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After three hundred seventy-eight posts (7 years) of Paulette Talks Faith, God is moving me in a different direction. I have no idea where He’s taking me; I guess you can say I’m walking by faith. However, I didn’t want to leave without saying thank you for your dedication and encouraging words. So, for now—Goodbye. Please click link to visit my online bookstore. Blessings to you!       

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This nation is split in every way imaginable because the Church (the body of Christ) gradually strayed away from God’s Word. Just like erosion secretly formed the Grand Canyon, the Church let herself be eroded by the ways of this world. This once unnoticeable fissure has now developed into an apparent Split.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

The Church is the light and salt of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Therefore, by faith, Jesus expects her to continue the mission until He returns. But over time, she expected the world to do the job for her. Of course, the world gladly accepted the role of leading. As a result, the Church leans more toward human logic, selfish agendas, and petty emotions—far away from what saith the Lord.

• If we had only obeyed Matthew 22:36-40, we wouldn’t be in this fix.

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? ³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

• If we had only taken Proverbs 16:18-19 literally before thinking, we’re above reproach.

Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.¹⁹ Better poor and humble than proud and rich. (LAB)

• Surely, we didn’t read Matthew 25:40 and still think the poor and needy are expendable.

. . . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

• Mark 8:36 warned us not to run after earthly treasures; by heavens standards—junk.

 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

• In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave us a “To-Do List” that He commands us to do before His sudden return.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

The world can’t repair this split, but the Church can.

 

© 2021

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

 

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The other day God used a pair of sunglasses and the concept of “Son-glasses” to explain to me how He looks at sin after we repent. He gave me this analogy after I had a troubling conversation with a highly-intelligent lady who told me she was a Christian. I’ll say more about her later.

Analogy: We wear sunglasses to block out harmful ultraviolet rays. God wears Son-glasses to block out our filthiness, and by doing so, He sees His Son’s righteousness—the blood of Jesus covering us. We are reconciled to Him through Christ. How else can we be in right standing with El Shaddai-God Almighty? Only by faith can we receive this marvelous gift of righteousness.

For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us! (2 Corinthians 5:21, LAB).

 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV).

Of course, that doesn’t give us carte blanche to sin at will. God is omniscient; He knows who’s not seriously walking with Him. In other words, He sees those people without His Son-glasses.

Now back to the disturbing conversation. The lady proudly shared the time she went to church—repeated the sinner’s prayer—and received a certificate of authenticity. She said she’s a Christian because she has paperwork framed on her wall as proof. She has made no changes in her lifestyle after she was saved. Why should she—she doesn’t believe in heaven or hell or that the devil exists?

This woman should know Christianity is more than a piece of paper since she was raised in a strict Christian home where the fundamentals of Christianity were taught and practiced. But, listening to her, she was void of any such upbringing when she expressed:

• She believes Jesus was a prophet—but not the Son of God.
• And, she doesn’t believe Jesus is the only way to God.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).

My experience with this woman lets me know when we sense something is off with a person’s line of thinking—we should speak up, as the Holy Spirit gives us utterance.

I have no doubt God will arrange for us to meet again, at that time, I’ll be able to explain—God wears Son-glasses.

 © 2020

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

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The other day, I read about how the Israelites’contentious dispositions led to their downfall. The insolence had vexed Moses’ patience for decades as they wandered around in the wilderness grumbling, complaining, and intermittently worshiping idols—despite all the mighty miracles God performed for them.

As I read, one incident especially caught my attention. The time when a prominent leader named Korah and 250 others tried to encourage the Israelites to go against Moses and Aaron’s authority. Their attitude was: Why take orders from them?

Now here’s the part where I gasped. The ground opened—and those who chose to rebel—fell into a pit—then the earth closed!

 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

³³ They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation (Numbers 16:32-34).

God wasn’t playing then, and He ain’t playing now!

You might describe me as a little peculiar because I like to parallel today’s corrupt times with the Old Testament days. But I find the similarities between then and now amazing. Don’t waste your time trying to convince me that God’s love wouldn’t allow devastation to come upon us as it did back then. I’m tired of tiptoeing around it—Yes, He would!

God’s not trying to say something; He is saying something. 

We’re telling God, please stop, no more! But I see it as Him sending us all kinds of signals and messages to take Him seriously. Step back and take a panoramic view of all that’s attacking the world. Some of us got the memo and, by faith, making appropriate changes to meet His Holy Standards to the best of our abilities.

On the other hand, some are counting on God’s grace to bail them out without repentance. I’m afraid people who think like that are unaware God is omniscient; He knows who sincerely loves Him for Who He is, and not just a quick get out of hell ticket when times get hard. John 14:15 sums it up; If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.

Think about this: How many times does the Holy Spirit have to caution us about excluding Him out of our lives? How many warnings do we get not to water down His Word? Does He have to keep telling us over-and-over again to love everybody, including our enemies? Do we understand when He told us in Matthew 6:19-20 that earthly possessions will decompose; therefore, put our sites on heavenly treasures?

It’s comforting and encouraging to hear about how much God loves us and that He wants the best for us. But the way things are coming at us from all angles, we need to hear the full gospel; more straightforward, strict teachings about living a life of holiness no matter who opposes, because

He Ain’t Playing—Y’all!

 © 2020

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

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When we swear to tell the truth in a court of law or raise our right hand to uphold an oath of office or make a holy vow in matrimony—it should be perceived more than a formality. Some people can swear on the Bible, knowing they have no intentions of maintaining their sworn obligations if those commitments interfere with their personal plans.

Don’t play with fire!

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44).

I do solemnly swear?

When we make a pledge, that’s not a mindless act in God’s courtroom. Therefore, before we flippantly say, I Do, we had better understand there are consequences attached when we purposefully neglect to uphold our end of the bargain. In Ecclesiastes 5:5, Solomon cautions not to make promises then not keep them.

It’s far better not to say you’ll do something than to say you will and then not do it. (LAB)

From our lips to God’s ear!

Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight (Proverbs 12:22).

The world views lying as a convenient manipulating tool. Have you noticed we’re living in a swamp of falsehoods? It’s like watching a “who can tell the most whoppers” contest? However, in this matchup, the winners are the losers.

Ask the Holy Spirit to expose the liars.

For those of us who still value honesty, the devil would like for us to think lying has been downgraded to a minor misdemeanor of sins. Contrary to this misnomer, no sin is a marginal offense. God is against all unrighteousness—all forms of lying included. (See Romans 1:18.)

Pray for the Holy Spirit to expose the fabricators—then have the faith to believe Him when He points them out.

Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

 © 2020

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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COVID and all its challenges have been around for almost a year now. This pandemic has become a common phenomenon globally as people are grief-stricken, tired, and anxious. Yet, some are hopeful about the upcoming year. But will things be any different or just a continuation? Will the world experience the mercy of God or His wrath? I think the character and tone of the new year will depend mainly on how we step out of this one.

How are we doing, Lord?

We can say this year exposed people for who they are; we even learned a few things about ourselves. It doesn’t matter if we are a slow learner or quick study; look around at our circumstances, and by faith, interpret God’s message to the world—it’s not that hard. He has made this clear for us all to understand. If we don’t become better behaved after all of this, well, that’s on us.

Clues of how we are to behave can be found in the books of prophecy (Isaiah through Malachi) in the Old Testament. God has some non-negotiables that the people back then disregarded, and I’m afraid we are currently discounting them, also. Throughout the ages, there’s a common thread: Worship no other god before Me, and love your neighbor as yourself. As the theme continues in the New Testament, Jesus modeled how this is done in the Gospels (Matthew through John). The Epistles (Romans through Jude) are to inspire us in our daily Christian walk. And the book of Revelation wraps it all up.

As the year ends—how am I doing, Lord?

• Has my relationship with You grown closer since all the upheaval?
• Do I worship You with my time, money, and obedience to the best of my ability?
• Do I study Your Word and apply it to my life the way I should?
• Am I harboring hate towards those with opposing views? 
• Do I treat everybody the way You commanded?
• Do I look the other way and tolerate injustice when bestowed on others?
• Do I act as if I’m the only one that matters?
• Do my actions speak well of You?
• Do I boldly tell others about You?

Are we behaving any better?

© 2020

See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.

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We are privileged that we can pray anytime, anyplace, under any circumstances to El Shaddai, Almighty God. However, having the faith to believe the answer is on the way is a whole different story. When I pray in God’s will and live according to His Word to the best of my understanding, I want to know—without question—my prayers are answered.

Remove the question marks.

Here’s what I’m learning and doing to pray, no doubt prayers. Notice, I used the present progressive tense of the verbs: learn and do, because I’m a work in progress. I’m not proclaiming I’ve found some secret formula to getting prayers answered; nevertheless, I’m excited to share my new approach to prayer.

Fill the Prescription!

A few months ago, I wrote a post called: Put Some WORD on It! In that piece, I made the point that if you got a minor cut, scratch, or bruise—put some hydrogen peroxide on it. If you got a swollen ankle—put some ice on it. But if you got some impossibilities—put some WORD on it. I like to view the Word as the Prescription, outlining all that I can obtain through Christ Jesus.

Example of my prayer:

Prescription: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Me: BECAUSE YOUR SON SHED HIS BLOOD, and I have accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, I’m in right standing with You.

Prescription:  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16b, NIV).

Me: AND SINCE I’ve been made righteous through Christ, my prayers are powerful and effective.

Prescription:  Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart (Psalm 37:4).

Me: YOU KNOW—how much I delight myself in You.

• I hunger and thirst after You;
• I can’t stop talking about You;
• I want to please You;
• I love our intimate moments and one-on-one conversations.

Prescription:  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10b).

Me: HOWEVER, IF MY PRAYER isn’t aligned with You, help me accept—Your will.

Prescription:  The eyes of the Lord are toward the [uncompromisingly]righteous and His ears are open to their cry (Psalm 34:15, AMP).

Me: THEREFORE, I thank You in advance that You will hear my prayer.

After laying that foundation, I’m ready to present my requests boldly by faith.

BUT WAIT—that’s not all!

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27).

The Finisher!

I call on the Finisher, the Holy Spirit, to turn my imperfect prayer into a perfect prayer and present it to the Father flawlessly. My faith is in the Father answering the Holy Spirit’s prayers on my behalf.

That’s how I pray, no doubt prayers.

Amen.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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While watching a movie about a lady who was being blackmailed, I kept thinking why anybody would be crazy enough to let someone blackmail them? As I was rolling this over in my mind, God dropped this into my spirit: You let the devil blackmail you all the time.

What? How?

The devil wants our faith, and he blackmails us with strongholds of fear, so we’ll believe his lies and doubt God’s love, mercy, and grace. The enemy knows the magnitude of power Jehovah-Elohim has given us through Christ. He also knows many believers don’t realize the clout they have in the heavenly realm.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him (Psalm 91:15).

Faith—enables us to withstand the devil’s onslaughts. (See Ephesian 6:11.) Faith—releases angels to our rescue (see Psalm 91:11-12). Therefore, this demoniac prowler will use any scare tactics necessary to con us out of this valuable asset that can ruin his plans to harm us. Why should we allow ourselves to be tormented by fear, agonizing worries when we can rest in the loving arms of our Lord? Our rest is spiritual warfare against the kingdom of darkness.

That’s why this evil spirit usually attacks us when we’re mentally, physically, and spiritually too distraught to take comfort in Jehovah-Rohi: The Lord, our Shepherd. That’s why we can’t afford to take off our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:11-18) and become lax because this stalker is roaming loose seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). We must daily spend one-on-one time in the presence of God without substitution. That’s how we receive the strength to lift the shield of faith while engulfed in fear.

How to decontrol a blackmailer?

Think about this: If a blackmailer has no leverage on their victims, that perpetrator has no power to control and manipulate. The same is true when it comes to the devil. That’s why he doesn’t want to hear us say—I don’t care what you do; throw your best shot; my faith is in Jehovah-Elohim, the Most Powerful—Whose power no foe can withstand (see Psalm 91:1, AMP).

Okay, lets be honest, most of us aren’t there yet spiritually to confront the enemy straightforward like that; however, we should never stop aiming for that goal. Remember Christians, who live their lives according to the Word, have more power than the devil.

We don’t need faith when we have possibilities; faith is for those times when we are facing impossibilities.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).

Does your faith waiver every time the devil winks in your direction? If that’s so, check to see if he’s blackmailing your faith with fear.

 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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Do you ever wonder why Christians can read the same Bible and come up with misleading interpretations? Not only is this nation divided, but so is the Church at a time when we need to come together and work as the united body of Christ. But instead, too many of us follow man’s traditions and ideologies that don’t necessarily line up with Scriptures. Therefore, it’s on us to sift what we hear through the Word of God.

No one can learn the Word for you.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11).

If you don’t understand the Word for yourself, you might be influenced by someone else’s interpretation—correct or not. I fell victim to misleading truth when I started this blog a few years ago. There were times when I wanted to quote certain passages from the Bible that I heard as a child. But when I tried to apply them to my writings, I noticed their meanings were slightly different and off point from what I was taught to believe. This misinterpretation had been handed down for generations, more than likely. The key takeaway from my experience: Make no assumptions about what you think you know related to Scriptures; check it out for yourself!

Let the Holy Spirit be your guide.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).

As long as we are alive on earth, we will hear conflicting views related to different Scriptures. By faith, we must get into the habit of seeking the Lord for revelation and understanding. Then, as time passes on, when we hear the Word being misquoted or taken out of context, we will become sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit telling us to—Check That Out!

What is Truth?

Truth is God’s Word!

 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35).

© 2020

See you next week at Paulette Talks Faith.

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When a person tells me they are a Christian, my spiritual antenna automatically picks up their frequency: Do their actions represent the Kingdom of God? Anyone can say they are a Christian like anybody can quote Scriptures, use correct Christianse catchphrases and gestures, hold credible seminary credentials and titles, and not be followers of Christ. As I mature in my spiritual walk, I’m not as gullible. I use my faith to discern when to take a closer look: Is that a wolf cloaked as a sheep?

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15).

Some of these wolves, however, look and sound pretty convincing. It says in 1 John 4:1 not to believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:16 that we can tell who people are just as we can identify a tree by its fruit.

The vetting process:

• Is God number One in their lives? (Exodus 20:3)
• Is the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance) displayed in their lives? (Galatians 5:22-23)
• Do they spread the gospel or man’s lies? (Proverbs 13:5; 14:5)
• Do they model their lives after Christ? (Ephesians 5:1-2)
• Do they treat others the way they want to be treated? (Luke 6:31)
• Do they love their neighbor as themselves? (Mark 12:31)
• Do they aim to please God despite their desires? (John 14:15)

One thing is for sure: Wolves cannot imitate the presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Stay prayerful so you can spot the wolves cloaked as sheep.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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We have offered up many prayers for our land to be healed from all this adversity. But are we doing all that we can do on our part? Every day, God provides us with opportunities to heal; He told His people exactly what to do in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Nevertheless, all the fighting brought on by holding onto prejudices, jealousies, fears, and greed impedes the results sought after. Our Lord knew what He was doing when He created us in assorted flavors. When we link those favors together—we’re strong—as God intended.

We have a chance to heal; let’s not blow it!

But guess who knows diversity is strength—Satan. When we unite our love instead of allowing hate to divide us, we’re unstoppable. Therefore, the enemy’s goal is not to let such a bond form. He uses our weaknesses to promote division. We must use our faith in God to see through his evil conspiracies, especially during these unsettling times when we need each other the most.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)

Loving one another is one of the most challenging commandments to follow, yet it offers an enormous return when we’re obedient. A little kind-hearted compassion can get us through some rough patches.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Corinthians1:10).

Please don’t blow this opportunity to heal our land!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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God is bellowing out a forceful message as His Spirit sweeps across every landmass occupied by human-beings: I AM IN CHARGE! I will not be ignored; you can try to toss Me aside as if I don’t matter, but I will not be mocked. Don’t deceive yourselves and think you can indulge in sin without having to bear the consequences.

Don’t be misled; remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it; a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows! (Galatians 6:7, LAB)

Man is not sovereign.

• Can money buy salvation?
• Can man declare war against God and win?
• Can high-powered ammo keep Jehovah-Elohim at bay?
• Can man stop what El Shaddai authorizes?

I know we think we have all the answers to all the problems, but look where that’s gotten us. So how long—do you think—it’s going to take—before we realize—God is the only One Who can wipe our tears away?

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man (Psalm 118:8).

As a result of an unrepented world, we weep tears that transcend all language barriers; our smiles and frowns don’t need any translation. Moans and groans are interpreted as signs of distress all around the globe. The world can’t appease the hidden, ambiguous chambers of our weeping hearts, and it certainly can’t save us from the fires of damnation. The Lord is our Savior. (See 1 John 4:14.)

Jesus wept.

In the midst of what we’re going through, God is faithful to pour out His mercy and grace. He wants us to repent and find comfort in Him. It’s reassuring to know that we have a Savior who empathizes with us as we go through grief-stricken times.

In Jesus’ humanity, He expressed mournful feelings when He wept at Lazarus’ tomb. Some say He wept because of His friend’s death; some say He was moved by the sisters crying over their departed brother, while others say it was because of all the skepticism displayed by onlookers. All in all, Jesus can relate when we weep.

Another heartfelt moment of Jesus’ humanity was in the Garden of Gethsemane. He agonized in prayer to the point His sweat fell to the ground as if it were great drops of blood, asking His Father to release Him from the bitter cup of sin that would take Him to the cross. (See Luke 22:44.) Consequently, Jesus understands when we have to go through hard places in spite of how we feel.

Does Jesus weep today?

I don’t know if Jesus weeps today when He sees all the sin flaunted on earth, but I know we grieve the Holy Spirit when we turn against Him. That tells us all the evil in this world saddens the Lord. Jesus is fully aware of what’s going on as He sits at the right hand of His Father, making intercessions on our behalf. He wants us to throw our hands up and, by faith, submit our lives to Him.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: ³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:30-32).

We might be weeping now, but as we repent and obey the commands of our Savior, we can rest assured—joy will come in the morning.

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

 

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This pandemic and all the heartfelt calamitous conditions that followed have shaken the foundations of this world. What we thought was brick solid has come plummeting down in an avalanche of uncertainties and pain. Instead of us busying ourselves trying to put all the same old bricks exactly back in place, we should stop and think: perhaps they fell for a reason.

Because God is longsuffering, many of us failed to see that characteristic as Him extending His arm of mercy. We, on the contrary, took that as a free pass to do as we pleased. Therefore, we constructed brick-by-brick, self-serving monstrosities disregarding what matters the most—like caring for the poor, loving our neighbors, putting no other gods before Him. The world has pushed God aside; however, He is not the One to be pushed; His longsuffering won’t last forever.

While reading Jeremiah 5, verse 29 struck my attention: Should I sit back and act as though nothing is going on? The Lord God asks. Shouldn’t I punish a nation such as this? (LAB)

There are lines we better not cross.

We shouldn’t remove ourselves from the events that happened in the Old Testament. As I have suggested before, we can learn quite a bit about what’s happening today by researching what happened long ago. God has not changed. But as I think about it, people haven’t changed either. Back then, the mighty mistreated the weak—the same thing is happening today; false prophets misled the misinformed—the same thing is happening today; people worshiped idols—still, the same thing is happening today.

Before we start restoring those fallen bricks, it’s time to change our prayers from telling God how we want Him to rebuild our lives—to asking Him: What do You want us to build instead?

By faith, we must pray: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

It all fell for a reason.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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We go to great lengths to protect our homes, families, and other valuables with all kinds of security gadgets, and that’s commendable; there’s nothing wrong with that. But are we that conscientious when it comes to protecting the most valuable asset we have been given guardianship over? In many cases, we leave the most vulnerable possession unprotected, exposed for invasion—our spirits. It’s through our spirits we communicate with God, which makes it invaluable. But to complicate matters, it’s also through our spirits—the devil invades our thoughts and actions.

 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

The other day, I watched something on television that was quite disturbing when God put this thought into my heart: Protect your spirit!

At once, I turned the channel and felt empowered to control what I permitted to enter into my being. By simply changing the station, my temperament changed from agitation to calmness.

Now here’s the dangerous part of that situation: If I had continued watching that program, I would have left myself open to all kinds of ungodly thoughts that would have linked together and formed a stronghold. When the enemy has a grip like that, it’s harder to hear God speaking since it’s human nature to gravitate towards the negative.

How many times a day do we unconsciously allow these malicious links to form without any rebuffs?

True, it’s not always easy to remove yourself from people who harbor evil spirits like it is to change a television channel, but when the conditions are appropriate, leave their space, or ask them to leave yours. These people are sent by the enemy to drain your power. Use your faith and sense when the Holy Spirit is warning you of people who have malicious intentions.

However, when you can’t remove yourself, silently call on the Lord. View your spirit like a secret weapon where God and His power are stored. When you enter an aggressive zone, let the Holy Spirit’s power change the atmosphere to reflect His presence.

Keep your spirit protected!

So how do we keep our spirits protected?

• Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by going against His Word. (Ephesians 4:30)
• Make God your number one priority by scheduling your day around Him. (Exodus 20:3)
• Involve the Holy Spirit in your daily matters. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• Learn His character by studying His Word. (2 Timothy 2:15)
• Listen for God’s voice and do what He commands. (Luke 11:28)

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

There’s nothing more worthy of protection than your spirit.

© 2010

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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America has been fingerprinted, indicted, and booked as a nation in distress. All one has to do is look around and see this country desperately needs God. Among many indictments, the political divide is currently one of the top charges. Instead of assaulting each other, we should be attacking the culprit who is stirring up all this division. And that my friend, is Satan; he is the puppet master, manipulating the strings that control our actions. America does not have a Democratic or Republican problem; it has a spiritual problem.

As a blogger, I hear from Christian readers who represent both political parties. That is to be expected and is healthy since we, at the moment, live in a democracy. However, the severe divide we face now is threatening our nation; it has moved from a difference of opinion to something sinister and dangerous. Satan is going for an irreparable split.

The Church (the body of Christ) let America down when she relegated her authority to man. She is the salt and the light of the world (see Matthew 5:13-16). But because of her passivity, the Church is witnessing harsh repercussions from her silence.

The Church is the adult in the room.

As far as I’m concern, there is no such thing as separation of Church and state. Look for chaos when there is no divine guidance; expect turmoil when moving about in the kingdom of darkness without light. Of course, we have freedom of religion in this country, but that does not exclude God from governmental practices.

Our diversity is our strength.

God’s people come from many walks of life—wearing many assorted cultural and racial hats. Our problem is, we think one hat fits all. God knew what He was doing when He made us all different. Just think about it: The more diverse His people are, the more territory they can reach for Christ. Therefore, our diversity is our strength if the Kingdom of God is our priority.

America needs a Church bailout!

By faith, the Church needs to rescue America from this downward trajectory. But before she can do that, she must repent and submit her will over to the Holy Spirit’s will. She must pray for the strength not to take the enemy’s bait to weaken this nation. She must pray for discernment so she can readily recognize the enemy’s many cunning disguises and plans. She must pray that the veil of deception is removed from her eyes.

America has been fingerprinted and brought up on charges; however, by the grace of God, through His Church, this nation can be set free.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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I was confronted the other day with a disturbing problem. Once I was made aware of its intensity, the Holy Spirit prompted me to start fasting and praying immediately. Upon doing so, the Lord saturated my house with His presence in a powerful supernatural way. In other words, despite the looming trouble, He and I had a good time fellowshipping. It says in Romans 14:17, the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

After a couple of spectacular spirit-filled days, God let me know: Heaven heard my prayers and accepted my sacrifice; resulting in, He handled the matter; therefore, I could cease with the fast.

And he [Jesus] said unto them [His disciples], This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29).

However, it didn’t take but a few hours before the devil came to pollute my faith with his lies. His mission was to bait me into believing his falsehoods; rattle my confidence that God answered my prayers, and erase the amazing time I had with the Holy Spirit. The deceiver came to mislead me just like he deluded Eve in the Garden of Eden when he asked her, “Did God say not to eat of every tree?”

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:1)

But wait—he had enough pride in himself to try and bait Jesus during the Lord’s forty-day fast in the wilderness.

And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone (Matthew 4:6).

Eve took the bait—Jesus didn’t.

If the devil had the audacity to approach the Son of Man, he has no problem coming after us.

Now back to my situation, the enemy tried to bait me when he said: “Are you sure God said He handled the problem or was that wishful thinking on your part?”

Thank God, the Holy Spirit came right to my rescue and whispered in my spirit:

Don’t take the bait!

God let me know, when Heaven received my prayers—it put hell on alert. And if that experience wasn’t threatening to the kingdom of darkness—then why the bait?

The devil knows it’s impossible to please God without faith; as a matter of fact, we can’t even believe there is a God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). The more we allow doubt to go unchallenged, the harder it becomes to trust God’s promises will work for us.

I don’t know what you are going through, but if you’re doing everything you know to do in the will of God when the devil comes to steal your faith, remember:

Don’t fall for the bait!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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This country is in a dilapidated state. It didn’t happen overnight; this decline has been in the works before it became a nation. God already said what He had to say; He warned us what would happen if we turned away from Him. Please stop asking Him, “Why is all this happening?” We don’t need more proof of our transgressions. Do we really want Him to make it any clearer than: COVID, racial tension, economic deterioration, natural disasters, degeneration of our democracy, and who knows what else is simmering? It’s not a far stretch of faith to know: God is Not Pleased!

 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; ¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:18-21).

History repeated!

In the days of the Old Testament, God would send prophetic messages through prophets like: Joel, Hosea, and Ezekiel to speak boldly of imminent destruction that would occur if they didn’t change from their ungodly ways. When the people didn’t heed to the warnings, devastation came; whether they were taken into captivity, overtaken by plagues, or left in deprivation—the forewarnings came to past—when God was not pleased.

Today, too many Christians only want to hear about the goodness and love of God; how He can bless them. The last time I wrote about the wrath of God, I had one reader to rebuke me; she told me that I should be ashamed of myself because God is love; and He would never allow all these problems on us.  She was partially right; He does love us, but she failed to realize—God corrects those that He loves (Proverbs 3:12).

Look around; our nation is in trouble. The good news: God provided help—the Church (the body of Christ). Jehovah-Elohim, All powerful God—equipped her to lead and not bow to wickedness. She has the wherewithal to carry out Heaven’s orders as she speaks: truth to power.

However, the devil evaluated the Church’s strength; he knew if she pulled together on one accord, she could damage his kingdom of darkness. Therefore, he sought ways to weaken her by injecting spirits of division and pride; he separated her along racial lines; he inserted socio-economic and cultural differences that heightened a spirit of superiority and haughtiness. Overtime, the Church relinquished her position of authority, and passively followed the world’s guidance.

God is Not Pleased!

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love (Revelation 2:4, NKJV).

When this coronavirus hit, I asked the Holy Spirit what did He want me to do? To my surprise, He didn’t tell me to pray for a vaccine, or for the virus to just—poof; vanish so our lives could return to a semblance of normalcy. Rather, He told me to pray for the Church.

Therefore, during this pandemic season of isolation, I prayed for the Church to use this time to repent, replenish, and refurbish her relationship with God so she can proudly take her position and present the Kingdom of God to a fallen nation.

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I end pestilence among my people; ¹⁴ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turned from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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If you ask Christians do they hate anyone, most of them, off the cuff, would probably deny harboring such emotions. They do not want to be associated with the negative connotations that are attached to loathing anybody.

Nevertheless, some of those same deniers might have overlooked the fact that the devil knows that about them; therefore, he has skillfully disguised hate under various assumed identities. For instance, unfair presumptions can feed animosity; misconceived ideologies can undergird prejudices; gospel in part can uphold self-serving agendas; and one of the most prevalent revealing forms of hatred today is hypocrisy.

He [Jesus] replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ (Mark 7:6-7, NIV)

Hypocrisy reveals the heart.

When we proclaim Christianity, we represent the Kingdom of God. Onlookers have a certain expectation of our character when we declare our standing in Christ. Consequently, when they see us abusing others, that’s a stumbling block for them. Nonbelievers can spot a hypocritical heart; that darkness damages the Christian’s creditability—just like the devil intended.

For example, when the world sees us excusing—downplaying wrongful actions of those we honor and hold dearly, yet scream crucify to others whom we disregard when they commit the same exact offenses—those discrepancies overshadow our witness. Instead of drawing people to Christ, the hypocrisy drives them away.

         Are you a stumbling block?

Jesus gave His disciples a stern warning about being stumbling blocks in Luke 17:1-3:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. ² It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ So watch yourselves. (NIV)

Are you contagious with hate?

It’s easy to get our emotions knotted in all the negativity of this world. That’s why it’s not a good idea to hang around people of like minds when we are vulnerable; those vile feelings are highly contagious. If our faith’s immunity is too low to resist the temptation to hate, immediately cry out to the Holy Spirit for help!

Christians hating people can be looked at as an oxymoron because we are commanded to love one another (John 13:34). But let’s not dismiss this as a nonsensical concept so easily. This breach of God’s Word is more common than we realize.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? ²¹And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21)

Pay attention—actions speak louder than words!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.