GOD IS GOOD


True life narratives of an ongoing Christian journey in faith. Insight, revelations, and new understanding. How to apply Biblical principles in this present world. Keys for coping with life in satisfying and successful ways and overcoming obstacles. Exciting stories that people from all over the world can relate to and that will us to live a more victorious life.
GOD IS GOOD
A
GOOD CONSCIENCE
The dictionary defines
“conscience” as “the internal recognition of right and wrong, with the
compulsion to do right; a moral judgment that opposes the violation of a
previously recognized ethical principle.” But “blind ambition” will disregard
conscience and go for what it wants, no matter what. The Bible tells us that
“in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1-2).
If we continue to act
against our conscience, we get burned; repetition of wrong thinking numbs the brain
reactors like scar tissue, and we are no longer sensitive to right and wrong. So
we’ll do what we want rather than what God wants.
The end does not justify
the means. God wants us to stay righteous today, not later, when we’ve
accomplished what we think we want. Ambition is good, but only under the
distinct leadership of the Lord.
The news is riddled with
horror stories of what many actors in Hollywood, singers, and sports figures
have compromised to get to the top. Morals, ethics, and a sense of right and
wrong go right out the window because being a great star is what they want more
than being a great person.
People get tempted to
compromise on morals because they think they’ll lose something, like a job
promotion or a boyfriend or girlfriend, for instance. We are so afraid of
losing something that we do things we know are wrong and even harmful to us.
But honestly, we have nothing
worthwhile to lose if we endeavor to live with a good conscience toward God.
Hebrews 13:5 says: “Let your conversation be
without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
People misunderstand the
part that says to be content with what you have. They think it refers to our
present job, physical possessions, etc. But what God is talking about is what
we really have: every desire fulfilled by Him. Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee
the desires of thine heart.”
The Apostle Paul gives
us a great goal: “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before
God until this day” (Acts 23:1). And when he was accused, in Acts 24:16, he answers:
“Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense
toward God.”
No matter the
circumstance, big or small, let’s keep our moral compass on the truths in God’s
Word and decide to do the right thing without compromise. And if we think our
conscience has been seared in any way, pray to God to be led to where we can be
delivered of the damages we’ve suffered, and get clean of all things natural
and spiritual that may be misdirecting or blocking our Godly conscience.
Love, Carolyn
My new book, BIBLE
LESSONS FROM NATURE, contains lots of great true-life stories on a variety
of things we see in nature that God uses to teach us about Himself and the principles
of life.
MAGNIFICENT
TURNAROUNDS – ESTHER, JOSEPH, AND US
On
my calendar, I saw that Tuesday is Purim. I don’t know much about Jewish
holidays, so I looked it up. The Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates the
preservation of the Jewish people from an edict given by Haman (Esther 9:1)
during the reign of King Xerxes of Persia. In the edict, Haman plotted to
destroy the entire Jewish population. Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian.
The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he
would carry out his diabolical scheme. Haman wanted to destroy the people, but
God had something very different in mind.
God
worked through Queen Esther to destroy Haman instead. It was a total turnaround
for God’s people. I know you’ll enjoy the new insight the Lord will give you if
you take the time to read the book of Esther this week. It’s only 10 chapters,
and it’s right before the book of Job.
The
story of the magnificent turnaround of the Jews in the book of Esther reminds
me of Joseph in Genesis, where his brothers lowered him into a pit that they
thought he could not escape from. They left him for dead. But God turned it
completely around to where Joseph became the very rich and wise advisor to the
Pharaoh of Egypt.
All
of this above makes me turn to something I’ve been learning about this week in
reading the book PIGS IN THE PARLOR. (I highly recommend it!) When
demons are cast out of believers, their whole lives can be totally turned
around, cleansed, sanctified, holy, and without blemish.
As
it says in Ephesians 5:25b-27: “as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
This is the
part that really got me, starting with 1 Peter 1:18-19: “Forasmuch as ye know
that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold.
. ., but with the precious blood of Christ.”
“What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Think about it:
Our body and our spirit are God’s because Jesus paid for us. The rotten things
about us as well as the good, became God’s. When we accepted Christ as Lord, we
became sons and daughters of God.
As the authors
of PIGS IN THE PARLOR so aptly describe: “The Christian should always
consider indwelling demons as unnecessary and undesirable TRESPASSERS. A
trespasser is one who unlawfully and stealthily encroaches upon the territory
of another. Trespassers can continue their unlawful practices until they are
confronted and challenged on the basis of one’s legal rights. Jesus has
purchased the believer with his own blood and has made him a steward over his
own life. [with authority over demons – my emphasis].
“The devil has
no legal right to him; however, it is up to him to defend his rights. No demon
can remain when the Christian seriously desires him to go! “Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you” (James 4:7b).
There are so
many other great truths laid out in this book, but this first one I thought was
really important to share. Since we are Christ’s, no demon has the lawful right
to mess with us.
Like what
happened at the original Purim in about 357 BCE, our body, soul and spirit can
be completely turned around by not allowing demons to trespass. John 10:10
tells us the devil’s mission is to steal, kill and destroy, just like Haman
wanted to do to God’s people in Persia. But one believer, Esther, turned
everything around by obeying God. Same with Joseph in Egypt, The devil nearly
killed him, but when God sent some nomad merchants along, Joseph was rescued
and blessed by God.
We have the
same privilege today to turn around our own lives as well as the lives of other
believers by kicking the trespassers out of our lives in the name of Jesus
Christ. As the scripture says in Philippians 2:10: “at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth,
and things under the earth.” God’s
deliverance is for real.
Love, Carolyn
If you’re
interested in learning more, the book I mentioned has been enlightening and
helpful in this subject, and there are also many others available now. Several
years back, I tried to find out about deliverance ministries, and I tried to
find good books on deliverance as well, and there was next to nothing, but I
thank God for what has been opened for us now. Also, I want to mention that
there is a movie coming out next Monday, the 13th on Fathom Events. It’s called
COME OUT IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I haven’t seen it, but a couple of friends I
went to Bible college with are involved with this ministry, so I will
definitely check it out. I think it’s only playing one night so far.
One more thing:
My book is now out in paperback and Kindle: BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE.
Lots of great stories of things God has in nature that teach us about Himself
and His ways. 😊
NOT
PULLED DOWN BY EVIL BUT LIFTED UP BY GOD
Yesterday
I walked into a small phone store, and a man waiting to get served was staring
at me. I looked 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, he seemed normal,
and I knew he was no longer a threat to me.
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, Satan will take advantage of us if we choose to stay ignorant
of his devices. In the spiritual realm, ignorance is NOT bliss! So I’ve decided
to increase my study of the dark side. 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 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 6:13: “And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Knowing God delivers us
from all evil, we can then look at what He says about it.
In
that scripture, “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 is evil actions that are “harmful, lewd, and malicious.” But
we pray like Jesus said: “Pray to thy Father. . .deliver us from evil”
(Matt. 6: 6,13), and He does it.
Two
other words used in the New Testament for bad or evil are “kakos” and “sapros.”
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.” It is used in Titus 1:12, talking about when people take on
demons having the nature of wild, vicious, biting beasts or venomous snakes, reptiles
or other predatory animal spirits. It’s also used in James 3:8, talking about a
person’s tongue being a restless evil wanting to harm and injure.
Sapros,
another word for bad, means corrupt or rotten, like rotting vegetables or dead
carcasses. It expresses something of very bad quality and unfit for use,
putrid, also like rotten fruit, old, cooked chicken that’s been left out too
long, or rotten fish. In Ephesians 4:29, the word “sapros” is used talking
about “corrupt” speech, which eats away at a person rather than lifting them
up, as the rest of the verse tells us we should be doing.
God
delivers us from these rotten and evil people and things and brings us around
to believing in what we have and are in Christ.
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
am an heir of God through Christ (Gal. 4:7).
I
have boldness and access in Christ (Eph. 3:12).
Christ hath redeemed us (Gal. 3:13).
I
have liberty in Christ (Gal. 2:4).
I
have victory through Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).
I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor. 12:9).
I
am called in Christ (Rom. 1:6).
I
have redemption in Christ (Rom. 3:24).
I
reign in life by Christ (Rom. 5:17).
Jesus
said: I give unto you power
[authority] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [dunamis-dynamite]
of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).
Jesus
said: But ye shall receive power [dunamis-dynamite],
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you (Acts 1:8).
Jesus called his twelve disciples together, and
gave them power [dunamis] and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases
(Luke 9:1).
I
am the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).
I
have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that I should be
holy and without blame before Him (Eph. 1:4).
I
am complete in Christ (Col. 2:10).
I
have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).
Christ
is my life (Col. 3:4).
Love,
Carolyn
Read
other stories of victories when applying the BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE to our
everyday lives: https://www.amazon.com/BIBLE-LESSONS-NATURE-Carolyn-Molica/dp/B0BV4GC859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QACB0S8NH0BF&keywords=bible+lessons+from+nature&qid=1676485121&sprefix=%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-1
WHEN
GOD SAYS IT ISN’T GOING TO WORK OUT HOW WE WANT IT TO
Have
you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to do something, but you got
this niggling feeling in your spirit that it wasn’t going to work out? That
happened to me this past week. I’ve learned over the years that when the Lord
is trying to protect us from a bad situation, He can become quite the nag (in a
good way, of course!). He knows the opportunities (i.e., challenges) that will
be our biggest temptations, and He will begin to pester us until we give in to
His will.
Thank
God, we’ve trained ourselves to submit because, as the Bible says, we do have
an enemy who will try to destroy us in any way he can: physically, financially,
relationship-wise, etc. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom
he may devour.”
What
happened is a painter friend called and asked if I wanted to help him do a
painting for a neighboring city’s competition. I jumped at the idea. But almost
immediately, we both recognized things that just didn’t seem right in our
spirits. They put out the call for the job, but when my friend showed up on the
first day, they weren’t ready with the application. Then the financial pay for
the project was put in these terms: “up to $9,500.” We asked ourselves, “What were
the criteria for how much they were going to pay?” The terminology sounded
awfully arbitrary! One detail after another made us cringe and question.
My
friend went ahead and worked on a beautifully-rendered mockup. I worked on the
write-up for the application, researching costs for a scissor lift, liability insurance,
(both of which were not cheap), and some other things on the business end, and
putting together portfolio photos.
We both felt it was a good learning
opportunity and were willing to do what we did without being resentful. But
when the Lord says it’s over, it’s over. So today was that day. It’s not a
happy resolution, but it’s the right one, and we both know that makes all the
difference.
All
the positive praying we could do, and it just couldn’t make the outcome be what
we wanted.
My
incident with the mural painting was small, but Ezekiel tells of a much graver
situation. The prophets didn’t like the messages God was giving about war
coming. They decided to enforce their own will and preached peace instead. God
said: “I will destroy you for these visions and lies. My hand shall be against
you, and you shall be cut off from among the leaders of Israel; I will blot out
your names, and you will never see your own country again. And you shall know I
am the Lord. For these evil men deceive my people by
saying, ‘God will send peace,’ when that is not my plan at all!” (Ezek.
13:8-10)
When
we want something and pray about it, we go for the best, and that’s a good
thing. But if in our spirit we sense it’s honestly not to be, let’s remember to
stop and ask the Lord what’s up. He’ll let us know.
Honest
raw truth from God is better than even the slightest bit of “positive thinking”
that is not true. The sooner we accept the “negative” message from the Lord,
the sooner we can deal with it and move through it.
“Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou
art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table
before me in the presence of mine enemies” (Ps. 23:4-5a). If God needs to tell
us negative things, He will do it, but He also leads us through it, no matter
what, and we “will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Ps. 23:6).
In every case, it’s better to go with the Lord than go with our own
earthly desires. And He will always reward our obedience and faith in Him.
Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Love,
Carolyn
My
new book is out! BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE. It should be available on Amazon
this week for sure.
REMEMBER
The
Israelites grew up knowing they were supposed to remember and recite the great
miracles God did for their ancestors and families. They were supposed to tell
their children stories to keep God’s love and majesty in their hearts and minds
and pass it on to future generations.
Recalling
the goodness of God was to be an antidote for depression, rebellion, and
fearful thinking so that when enemies would come at them, they would have the
correct mental weapons to fight. And they would know that God would continue caring
for them in hard times.
But
the Israelites didn’t do what God wanted. Psalm 78: 10-11 tells us: “They did not keep the
covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law and forgot His works and
His wonders that He had shown them.”
After Jesus came to earth, God “called, not
of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. As He also says in Hosea: ‘I
will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not
beloved’” (Rom. 9:24-25).
Even though God no longer requires us to be under the Mosaic law,
Paul tells us in Romans 15:4: “Whatever things were written before were
written for our learning, that we through the patience and
comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
The Old Testament edicts are for our learning. I’ve
found that remembering what God has done for us in the past works the same way God
intended it to work in Old Testament times: to give us the mental and emotional
weapons we need when life’s circumstances challenge us.
Reading Psalm
78 this week, I saw that God’s people were far from steadfast. Instead, they
kept flipping back and forth from following God’s will.
When
many died, “they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then
they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High
God their Redeemer” (Ps. 78:34-35). But their memory was short-lived!
“Nevertheless
they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their
tongue; for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in
His covenant” (vv. 36-37).
“But
He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
and did not destroy them” (v. 38).
“How often
they provoked Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again
and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (vv. 40-41).
“They did not remember
His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy” (v. 42).
After reading this, I
figured it would be a good time for me to reflect on my own life to see a few miraculous
things the Lord did to rescue me in the past. I don’t want to become
insensitive to His power and blessing in my current life, like the Israelites
in Psalm 78!
I remember when I was
about 19, I felt like no one loved me. I had even failed at trying to commit
suicide. I was alone and despondent and didn’t know how to improve things. My
best offer came from a “friend,” and we would go to LA to become prostitutes.
God rescued me just in time when my dad’s San Francisco office suddenly closed,
and my parents asked me if I wanted to go with them to Chicago. I went. But
things didn’t get much better.
I met a guy who I really
liked and we went out a few times. Then he said he wanted me to meet him late
one night at the pool parking lot where I worked as a lifeguard. I was ready to
go, but something didn’t feel right, so I didn’t go. The next day when I showed
up at the pool, the head lifeguard told me the guy showed up at about 11 p.m.
to do a drug deal. He had a handgun and was really angry that I didn’t come. He
had all his stuff in the back of the car and took off cross country. My
lifeguard boss said the guy was planning to take me with him! God saved me from
being abducted by that guy!
Jane tells me I kept my
angels very busy back then, and she’s right.
When I think back to
those years between 18 and 22, I can tell you so many stories of how the Lord
saved me from numerous awful situations. I felt like I was acting like those
Israelites in Psalm 78, always carrying my Bible around but absolutely void of
any Godly wisdom!
Finally, God rescued me
for good. In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist says: “He that
cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” That’s what
happened to me. Jesus Christ baptized me with his holy spirit and fire. The
fire burned out my old life and gave me power and wisdom, and I never went
back.
“I
waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He
brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my
feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Ps. 40:2).
That’s
my story in a nutshell, and remembering it gives me great calm and uplifting.
If you ever get discouraged or sad, just take a look at what God’s already done
for you. 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise.” What He’s done for you before, He can do it again and way more!
Love,
Carolyn PS: My new book, BIBLE
LESSONS FROM NATURE, just came out on Amazon! In color! www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV4GC859?psc=1&smid=A1Y53T3O3Q25L8&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp
HOW
TO GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF A BIBLE SCRIPTURE
When the English
translators read the Hebrew/Aramaic text of the Old Testament or the Greek
version of the New Testament, they chose English words that would best express
their understanding of the original languages. A good concordance lets us do
that too. We can look up the etymology of any word used in the Bible and see
the intricacies of its definition. It’s easy now with an online concordance
like Strong’s (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3427/kjv/wlc/0-1/).
As we read the definition of a word, the Holy Spirit teaches us how it applies
to our lives. We get a deeper understanding of the holy scriptures by doing
this simple research.
As an example, I’ll show
you how to do this, using two verses from Psalm 91. First, I’ll show you how to
look up the meanings of the words, then make them personal without compromising
the integrity or how the scripture fits with the rest of the Bible.
Psalm 91:1: “He that dwelleth
in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of
the Almighty.”
The word “dwelleth” is
the Hebrew yashab defined as sitting down with,
remaining, settling down with, continuing with, marrying, being still with.
“Secret” is cether, a
place where you’re covered, a hiding place, a place of protection.
“The most High”
is El Elyon, the Highest, Supreme, uppermost. There is no
one and nothing higher.
“Abide” is the
Hebrew lyin which means to stop (usually overnight),
implying to stay permanently, remaining, continuing.
“The Almighty” is El
Shaddai. Young’s Concordance defines this as the God
of overflow, constant supply, and source of all sufficiency.
Take a minute or two to think
about those definitions and mull them over. What is God saying to you in that
scripture? Put it in your own words without changing the meaning.
For example, this is how
I would say to myself: “Carolyn, sit down a few minutes and relax. Settle down,
be still, and picture yourself snuggled up in the protected hiding place of
God, up next to the One Who is the Highest Being ever to exist. He wants you
there. You can stay overnight, and then in the morning, you’ll be right by His
side and go wherever He goes. You’re close enough that His shadow is on you,
and you experience a constant overflow from Him. God is your continuing source
of everything you need.”
The next verse I want to
look at is Psalm 91:4: “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His
wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”
The word “cover” is sakak which
means to join together and shut up, entwining as a screen, to fence in or hedge
in for protection and defense.
“Feathers” are from the
root word abar which means to soar or fly.
“Truth” is emeth meaning
stable, certain, sure, faithful, established and right.
“Shield” is a word
for pointed hook, prickly like thorns or a cactus hedge. It is a
large shield that guards by prickliness. It also carries the definition of
being piercingly cold.
“Buckler” is translated
from cochera, a shield that completely surrounds a
person.
Again, take a few
minutes to think about these definitions and see what God is saying to you.
The God of the Bible is
our God, and He’s protected His Word all these thousands of years so that when
we read a verse, He can speak personally to each of us. It’s great to have
people who preach and teach us the Word, but God loves us individually and has
made it so that each of us can read the Bible and hear from Him ourselves. God
tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
When we study a verse or
section of scripture by looking up the meanings of the words, we’ll get a
deeper understanding of what our Heavenly Father is saying to us.
“Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to
him that knocketh it shall be opened (Matt. 7:7-8).
Love, Carolyn
My
new book, BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE, will be out soon. I’m
excited for you to be able to read it. The last time I published a paperback,
it had to be in black and white, but this time they could do it in color! Yay!
I know you’re going to love it. https://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Molica/e/B007GZO1HA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_15&qid=1651431514&sr=8-15