"BE IT UNTO ME ACCORDING TO THY WORD"

“BE IT UNTO ME ACCORDING TO THY WORD”

In the story of Christmas, the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she would be having a child by a miracle of the Holy Spirit and this child would be Jesus, the son of God. Mary believed that if people would just stick with what God told them, His Word was always going to come to pass. “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).  She had heard of the miraculous things God did and totally believed that God’s Word was true. She believed that the Red Sea really did open up miraculously to let the Israelites cross over on dry land. She believed the story about the ax head that was lost, but then floated up out of the water, defying the natural laws of gravity (2 Kings 6:5-6). She believed what she heard about the Hebrews just looking at the brass serpent in the wilderness and getting healed of their snake bites (Num. 21:8-9).

So when the angel Gabriel told her that she was the one who would miraculously birth the Messiah, the son of God, the promised seed from the Bible, she believed it: “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).

Peter also was taught to believe the records of the many miracles God did. And he, like Mary, believed beyond what looked impossible by natural laws. Peter literally stepped out of the boat, after hearing and believing just one word from Jesus: “Come” (Matt. 14: 29). Peter saw that Jesus was walking on top of the water, even as the ship was being tossed around by the waves. When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter figured Jesus meant it, so he dared to do it.

We all have verses that mean a lot to our heart. We can probably name a few right now. Those are the very ones the Lord has been trying to speak to us personally all along. If you’ve not done this before, you can take a slightly new approach to those favorite verses. Focus on the verse then be like Mary: Believe the miraculous and say, “Be it unto me according to thy Word.” And let’s be like Peter, walk out and expect it to work.

Love, Carolyn

(painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1898)

HONORING GOD AND EACH OTHER

HONORING GOD AND EACH OTHER

In Biblical times, wise men from the East came to honor Jesus, bringing Him gifts. These men watched and studied the skies and knew from the lineup of the planets and stars, that a great king had been born, a king worthy of honor. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh” (Matt. 2:11).

The shepherds honored the baby Jesus differently.  They were “abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8). The angel of the Lord came and told them that they were in the right place at the right time and it was to them that this blessing had come.

How often are we going about our normal routines, endeavoring to do God’s will the best we can, and all of a sudden, we meet someone new who blesses our lives? Or we’re inspired to get in a certain grocery line and end up blessing a total stranger? We end up in the right place at the right time to either be blessed or be a blessing. Hebrews 13:2 even tells us we should “be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

That’s what happened to the shepherds. They were in the hills by Bethlehem, and that’s where God wanted them. The angel of God found them and told them the good news. “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2: 9-11).

This event brought “glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (v.14). The shepherds went down into the city of Bethlehem to witness this for themselves.

The Bible doesn’t say anything about them honoring Jesus with physical gifts as the wise men did later on, but the shepherds honored Jesus by telling people what the angel told them and what they actually witnessed themselves. That’s how they honored God—by telling other people about the great things God did and was doing even now.

“And when they [the shepherds] had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (vv. 17,18 and 20).

Gift-giving originated with God. Right after God created Adam, He gave him a gift. “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2: 8-9). 

The idea of honoring God and others came straight from our creator and has happily invaded all cultures of the world.

This Christmas, let’s think about honoring each other with our gifts and our respect. But most of all, let’s give some special attention to how we can honor God and our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Love, Carolyn

DON'T LET IMPATIENCE OVERWHELM YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

DON’T LET IMPATIENCE OVERWHELM YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

With Christmas right around the corner, I found myself with an overload of obligations, and not all were imposed by others—several were obligations I put on myself. In the past, I would have gotten severely stressed out, but not this time. I have a forgiving and kind best friend, Jane, and so when I made batches of cookies, I could leave more of a mess than normal, knowing I’d clean it all up later. In wrapping packages, I could leave the scissors, tissue paper and tape on the spare bed without worrying about it. I’ll put everything away later, and the house will get back to normal. I have learned from the Lord to trust myself and stay peaceful. I learned my lessons when Jane and I were missionaries in South Africa: Impatience is a thief.

Jane and I waited for the last bus out of downtown Johannesburg. We had just moved there from the States to do missionary work, so I had my passport with me in a large purse I carried at my side. It was dusk, and we were getting anxious to get back to our friends’ house before nightfall. The bus should have been there already.

I was starting to worry, “Did we miss it?” Jane answered, “I don’t think so, but maybe the buses don’t run regularly, so I don’t know.” We waited longer. We were the only ones waiting, which made it scarier because we didn’t have anyone to ask. What we did next was really foolish.

Impatience prompted us to move. We went down the street to another bus stop closer in the direction of home. We waited there impatiently until we couldn’t take it anymore and we moved down the street again. We did this three times, getting further and further away from the more populated area. The sun was going down, and we were getting more worried now—new country, unfamiliar ways, alone on an empty street, and no bus in sight. Then Jane spotted a young black African man coming our way.

He got about halfway down the block and bolted toward us. Jane had seen him, but all I saw was a blur.  She jumped in front of me, grabbed me with both arms around the middle, as I clutched my purse to my chest. The guy hesitated, then ran past us. He stopped and continued to walk slowly down the street as if nothing unusual had happened at all.

Jane gently loosened her grip on me, and I relaxed my clenched fists, but my heart was still racing, and we were both hyperventilating. When we settled down and started to breathe a little easier, in quivering voices, we begged God to get the bus there soon.

In just a few minutes, it pulled up—the very last bus leaving the city. For the next three years of living in Johannesburg, we stayed much more alert and aware of our surroundings and prayed about everything.

God wasn’t the one who told us to move down to the next bus stop. We should have just stayed where we were, but we let impatience drive us into trouble.

How many times have each of us acted impatiently, recklessly setting out in the direction of our own choosing, without really consulting the Lord? Proverbs 21:2 tells us: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes.” But Luke 21:19 tells us: “In your patience possess ye your souls.” Patience stops to ask for the Lord’s input and acts deliberately, not foolishly.

My impatience nearly got my purse stolen, along with my money and passport. Impatience gets us to make mistakes, waste time, get into arguments, and so many other things that we’re sorry for later. Proverbs 20: 22 tells us: “Wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.” One important way He saves us is to give us His wisdom. Don’t be fretful and hasty like we were. Wait on the Lord.

This incident was a marker in my life and changed me on the inside. The impatience we experience around the holidays may not be life-threatening, but it still exhibits the same characteristics, stealing our peace, our time, and our good nature. It can affect our health, our jobs, and our relationships, among other things. So let’s be cognizant of the sneaky devil and take a deep breath with the Lord. God can guide us through any stress with ease if we only ask and believe. Have a wonderful Christmas.

Love, Carolyn

PEANUT'S NEW SHIRT AND THE $100 BILL

PEANUT’S NEW SHIRT AND THE $100 BILL

Summer Storm: Lightning, thunder, wind, rain in sheets, and big drops. Fifteen minutes of torrential rain blowing hard in every direction, then done. That’s our typical summer storm here in Las Vegas. I came home from shopping, got out of my car and walked across the lawn toward the new water dish I put out for the wild birds. I wanted to see if the rain had filled it up. When I looked down, there in front of the dish was a neatly folded $100-dollar bill. My instinct made me look around quickly to see if anyone was looking for it, but there was no one around. I picked it up and put it into my pocket. I’ve picked up pennies and even quarters, but never a $100 bill. I smiled.

Someone must have lost it in the storm, but no one was coming around to claim it. And I found it just in time because a few minutes later my lawn guys came and they would have either found and kept the money, or chopped it up in a million little pieces in the lawnmower.

I tried to figure out why God would drop me the $100, but I couldn’t connect it to anything at all. I don’t believe in coincidence. Saying something is a coincidence is man’s attempt to explain away what he has no control over. I tried to tie it to some good deed, but everything I could think of fell flat, and the Lord wasn’t talking. It wasn’t until two days later that I understood.

I was buying dog food and bought Peanut, my little dog, a shirt just because I love the little guy and I thought he’d like it. Then it dawned on me that my $100 bill had come to me the same way. The Lord gave it to me just because He loves me, and He thought I’d like it. And He was right. I liked it a lot.

We receive God’s grace, not just because we are desperate, or because we pray so hard or any of those other religious things we do. We can pray and believe and fast and a lot of other things, but then there are the extra blessings God sends just because He wants to. He doesn’t have to wait for a holiday or birthday. Any day will do. It’s kind of like random acts of kindness; we have the opportunity to follow His example and drop a special blessing on someone every once in a while. It’s fun.

God told Moses: “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” (Exod. 33:19).

Keep it up, Lord! And thank you so much!

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Have you ever received a random gift when it wasn’t your birthday or a special occasion? Describe it. Why do you think you remember it?

2. Have you ever given a gift randomly to someone just because you love them?

3. How about giving a gift to someone you don’t know, just because the Lord Jesus loves them?

HONORING THE TRANSITION FROM CHILD TO YOUNG ADULT

HONORING THE TRANSITION FROM CHILD TO YOUNG ADULT

I went to my first Quinceañera last night. It has its cultural roots in Mesoamerica and is widely celebrated today throughout the Americas. Traditionally, it is a gift from the father to his daughter on her fifteenth birthday. As I was driving over to the event, I was thinking about how important it is for a teenage girl to be honored. And to be respected by her father first, but also by her mother, her family, and other adults, can be paramount to a young girl’s future. Teenage girls are fragile. What happens to a teen girl has a lasting effect. Her relationships with men in the future will show reflections of how her relationships went with her father, brothers, and other men in her teen life.

Boys go through changes when they become young men, and I believe they should be honored and recognized too.

I believe that events (big or small) that bring families together to take special notice and give honor to a child transitioning to adulthood can be instrumental in giving teens courage, confidence, and assurance of a good future, with the support of adults that have gone before.

I believe that there should be mention of God and the Lord Jesus as the sovereign guide of their future, and the Bible principles their ultimate standard for every decision.

“In Luke 2, the Bible gives us a short synopsis of Jesus’s transition. He had to go from being a child, a teen, and an adult, just like the rest of us.

“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.  And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast” (Luke 2:41-42).

At this feast, the Hebrews celebrated the great Exodus from Egypt, and how, when the angel of death slew the firstborn of all the Egyptians, he “passed over” the children of the Israelites. 

“And when they [Joseph and Mary] had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

“And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions” (Luke 2:43-46).

Just like any teenager, Jesus found something that fascinated him and distracted his attention away from his parents. He must have thought it was much more interesting to hang out with the teachers than to stay with his parents.  

“And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luke 2: 47).  Here we see that the Jewish rabbis honored him. And isn’t that just the case sometimes? The parents can’t see how amazing their kids are, but other adults see and go on and on lavishing the kids with praise.

“And when they [the parents] saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, ‘Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.’

“And he said unto them, ‘How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?’  And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them” (Luke 2:48-50).

“And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.” Here we see that Jesus, as a teenager, was generally obedient to his parents, and that’s a great teaching lesson for teenagers. The other thing is that Mary thought about what was now happening in this transitional phase in her son’s life. She was taking time to really look at her son, not just as a child, but as he was turning into an adult.

We see in the next verse that Jesus truly was becoming a man. I don’t know if, in the Bible, any formal celebrations took place surrounding the time of transition. Jewish Bar Mitzvahs started in thirteenth-century France. What we know is that the Bible says that shortly after the incident in Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old, he was honored by God and by men.

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:41-52)

Parents, if you haven’t already done it, how about considering some kind of special event, even if small, to give your transitioning child some special honor, recognition, and assurance of support for whatever he or she may desire for the future. Every teen deserves the stability of not only an adult’s love but maybe even more, their respect and honor.

Love, Carolyn

PS: Thank you, Kim, for inviting me to your daughter’s Quinceañera. And Brianna, may your future always be as beautiful, encouraged, and strong in spirit as you were last night, in my eyes, and God’s as well. Love you, Carolyn

SHOUT??

SHOUT?

I was starting to get symptoms of a cold. The symptoms just kept getting worse, and the voice in my head said, “I’ve got a cold.” I hadn’t spoken anything out loud yet, and instantly I knew I needed to shout: “The Bible says that by Jesus’ stripes I was healed, so I’m healed!” My cold symptoms were gone overnight.

Sometimes we need to shout louder than the thoughts in our head—drown them out with a victory shout of God’s Word (the truth). For those of you who aren’t shouters, you can speak His truth in your most assertive “outside voice.” Authoritative self-talk or self-speak with God’s truths can have a powerful and positive effect on an apathetic, wandering, or bored mind. It can rescue and release us from being lazy, the victims of “maybe” or “I hope so.” And it can put a stop to confusion.

There’s a great example of this principle in John 11, where Jesus shouted to Lazarus to come forth from the grave. He had all kinds of negative words and thoughts coming at Him. The religious leaders were trying to shame Him in front of the people. Even Lazarus’ sisters were bothered by the fact that Jesus hadn’t come earlier, and they said so. It had been four days since he died, and friends had gathered to grieve. What did they think and speak when Jesus showed up late and told them the dead Lazarus was going to live?

Since the Bible tells us Jesus was tempted in every way that we’re tempted, His mind would have been bombarded by all kinds of negative thoughts. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). The discord of inaudible voices in the air was thick and raucous. I’ve been in situations where no one was speaking, but I could almost hear people’s negative thoughts and accusations, and I bet you’ve been in situations like that too.

But Jesus put His faith in what God told Him, and amid the confusion, He stood in front of the tomb, and “He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’” (John 11:43-44).

We need to be assertive with the truth we speak to ourselves. We are not victims of our environments. Our faith isn’t insipid or limp, but “strong in the Lord and the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10).

There are many examples of shouting in the Bible. Like I was inspired to shout against the symptoms of a cold, God’s people have, at different times, been instructed and inspired to shout against an enemy. The results were amazing.

1 Samuel 17:52: “And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until they come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down.”

In Joshua 6, God gave specific instructions on how to take down Jericho. The instructions included a great shout:

“And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.

“And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

“And the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

“And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him” (Josh. 6: 2-5).

“So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city” (vs. 20).

Psalm 47:1 says: “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” Many scriptures tell us about an attitude we can have when we shout. It’s more like shouting when your team wins than shouting at someone in anger. Zephaniah 3:14 reads: “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.”

Psalm 5:11 tells us: “Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” Nehemiah 8:10 tells us: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Psalm 32:11 says: “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.” And Psalm 132:16 reads: “I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.”

No matter what situations you face today, or what kind of a mood you’re in, how about a big shout of victory and joy for the Lord? You can do it.

Jesus shouted louder and with more authority than the voices around Him; life returned to Lazarus. Against the thoughts in my head, I shouted God’s healing words to my cold symptoms; my good health returned to me. We are blessed to have the spiritual power of a shout available to us through Jesus Christ.

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Can you recall a time when people around you were so loud and the noise so raucous you could hardly think? What did it feel like? What did you do?

2. If you are a parent or a pet owner, have you ever gone outside to shout for your child or pet to come in? Do you recall any times your parents shouted for you to come inside? How did you react? Did it take two or three shouts sometimes?

3. Why do you think Jesus might have shouted to Lazarus?

4. Was Jesus ever tempted to get confused, negative, or distracted by too many thoughts or too much raucousness in the environment? How do we know that? Cite the scripture.

5. Give a couple of scripture references that talk about shouting for victory or shouting for joy.

6. When was the last time you shouted at a sports event or a concert? What did it feel like in your body? 

Right now, go someplace where you won’t disturb anyone and practice some shouting.

REMEMBERING

REMEMBERING

Learning to apply the Bible to everyday circumstances is a lifelong process. Sometimes we forget things we should remember, and we remember things we should be forgetting. I had that experience this weekend when I was making cookies. I haven’t made Christmas cookies in several years, but this year I got inspired by my work friend, Jaime.  We never know how God will work, but Jaime started a series of events that led me down an interesting and wonderful path.  

I started to look through my cookbooks for the gingerbread men cookies I wanted to make, but I found too many different recipes for the same type of cookies, and I hadn’t marked the recipe that made the tastiest ones. I didn’t really have a lot of extra time to experiment, so I picked one that I thought looked pretty good and went ahead with it. Well, the cookies turned out just okay, but not with the rich spicy taste that I wanted.

It’s like that with the Bible. In the Old Testament times, God was always telling people to remember about the time He rescued His people out of the oppression of Egypt. It would be good for us to go back at least once a year and read it as well. The whole story is in Exodus, chapter 5 through 15. God sent Moses to Pharaoh: “Say unto him, ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me’” (Ex. 8:1). Pharaoh was obstinate, and horrible plagues descended upon Egypt: locusts, flies, frogs, death to cattle and men, until Pharaoh finally gave in. But even then, as the Israelites were leaving, Pharaoh sent his army after them. God opened the waters for His people, and the waters crashed over the Egyptian soldiers. God performed miracle after miracle to save the Israelites.

God freed His people from oppression, and from that point on, He wanted them always to remember the good He did. However, being human, they forgot and had to be reminded. They didn’t take notice, didn’t mark it in their brains, kind of like I didn’t mark the good cookie recipe.

When we don’t take notice of the good things we had in the past, we struggle a bit when we are in similar situations. Had I marked my recipe, I wouldn’t be struggling today. Even though it’s taking more of my time and effort, I will get the good ones baked before I go back to work tomorrow.  

It works the same with applying the principles of God’s Word in our lives. Let’s try not to forget what He’s done for us in our larger family of believers, even way back to Old Testament times. And let’s not forget to mark those good things He did for us even in 2019, which has been a tough one for many of us. Let’s mark the good and remember that God is always good.

Love, Carolyn

PS: I’m still working hard on getting my WINGS vol. 2 in print. Thanks for your prayers, and thank you so much for reading my preach letters too.

My booklet with stories for the Holidays is free through Tuesday on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Earthly-Heavenly-Holiday-ebook/dp/B007COFX04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546193661&sr=8-1&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica

If you don’t get or want Amazon, I’ll send you a free copy via a PDF file or Word document. Send me your request at cjmolica@hotmail.com