FIRST STEP TO A FINAL DESTINATION

 FIRST STEP TO A FINAL DESTINATION

Do you ever feel like you’re being pushed into something that’s bigger than you’re ready for? This week I realized I had four of those hit me pretty much all at once. 1. God told me to start organizing an art show for my friends, 2. I was asked to design an arm-length crucifixion tattoo for another friend, (something I never even considered before), 3. A new classier place opened up for me to do my writing, and 4. I was given a free lifetime membership to a world-renown gun club! Every one of these is a little daunting and frankly quite humbling, and I’m not so sure I’m ready for all this. But I’m going ahead on all of them anyway. There’s always a first step to a final destination, even if we don’t know what the destination is yet.

 

None of these were on my “to do” list for 2021, but when God pushes, you can’t say no. And did you know that Jesus faced the same thing? John 1 and 2 tell us the story.

 

Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist, marking the beginning of his ministry. John said of him: “ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me cometh a man which is preferred before me’. . . And John bare record, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. . . And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God’” (John 1:30, 32, 34).  

 

John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming of Christ, and when John baptized Jesus, he told his followers to start following Jesus. They did, and they got others to follow him too, and Jesus began to teach them.

 

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there” (John 2:1).

 

So what did Jesus’ mother do? She invited Jesus and his new disciples to the wedding. When they got there, they wanted to join the celebration, and they wanted a glass of wine.

 

“And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, ‘They have no wine’” (v. 3). They all knew that Jesus had been proclaimed as the Christ, the promised one who would save the world, and mom was no exception. She expected her son to find a solution to the wine problem and she pushed him.

 

But, like us, Jesus wasn’t so happy about being pushed. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus went through every thought and emotion we go through, and that includes being annoyed when we feel pushed to do something we may not feel we’re ready for!

 

So Jesus basically told mom to back off. “Jesus saith unto her, ‘Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come’” (v. 4). He was saying something like, “Hold on a doggone minute! I just got baptized the other day, or did you forget? I’m not quite ready for this stuff yet!” But his mother knew who he was, and she trusted whatever decision he would make.

 

“His mother saith unto the servants, ‘Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it’” (v. 5). Jesus’ mother was wise—she was a thinker. When it came to her son, she absolutely knew what God said about who her child was going to be. Remember in Luke 2 when Jesus was born and the shepherds came and corroborated what the angel had told Mary about birthing the Messiah, “Christ the Lord”.

“And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:18-19).

 

So when Jesus was baptized into his ministry, she gave him a little shove, but left the decision totally up to him. And what did he do? He tapped into the spirit of God within him and took the first step, and immediately he was on the fast track to his destiny. Jesus did his first public miracle and made water into wine and it was the best wine they ever tasted!

 

When we feel like we’re being pushed a little too hard or a little too fast into something we feel we may not be ready for, if we’re pretty sure it’s of God, let’s not fight it, but just say “Okay, let’s do this”. Afterall, we only have to take one step at a time and Jesus is always there, and our guardian angels too, to help and guide us to our final destinations. No matter how old or young you are, it’s a great journey!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Good life lessons from the Bible:

 

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Weekly-Workbook-Christian/dp/B0874LGZ34/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EZNJZZUP3KHG&dchild=1&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&linkCode=ll2&linkId=db88efb13727dcb484eb29f5b1683284&qid=1588607180&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C353&sr=8-1

 

 

 

GIDEON AND HIS SMALL BAND OF BIBLE HEROES

 GIDEON AND HIS SMALL BAND OF BIBLE HEROES

There are just some things we’re not going to be able to figure out or understand until we go through them. We’ve heard the phrase, “there’s a reason for everything.” But the second half of that should be, “but we don’t get to know all the reasons ahead of time.” That’s where trust comes in. The story of Gideon and his small band of Bible heroes teaches us about trusting God, doing what He says, and seeing the great results we never knew were going to be our destiny.

 

The Midianites were destroying the land. The Israelites were hiding in caves, and they were in poverty. Gideon was threshing some wheat to conceal it from the Midianites, when an angel came to him and said: “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour” (Judges 6:12). At the time, Gideon was only a young man, definitely not a man of valour. But God saw him differently from how he saw himself.

 

Then Gideon questioned: “Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (v.13).

 

But the angel didn’t bother to explain why it was happening. He just told Gideon what to do next, and said: “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” (v.14)

 

“And he [Gideon] said unto him, ‘Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.’ And the Lord said unto him, ‘Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man’” (vv.15-16).

 

Thirty-two thousand men gathered to fight the Midianites, but God is not impressed by big numbers.

 

“The Lord said unto Gideon, ‘The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, ‘Mine own hand hath saved me.’

 

“Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead’. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand” (Judg. 7:2-3).

 

So, out of 32,000 men, 22,000 turned back! Now Gideon only had 10,000 to fight the multitude of Midianite warriors. But God knew something more about those men who remained. Though they may have thought they were ready to fight, God knew better. The Lord instructed Gideon to give the 10,000 men a simple test.

 

“And the Lord said unto Gideon, ‘The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.’

 

“So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, ‘Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.”

 

“And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.”

 

“And the Lord said unto Gideon, ‘By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place” (vv.4-7). 

 

I never understood the big deal about two different ways of drinking water. But Chris, one of my work friends, explained it to me today. If a person goes down to drink water and brings it up to his mouth, he can still be on guard with his eyes looking out for the enemy. But if a person gets down on his knees and slurps the water, his eyes would not be looking out, but down! Out of the 10,000 men, only 300 were truly battle-ready!

 

Gideon may have been apprehensive, to say the least, about going against a multitude of blood-thirsty enemies with such a small number of men, but God knew what He was doing. Gideon trusted and obeyed, and he saved the whole nation of Israel.

 

“Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon” (Judg. 8:28).

 

We have to get used to doing spiritual things without always having to know why. And if we sometimes feel we are less than able, welcome to the band of Bible heroes. It’s not about the big numbers; it’s about each one of us doing our small part to stay alert, to trust, and to obey.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

PS: If you think your grown kids or any of your family members or friends would like to get my Preach Letters by email or snail mail, let me know and I can send them.

WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT PSYCHICS

WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT PSYCHICS

Being the beginning of a new year, some will be thinking about going to a psychic to see what’s up for their future. What does God say? He says don’t do it!

 

When the Israelites were entering into their new home, after being rescued from Egypt, God warned them about a few things and gave them instructions on how to live well. In Deuteronomy 11 Moses delivered God’s message:

 

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always” (v.1). “That ye may be strong. . . that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth” (v. 8, 21).

 

Then Moses goes on to tell the Israelites all the great stuff God has in store for them, and then warns them:

 

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: “And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known” (vv. 26-28).

 

Then God gets into specifics: Deut. 18:9-11

 

“When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

 

“Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer” (Deut. 18:9-11).

 

A consulter with familiar spirits is a person who gets information from a demon that is familiar with your life; they’ve probably been around you since you were a child, similar to a guardian spirit, but on the enemy’s side. They know all about your habits, and what makes you happy and what scares you, and they communicate this information to a psychic, who then can tell you things about your life that you’ve never told anyone, and then it seems like the psychic is totally tapped in. But you can’t trust them!

 

The word “necromancer” comes from two words, “necro” which means “dead body,” and the Greek words “mantis” and “mainesthai” which mean “a seer, a diviner, related to passion and spirit.” I like to say they are ones who “romance the dead.” These psychics communicate with demons, specifically the familiar spirits, of the client and the dead person the client wants to hear from.

 

The ability of psychics is not make-believe. It’s real. but it’s not God’s will that any of His people consult with psychics, and He shows us why in the story of Saul with the psychic of Endor.

 

1 Samuel 28:3: “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.”

 

Saul started off as a good king. He had the prophet Samuel to help him with spiritual and governmental decisions, and so Saul put the psychics and others out of the land. But now Samuel wasn’t around, and Saul’s enemies, the Philistines, figured they could now take over Saul’s kingdom.

 

“And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not” (v. 6).

 

I think we’ve all experienced times when it seems like God isn’t answering us. But that’s not a reason to give up on Him. He’s got a reason for not answering, and we need to just be trusting and patient. But Saul got all in a flurry and did the most foolish thing. He decided to seek the counsel of a psychic.

 

“And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee” (v. 8).

 

This woman knew how to connect with familiar spirits, so of course she could see right through his disguise, and she knew he had thrown the psychics out of the land, so she didn’t really want to talk to him at all. But he convinced her it would be okay, and who did he want her to bring up, but his old dead friend Samuel!

 

Samuel was dead, but the psychic could bring up a familiar spirit that knew Samuel and could easily imitate his voice, his way of acting, etc. You probably already know that demons can materialize, and that’s what happened here. Saul totally thought he was talking to the real Samuel.

 

And here is where God shows us the most true nature of what psychics do. I know that they often will speak of good things, but somewhere in the mix is something negative about the client’s future, or something that will trigger a slightly negative thought that will inspire an action that results in sadness at least, and most likely worse. In Saul case, God wants to show us the endgame of a psychic’s mission.

 

“The woman said unto Saul, ‘I saw gods [spirits] ascending out of the earth.’ And he said unto her,’ What form is he of?’ And she said, ‘An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle.’ And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself” (1 Sam 28:13,14). It wasn’t Samuel, but Saul listened to him as if he was.

 

“And Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?’ And Saul answered, ‘I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more. . . therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.’

 

“Then said Samuel, ‘Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? For the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, . . . therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.

 

“Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me [dead]: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines” (vv. 15-19). 

 

There was not one positive message coming from the familiar spirit the psychic invoked, and that is their ultimate goal, as it says in John 10:10, “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” Everything in Saul’s message came to pass. Saul was hit by an arrow in the battle with the Philistines “so Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together” (! Sam. 31:6).

 

So if you feel like God isn’t talking with you, please keep trusting and be patient. Keep away from psychics and tell your friends too.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

MAKING IT RIGHT

 MAKING IT RIGHT

When I went into the store yesterday, I was distracted, thinking about the drawing I’m working on. I did self-checkout and loaded the items into three bags, put them in the cart, and out I went. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I never paid for the items! I have no idea why the alarm didn’t go off as I exited the store!

 

As I thought about this crazy incident, I was reminded how easily Satan opens the door for people to sin. He just slips in the opportunities so smoothly. It takes discipline to live honestly by Biblical standards, and of course, I’m going back to the store today and tell them all the items I got, so I can rightfully pay for them.

 

Even though I didn’t know at the time that I did anything wrong, I did, and I admit it. But now, making it right takes so much more time and effort! Darn!

 

Nobody wants to be wrong at anything, but the truth is that the last perfect guy got out of here over 2000 years ago, and so all of us are going to do wrong things, no matter how hard we try always to do things right. And we need to fix those things that are wrong, no matter how much time or effort it takes. My small incident is nothing, compared to some of the other things that need to be fixed, that take a lot more time and a lot more diligence.

 

A form of the word “diligent” is used 61 times in the Bible. The results of being diligent to the things that are important to God are told to us in Exodus 15:26:

 

“If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

 

A form of the word “disciple” or “discipline” is used 257 times, and of course, Jesus named his closest followers “disciples.”

 

Job tells us that God helps us toward being disciplined because He knows we will be so much happier with the results:

 

“He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity [sins specifically that come to us from our bloodlines].

 

“If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures” (Job 36:10-11).

 

We all know there are things in our lives that the Lord would prefer if we would change them. In other words, we usually know when we’ve done something that’s not very good. And God knows too—we can’t hide from our Creator! So, if we want to make things right, and God knows we do, then He’ll find a way to let us know.

 

And when God makes us aware of our sin, our bad judgment, or errors, He doesn’t want us to get all mad about it or despondent either. To God, one sin is just as big or small as another. All can be forgiven and all can be changed for the better.

 

King Solomon speaks to his children in Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord;
neither be weary of his correction: for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

 

And 1 John 3: 2 tells us: “Beloved, now are we the sons [and daughters] of God.” So being disciplined and corrected by God is a good thing. It means He loves us.

 

But as every child who’s been spanked, knows: “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous.” And as every parent knows: “Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb. 12:11). A good spanking can motivate a child to act right.

 

Verse 12 goes on to encourage us in how we are to respond to God’s spankings. We are not to get all down in the dumps and pull a pity party for ourselves. We are to get up and act right, so whatever we did doesn’t keep happening.

 

“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Heb. 12: 12-13).

 

Being wrong can be righted as long as we admit to God that we were wrong, and then we get back on track.

 

We have spiritual ability within us because of being born again of Christ’s seed, making it so that we really can get back on track on anything. Romans 12:1-3 tells us how:

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

 

One thought at a time, we can make our minds new again on any subject. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is definitely doable, and God promises it’s well worth the effort.

 

And if you’re like me, you’ll probably want to refer back to this preach letter throughout the year, for different incidents that may come up or in wanting to help a friend deal with issues they may face as well.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

My books are found on Amazon, and I believe Barnes and Noble. Even the older ones are great to read!

 

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

JESUS THE INSTIGATOR

 

JESUS THE INSTIGATOR  

When the dentist finished putting the composite filling in my tooth, the dental assistant held something in my mouth that looked like a fat pen. I heard it buzz a couple times. Then she took it out. What the heck was that?

 

The dentist explained that it is a blue light. He said it’s an instigator—it starts a chemical reaction in the two mixed materials for the filling.

 

In looking up the light spectrum I found that blue light helps boost alertness, heighten reaction times, elevate moods, and increase the feeling of wellbeing. It’s a high energy wavelength. I immediately related this to my Lord Jesus.

 

I thought of the verse where Jesus said: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Jesus is like the blue light. He’s an instigator. He gets things started. He starts us out as a fresh Christian when we accept Him as Lord of our lives. His light cleanses us of all sin, guilt, and shame. Later in our spiritual walk when we need new inspiration or a fresh revelation, He’s there to give a jump start.

 

We call on Jesus to give us more light on a situation where we feel like we’re in the dark or confused or anxious. Jesus makes a way out of any aspect of darkness and will continue to guide us with His light if we let Him.

 

I’ve found that when I prayed for the light of Jesus to intervene in a situation, it triggered a domino effect in circumstances that I really had no control over, things I certainly couldn’t change or fix by myself.

 

The Instigator, Jesus, gets things rolling and then we get to watch and see how awesome the results follow through, often in ways we would have never dreamed of or expected.

 

My dentist said the light instigator shining on the two parts of the composite material made it set up much faster than in the old days.

 

I want to be quicker to call on Jesus’ light in my situations. With His jump start, the results will most likely be speedier too.

 

Love, Carolyn

My books are still being offered on Amazon, and I believe Barnes and Noble. Even the older ones are great to read!

 

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

THE PILGRIMS, JOSHUA, AND 2021

 THE PILGRIMS, JOSHUA, AND 2021

I’m reading a book on the history of the Pilgrims. They first started off in England as a group of Christians who wanted to be free to practice their faith freely, separate from the ways of the Church of England. They ran into trouble with the authorities and some were jailed because of their beliefs, so they sought passage across the North Sea to the Netherlands, where they continued to worship as they pleased. But their living conditions dropped to poverty levels. They’d been successful farmers before, but now they could only get jobs in the lowest paying trades. Then many started incorporating new customs into their church services, and in their daily lives they started tolerating practices that were not acceptable before. They decided to move again, this time to America.

 

William Bradford was their leader, and he was a man who never gave up hope. The author writes: “They were not coming to conquer. They were not merchants looking for wealth, like the colonists down south in Jamestown. They were coming so that they might be free to be who they were.”

 

In many ways, I feel like we are like the Pilgrims. We are at the end of a year that most people want to forget. At the ending of each year, I like to reflect on the year past. I make a written or mental list of the events of the year that impressed me the most. This year I think most people would agree that the bad side overwhelmed the good by far.

 

And yet God is still with us and we will go on.

 

As William Bradford and others looked to the ominous task of crossing to America, “they admitted the dangers; the difficulties were many, but not insurmountable. And this would not be a voyage in search of gold, or to claim a new territory, or merely to explore.” In Bradford’s words: “Their ends were good & honourable; their calling, lawful & urgent; and therefore they might expecte the blessing of God in their proceding. . . . All great & honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courages.”

 

I believe we have the answerable courage to seek the freedom to be who we are. I am reminded of God’s charge to Joshua, when Moses died, and all seemed lost. Joshua was still to be the special unique person God created him to be. He had amazing things to do that he wasn’t even aware of yet. But Joshua did have a few clues.

 

I believe that God has given each of us clues to our future, clues that reside in our hearts and are only waiting to be aroused to life once again, or maybe for the first time. The woes of 2020 cannot override the freedom of life that God has given us.

 

In chapter one of Joshua, God begins his story. I have shortened this passage for brevity’s sake. God told Joshua:

 

“Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go . . . . Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.  

 

“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage.  

 

“Only be thou strong and very courageous. . . .

 

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth [in other words, keep speaking the truth]; thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

 

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Josh. 1:2-9).

 

We are the Pilgrims of today. We are about to pass from 2020 into a brand new world, 2021. We have the answerable courage to do it. God says He’s given us a future (Jer. 29:11). I believe everyone already knows at least one thing that is in that future, one thing that needs to come to life. Only you can do it. Be brave and claim your freedom.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

My books are still being offered on Amazon, and I believe Barnes and Noble. Even the older ones are great to read!

 

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

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Me and Peanut on the patio this morning. Merry Christmas to all of you and I'm praying 2021 is an amazing time with the presence of God a reality we all feel and know experientially this coming year.

Love, Carolyn