"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

 

Read other stories of victories and learning how to live in Christ.

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

 

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

 https://www.amazon.com/BIBLE-LESSONS-NATURE-Carolyn-Molica/dp/B0CQ8PQNVG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29RDC1SXA1TMA&keywords=bible+lessons+in+nature&qid=1703276435&sprefix=%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1

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

 

Check out some of my books. You can find them on Amazon.

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

"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

 

My books and booklets are available on Kindle and some in paperback too. Click the link and take a look:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wings+carolyn+molica&crid=EZNJZZUP3KHG&linkCode=ll2&linkId=db88efb13727dcb484eb29f5b1683284&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C353&tag=jmbcsds-20&ref=as_li_ss_tl
 

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

 

 

WE'RE SMARTER THAN WE THINK

WE’RE SMARTER THAN WE THINK

Many years ago, I read a book by Zainab Salbi, the daughter of Saddam Hussein's pilot. It's called BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: ESCAPE FROM TYRANNY: GROWING UP IN THE SHADOW OF SADDAM.

 

Zainab described the terror Sadam inflicted on those around him: “Fear of Saddam took over every Iraqi heart and mind. He was everywhere and anywhere, and any stray negative thought about him made us watch our backs. As a child, I grew up watching hours and hours of TV coverage of him surprising families in the middle of the afternoon by entering their kitchens and opening their refrigerators. I guess this was a dictator’s version of a reality show; the entire country could peer into people’s cupboards and see what they were having for lunch. I didn’t understand why he revealed the intimate lives of people on national TV until the night my family and I had dinner with Saddam."

 

“It wasn’t one dinner but years of lunches and dinners, because my father was his private pilot. At times, my parents would be in their bed falling asleep when suddenly they had to wake up and entertain Saddam in the middle of the night, making sure that they looked bright and excited."

 

“He was charismatic and engaging, but he also spread fear. In the midst of one family lunch, he asked everyone what they thought of Napoleon. At face value, you would think that’s just a lunch conversation among friends. And that is indeed how one friend answered, saying: 'Napoleon is a man who rolled down from the hill of power as fast as he rose up to it.' Saddam answered: 'Are you referring to Napoleon, or are you referring to Napoleon [referring to himself]?' If there is such thing as air leaving the room, then that was that moment. His switch from friendliness to anger was common, and we all knew he killed friends and relatives; no one would be spared.”

 

Zainab Salib’s book is fascinating, but it was more insightful to me when I experienced being in the presence of someone who exhibited characteristics similar to Hussein! This person knew very private things about the people who worked under him, and he used the knowledge of those things to intimidate and control. I believe evil spirits told him these things because they were intimate things that no one spoke about, and certainly not to him.

 

Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” At first, this looks like it may be a contradiction to other verses in the Bible, like Isaiah 43:19, where God says: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

 

There are no contradictions in the Bible, just verses, concepts, and phrases we may not yet understand. This is one of those.

 

E. W. Bullinger tells us in his notes on Ecclesiastes 1:9 in the Companion Bible: “‘Under the sun’ is a phrase that is particular to Ecclesiastes and is used 29 times. It is equivalent to “upon the earth,” and it refers to all that is connected with earthly things as such, and with man apart from God.”

So, we see that the phrase saying there is nothing new refers only to basic human and demonic things, NOT the spiritually wonderful things that born- again believers and our Lord God and His son Jesus Christ are capable of.

 

Separated from God, there is and never will be anything new. The devil can’t create anything. So, when we learn to recognize a demon or a demonic mechanism, it will always operate in the same way as the Bible describes it – there are variations, but the basics are always the same. Demons exhibit the very same characteristics in leaders of countries as in leaders of three or four people or even less. The same kind of evil people and evil ways we read about in the Old Testament, exist today.

 

When we examine and recognize the evil we read about in the Bible, we will understand and recognize the evils we see today. Anything the devils do this world now has been done before.

The devil is not a creator. If we’ve seen him operate in a certain evil way once, we recognize when we see it again—nothing new. That’s why God reminds us in 2 Corinthians 2:11: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

 

We’re smart! We actually know more than we think we know. We’re smarter spiritually than we give ourselves credit for! I remember an incident where I was having a conversation with a 16-year-old young man, and we happened to get on the subject of demons. He was not a born-again believer, but his knowledge regarding devil spirits was remarkable!

 

I also had the privilege of meeting a young lady at a movie once who was involved with her friends in a deliverance ministry, and ever since that encounter, I pray for the younger believers who are whole-heartedly now involved in doing the Lord’s work.

 

It’s astonishing to think about who we are and our creative possibilities. God has not stopped creating! What God was in the beginning, He is now. Yes, He uses the same elements that He originally created, but nothing in the Bible says He can’t create more.

 

An example from the New Testament is in Ephesians 2:10, where it says: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Did you know that the word “Christ” means “the anointed one”? That same anointing is in us. Think about that! It’s a spiritual anointing from God our Father, different from anything else.

 

In Psalm 51:10, David asks God to “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” He can do that. In Isaiah 57:18, God says: “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him.”

 

You see, God is still creating and even creating what we say. So, let’s dare to say what God says: “I have peace, and I am healed.”

 

With the devil, there is no new thing under the sun. It’s all old and rotten. Use the Bible to get smart. You’re already way smarter than you know, so believe what you see.

 

Contrary to the limitations of the devil, we have a creative God! If He can create a new heart in us, the possibilities are limitless. As we venture into this new year, let’s expect greater miracles, greater successes, greater movements of God, and more wonderful life experiences than ever before.

 

Happy New Year 2025!

 

Love, Carolyn

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=BOOKS%20BY%20cAROLYN%20mOLICA...