with precious gifts, including jewels of silver and gold, clothing, and other costly things. Even with robbers along the way, the angel cleared the path, and the servant got there with all the camels and gifts protected.

Psalm 91:11 tells us this about angels: “For he [God] shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

When God begins a work in us, and we are willing to do it, this promise from Philippians 1:6 is a great one to take to heart: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” That is the day Jesus comes to get us.

Miraculously my Bible didn’t get wet with the swim across the lake; I had food and water, a ride home, and best of all, I had my very first vision of a real angel, who went before me and protected me on my way.

Sleeping on rocks was not fun. Having ticks embedded into my back, sucking my blood was not fun; being scared was not fun. But I was never alone. The Lord was with me the whole time and sent an angel to let me know it was true. The Lord led me to the edge of a lake, not only for a drink of water. By His providence, I woke up at the time when the Lord already knew there would be fishermen straight across from where I’d slept, kind people who encouraged me and gave me a ride home.

How many times have all of us been in a similar situation? Maybe not physically, but emotionally or otherwise: lost, attacked, something eating us that we couldn’t reach or eliminate? We’ve been in situations without answers, wandering, and not finding. We’ve been scared, not knowing if we’d be able to get out of whatever was binding us.  

Life as a Christian isn’t always going to be easy. We get attacked, disturbed, bummed out in rocky places, lost in the woods. But we can be assured that the Lord is always with us through all of it, and He will get us across the lakes and take us safely home. Jesus said: “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20).

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Have you or anyone you know had an experience with an angel or angels, especially when in a scary situation? Describe the experience.

2. It was a miracle that my Bible didn’t get wet when I swam across the lake. Describe a miracle you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed.

3. What was the promise in Genesis 24 to Abraham’s servant regarding his journey? Cite the scriptures.

4. Are you aware of being on a journey? Cite a scripture besides the one in Genesis 24 that shows we can have angelic help in our life journeys.

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"THE WEALTH OF THE SINNER" MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU THOUGHT

“THE WEALTH OF THE SINNER” MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU THOUGHT

My boss came back from the designer’s office, “She said it was too pink. I know she didn’t bother to look at it in the usual place. She just looked at it at her desk, where the light is different.” Because of the designer’s laziness, my boss had to make new samples, and the trickle-down effect meant I got more workdays, which got me more money. Then I started seeing similar things happen—things that had been there all along, but now God was showing me a different way to look at them.

When people made errors, I got to fix them. When details weren’t carried out, I got to finish them up. When things got sloppy, I got to clean them up. All these things used to get me irritated, but now I realize it’s not my job to change the way people are; only God can do that. So instead of getting annoyed, I take it as a blessing because it makes my prosperity grow.

I’ve heard lots of teachings on Proverbs 13:22: “The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” In Hebrew, the word “sinner” is defined as one who misses the way, loses the goal, one who wanders from the way, forfeits something good, misses the mark like an archer missing the target.” I always thought this verse was talking about the physical things a sinner may have stored up, which would eventually, miraculously come our way. I’m sure it can happen, but God showed me another way of looking at it.

The Holy Spirit prompted me, “In what ways can a person who misses the mark be wealthy?” I answered, “He or she could be overflowing in a wealth of laziness, sloppiness, little attention to detail, lack of bravery.” There are many other things included in a sinner’s wealth. Try to name a few. We all are going to miss the mark at times, so others are going to make extra money off our mistakes too, so don’t get too high and mighty. It’s a universal law. We don’t want to sin or fall short, but it’s great to know that the Lord has already provided a rather nice circle of fixing up each other’s messes. This circular process makes for the distribution of prosperity.

Now, instead of getting irritated or disgusted at people’s errors or perceived faults, I see them as a way the Lord is getting me more prosperity, and I’m thankful to receive. I have a friend who works in auditing; her entire income is based on her ability to find mistakes and problems. We can see ourselves as the ones who search for and find solutions.

I’ve always believed Philippians 4:13: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Jesus has always been in charge of my work, but now that I’m more often able to see others’ mistakes differently, I’m a much happier person.

I hope this will help some of you who may be struggling and need to see how God is already blessing you with prosperity by allowing you to be the one to clean up, fix up, and find solutions.

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. What things can you list that you might consider part of the wealth of sinners?

2. In what ways have you benefited from the wealth of those who miss the mark?

3. What mistakes have you made that others may have benefited from, without hurting you?

4. In what ways have you been a problem solver where others maybe couldn’t find a good solution?

WHEN WE DOUBT, GOD STILL HEARS AND ANSWERS

WHEN WE DOUBT, GOD STILL HEARS AND ANSWERS

I was sitting in my living room early in the morning, and I heard flapping in my chimney. I knew a bird was caught, and I prayed it would somehow get out. When I was praying, I listened as the Holy Spirit told me to put some bread in the fireplace so the bird would come down and be free.

My actions showed that I had some doubt about God answering my prayer. I went off to work and automatically left the door open so Snowy, our cat, could get into the living room. When I got home, sure enough, God had answered my prayer, and the pigeon was sitting on the mantel. It was bedraggled and shivering as Snowy prowled around below it. I picked Snowy up and put him in the bedroom. Then I gently clutched the frightened bird and took him outside where he flew away to freedom.

The next day I was at a garage sale and found a painting of a pigeon. I hung it up on my bedroom wall to remind me that God always answers my prayers.

There’s a story in Acts 12:1-17 similar to mine, where people were praying but still doubting at the same time. Their actions showed they didn’t expect God to really answer their prayers. This is their story:

Peter got thrown into prison, and Christians gathered at Mary’s house to pray. The Bible doesn’t tell us what they were praying about, but we can pretty much assume they were praying for Peter’s release. God answered their prayer miraculously by sending an angel to lead him out.

Peter showed up at Mary’s house where they were praying, and Rhoda answered the door. She saw him and was so excited she ran in to tell the others and forgot to let Peter in. She told them Peter was there in the flesh, but they said she was crazy and decided it must be an angel. They believed in angels, but they failed to really trust God was answering their prayer for Peter to get out of prison.

Peter kept pounding on the door, and finally, they came to the door. They were astonished and must have all been talking at once because Peter had to quiet them down to tell the story of his escape. 

Even though I prayed, I didn’t really believe God would save the pigeon, and those people didn’t really believe God would save Peter. My experience with the pigeon was a turning point for me. It showed me that God ALWAYS answers my prayers. He doesn’t always do it in the manner I expect or even in the time frame I would like, but He does always answer. And many times, God answer is right in front of us, but we do not see it. But we can pray that God opens our eyes spiritually so we can be aware of His answers when they arrive.

We can trust that He will answer our prayers every time. Jesus always tells the truth: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). Notice He said, “when” you pray. At the very time of praying, we need to tell ourselves that we believe God’s going to answer.

And as a fallback, there’s a beautiful verse in Mark 9:24: “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, ‘Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’” Jesus healed the child, even though the child’s father knew in his heart that he had some doubt. We recognize our lack of belief, but that should never stop us from praying.

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Have you ever experienced doubt when praying for something or someone? Cite an incident or two. Why do you think you had a doubt?

2. Has God answered any of your prayers even when you were still doubting? Describe an incident when this happened.

3. Read Acts 12:1-17. How many people does it look like really believed Peter would get out of prison?

4. Take a look at Mark 9:14-27. What are some of the things the father may have been thinking in this situation? Have you ever prayed the way he did in Mark 9:24? Describe the incident. Are there any things or situations right now that you might think about praying for in this way?

FREE DOWNLOAD: PART 2 OF WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Faith-Earthly-Heavenly-ebook/dp/B007B23JTY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1546194099&sr=8-4&keywords=WINGS%3A+A+JOURNEY+IN+FAITH

WINGS: A Journey in Faith from the Earthly to the Heavenly is a compilation of stories—thoughts, musing, insights, revelations and guidance gathered from my experiences living as a Christian in Las Vegas.

The truths I find are not unique to Las Vegas; they’re just magnified here. We live in the middle of a desert. Survival here, whether in Red Rock Canyon or the casinos, is dependent upon preparedness, insight and wisdom. Learn quickly or die. Soar high or get crushed under foot. 

I’ve put together this book to use as a workbook. There are 52 chapters, one for each week of the year, and separate chapters for special holidays. This section is PART 2 and contains chapters 10-23: 

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

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

PRAYER WORKS GOD'S WILL

PRAYER WORKS GOD’S WILL

My heart thrilled when I received this unexpected message: “You prayed for me in 1979 when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. I had health issues, which caused me to fear that I would lose her.” It wasn’t long after I ministered to this girl that I was sent to a different city and lost contact. I never heard the results of my prayer until 34 years later! The message went on to say, “You said you saw a clear, healthy embryo. Today, she is 33, the mother of two.” Wow, what a blessing! So often we don’t hear back what God did for the people we prayed for or ministered healing to. So how do we know if it worked or not?

I remember when I was living in South Africa and prayed for a friend of ours, Sammy. I laid hands on him and prayed that his kidney stones would dissolve. He ended up in the hospital with appendicitis!

That bothered me for years. I wondered why I didn’t get it right. When I ministered to people after that, I seemed always to have this little doubt coming up, wondering if I got it right. One day the Holy Spirit stopped me from doubting and gave me the answer.

The Lord explained to me, “When you prayed for Sammy, I dissolved the kidney stones instantly. He did have them. You didn’t get it wrong. There was just more, that’s all, and he got that taken care of in the hospital.” Wow, what a simple answer and it set me free! I’ve never doubted myself in this category since.

The answer is simple: When we pray or minister in faith, from our hearts, and do the best we know how then we can be assured that it works. Healing is always God’s will.

In the Old Testament: “For I am the Lord that healeth [is healing] thee” (Exod. 15:26). And in the Gospels, “Jesus went about healing every sickness, and every disease among the people” (Matt. 9:35) and Jesus said, “they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18).

In the Epistles: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth [is prospering]” (3 John 2) and “the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:15).

There are hundreds of scriptures about healing, and many that address specific ailments. We need to look them up, meditate on them, and believe. And if our faith is small in some categories, be assured, with persistence, it will grow.

Paul wrote about the Christians in Thessalonica, “Your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing” (2 Thess. 1:3). Let’s be like the Thessalonians.

No matter how old or young you are, don’t ever doubt yourself when it comes to praying or ministering healing to others. Even if you don’t hear the good results right away, trust God that He has given you the heart of His love and that when you pray or minister, it does work!

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Have you ever had the experience of helping someone or ministering healing, and much later they let you know how much you helped them?

2. Is there anyone in your past you’d like to thank now for something they did to help you? Take a couple of minutes to write out what you want to say, then later send them a letter, e-mail or some communication to let them know.

3. When you ministered healing to someone or prayed for someone, and nothing seemed to happen, did you remember to ask the Lord why not? If you’ve had this happen recall one incident and ask the Lord right now. What’s He telling you?

4. Cite at least two verses in the New Testament about our Lord Jesus that are connected with healing.

5. What verse in the New Testament tells us our faith can grow?

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

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