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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.

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Open your eyes—look around; don’t let the enemy con you into thinking that these heartrending disasters and consequential setbacks that are popping up all around the world are coincidental.

The frequency is astounding!

Look at the wildfires sweeping across multiple western states; take note there are several tropical storm systems forming at once in the Atlantic; observe the racial tension mounting; behold the veils ripped off deep-dark secrets and scams—let alone we’re still dealing with COVID. These are not spontaneous acts—open your Eyes and see; in spite of all this devastation, these are memorandums of mercy—warnings from Jehovah-Elohim—all powerful God. Hey, don’t take my word for it—ask Him yourself.

Don’t look back!

Right after 9-11, the churches were full; people flocked to the alter making all kinds of declarations and promises; but shortly afterwards when things calmed down—back to business as usual. They might have forgotten what they promised, but God didn’t forget. They sought and longed for the “good-old days” like Lot’s wife in Genesis 19:26. She looked back at all that she was leaving behind in Sodom and Gomorrah; she paid with her life.

Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it (Luke 17:32-33).

God is making it known that we have put our faith in people and establishments; He is not pleased. We pushed Him into another category other than first place in our lives. Look around, all that stuff we placed ahead of God is crumbling; even the United States’ two hundred year old democracy is slowly being chiseled away right in front of our eyes because of hate and greed. That should let us know man will sell us out; we better take hold of the unchanging hand of the Spirit of God.

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help (Psalm 146:3).

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)

God is up to something for our good. The hard road we’re traveling now is teaching us globally and individually—Who God is. That revelation is supreme to anything we could ever want or need. If we elevate our thinking and see all of this from His perspective, we would humbly surrender to these inconveniences.

The next time we find ourselves complaining about having to wear a mask; grumbling because we’re being told what we cannot do; we should think about how the Israelites murmured and complained going through the wilderness. Oh, by the way, that muttering lengthened their journey.

In the meantime, by faith, we should cling to the One in control; do what you know He’s telling you to do. If not now, when?

Bible believing Christians are not caught off guard; they know exactly why all this is happening. That’s why you hear many of them crying out: “Get right with God.”

I’ve said it before; and I’m going to keep saying it: El Shaddai—God Almighty—subpoenaed the world; stopped this giant marble in its tracks, and brought it to ATTENTION! I don’t know about you, but I take that as a STARK alarm. If you can’t interpret that as a serious move from Heaven, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding.

Do things have to get worse before we take this seriously?

Ask God to Open Your Eyes!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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The other day the Holy Spirit led me to go on a seven-day fast; not your typical deprivation of food fast, but a fast refraining from specific prayer requests. Instead of praying for a person’s health, finances, even salvation, and so on, the Spirit prompted me to take a different approach;  only pray that they cultivate a passion—a strong hunger for Christ. Everything a person needs can be summed up in that one prayer; that robust spiritual appetite will lead to endless possibilities as they fall in love with God.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled

(Matthew 5:6).

A drug addict craving a fix will do anything to satisfy that need; imagine a world where people craved God like that. I’ll take that a step further: Imagine the Church craving the Spirit with that degree of intensity. I’ll just leave that right there.

It’s okay if you disagree with me; but to be honest with you, I’m glad the local churches are momentarily closed. This pandemic offers us a time to identify our personal standing with the Lord. This closure is also perfect for people who are too dependent on the local assemblies for all their spiritual feedings; now they have to become responsible for preparing their own banquet spread.

If we individually seek the Lord with our whole hearts during this timeout, when the local churches do reopen, the Church will be on fire—filled the more with the Holy Spirit. Let’s go back to the drug addict analogy: Do you think the addict is going to stop doing drugs just because the drug house is out of commission?

No one can hunger for you.

When we ravenously hunger for Christ, we will pursue Him with every ounce of our being; nothing will get in our way; we will adjust our schedules so we can spend quality time with the Holy Spirit—not from an obligatory stance, but because we yearn to be intimately close to Him. We then want to learn everything within our understanding about Who He is; we want to please Him; witness to the world about Him.

Hunger Feeds Faith

When we seek God with that amount of determination, faith is never in short supply. As the hunger draws us to Him, we learn to trust that He will do what’s best for our lives; therefore, we have hope to believe what is not yet seen will come to pass.

Stay hungry!

I am blessed that I hunger for God; as a matter of fact, I can’t get enough of Him. However, I know not to take this passion for granted. I’ve talked to several Christians who told me that the hunger I have will somewhat fade overtime. That’s frightening! Now that I know that possibility is there, I’m more aware of the devil’s tricks. My prayer: God, don’t let me—let You go.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8)

Feast on the Word

The Word of God wets or entices our appetite to wanting to know more about Him. Helpful hint: If you find understanding the Bible too difficult, find a translation that you can comprehend; even if you have to start with a child’s beginners Bible.

I like to read passages from four different translations; each one broadens my scope. I also, study from a commentary that the Holy Spirit led me to. In other words, feast on the Word; get it inside your spirit; learn how to apply it to your life; it’s God speaking to us. (See Psalm 119:105.)

If you don’t have a hunger for Christ, ask Him to give you that craving. Once He does, protect it; don’t let a spirit of lethargy take it away; do whatever you need to do to stay hungry. It’s a funny thing: The more we feast on the Spirit, the hungrier we get.

It’s good to be hungry!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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The world has spun out of whack; freewheeling haphazardly off course as it approaches a disastrous end. But thank God—the Church is praying; she heard a clarion call from Heaven and is responding accordingly. She has seen enough over the past few months to know there is an urgent cry resonating over the land. The Lord is calling on the Church (the body of Christ) to show the world—Who He is:

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Revelation 22:13).

. . . besides me there is no God (Isaiah 44:6b). Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images (Isaiah 42:8).

Who’s in control?

GOD!

 The world brazenly rejects God; the consequences thereof are becoming more vividly apparent like in the days in the Old Testament—when God’s judgment came upon the people. Man’s arrogance is staggering as he erroneously thinks he can turn his back on God and fix what only El Shaddai can. But in defiance, he refuses to confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Nonetheless, periodically—El Elyon will remind him—Who’s in control.

The reason why we haven’t been consumed in the midst of all this rebellion against the Spirit, is because God is faithful. As the Church adheres to her responsibilities in 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Spirit will continue to pour out His love and mercy.

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.

Since all this worldwide unrest, I’ve noticed the Church doing the following acts of faith:

• Prayers are evolving from: Lord change “this and that” to—search my heart; show me my errors.
• The Internet is showing people around the world kneeling and praying in the streets.
• Groups are organizing fasting and prayer chains.
• More sermons are being preached on the Church’s role during these heart-wrenching times.
• Faith and wisdom are drowning out man’s foolishness.
• More time is spent developing an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
• Believers are searching for effective ways to witness to the lost.
• Current events are being viewed from a biblical perspective.

These are a few acts of faith I’ve observed in my corner of the world. These humble deeds signal a global revival is taking place. This probably won’t be the last time that the world spins out of whack; but we should be ever so grateful the Church, empowered by God, is doing her part.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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I’m not going to get into all the psychological brain disorders that can cause a person to gravitate towards hatred. But rather, I want to talk about everyday garden-variety bigotry—the kind that is learned by watching the actions of others.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

(Proverbs 22:6)

At what age do we learn bigotry?

The old adage “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” reminds us that our babies are representations of what we feed into their souls—the good and the bad. When they learn to mimic our hateful slurs and gestures for no other reason than seeing adults, whom they admire—doing it; those impressions have dire consequences.

Whether we unconsciously or consciously stereotype and discriminate against one another, our children are internalizing those prejudicial sentiments. Is that the legacy we want to leave with those God entrusted us with?

Faith worketh by love.

 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love (Galatians 5:6).

We say we’ll give our children the world; but what they really need is to see us modeling how to love unconditionally—the way God commands us to love one another; for then, we have given them the heartstrings to God’s heart. God is Love! Faith in His love is what our children need to carry them through life. Love is the greatest weapon against the kingdom of darkness. Yes, it’s easy to love people we like; but teach the harder lesson: How to love those you despise?

It’s easier to hate who we don’t like—than it is to love them.

Teaching children to follow the devil’s dark agenda, will place our most cherished in his evil hands. He will then make them his slaves as he lures them into a life of insecurity, fear, and unrighteousness. When we discriminate and belittle others, we placate to the devil’s desires; those actions grieve the Holy Spirit.

Who is worth grieving the Holy Spirit for?

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:29-32, NIV).

Let’s not rob a child’s innocence by passing on our old-crusted prejudices; break that generational cycle. If we want to leave our children a better world, let’s begin by showing them how to love and respect one another.

Teach children to follow the light.

. . . I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).

 

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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What we see going on today reminds me of science-fiction movies I used to watch back in the day—only now with a tad bit of slapstick comedy mixed in. Yet, what we are witnessing isn’t make believe; this is real. Therefore, with faith and much prayer, it would be wise for us to walk circumspectly as we pass through this strange unsettling terrain.

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 (Psalm 23:4).

Once again, God took me back to the rich history told in the pages of the Old Testament; for in those books, clues are recorded that will shed some light on what’s going on today. For example, in the book of Ezekiel 11-16, the Lord gave the prophet Ezekiel several visions of what would happen as a result of Israel’s disobedience. Even though the Israelites had been told not to emulate ungodly customs and religious practices, they turned their backs on God—and did so in spite of the warnings.

As a result, they were punished when heathen nations were allowed to defeat them. Nonetheless, through God’s faithfulness, Ezekiel comforted the people and gave them hope of restoration.

When you read the entire book, you’ll find all kinds of similarities that reflect our world today. Anytime you read a prophetic book in the Old Testament, you might find yourself substituting names of those long ago with people you currently know of today; sometimes the characterizations match perfectly.

Rebellion is a recipe for destruction.

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Hebrews 12:6).

Could we be in a similar situation? For sure we are rebellious; we worship idols (material possessions and people), we put our greedy desires over the welfare of those in need; we use our positions to suppress the weak; we place more value on our social standing than being in right standing with God. We, generally speaking, only give God our attention when we need Him to perform some act of mercy. Why would God place judgment on the Israelites, and give us a free pass for committing some of the same acts of abomination?

Yes, Jesus came and sacrificed His life for our sins, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be held accountable for our iniquities; we still have to repent and obey the Word of God.

God is in Control and He calls the Shots!

The earth is the Lord‘s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein (Psalm 24:1).

Think about it: Jehovah-Elohim, all powerful God, shut this world down; made it come to a crawl. You can’t tell me that’s not a SERIOUS move on His part. And, it’s going to remain incapacitated until His plan says otherwise. Who else has that level of command? All God has to do is SPEAK, and it is so.

We probably won’t ever know completely what’s going on; God will pour revelation into our understanding on a need-to-know basis. In the meantime, our passion/desire should be: developing an intimate relationship with the One Who knows what’s going on. The Holy Spirit will guide us as we travel through this—

Strange Terrain!

  © 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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We can wear masks; we can stay at a proper distance; keep schools, churches, restaurants, and so forth closed; we can even come up with a viable vaccine; but that won’t stop the bleed of sin that has stained this planet. It has never been about a microscopic organism; COVID only pulled the alarm. This dire predicament we find ourselves in—the world can’t solve. This assignment was given to God’s people (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). My prayer is for the Church to open her eyes; and by faith, follow the Holy Spirit’s lead on how to stop the bleed before it’s too late.

Has God come down here?

This morning I was led to read Micah; however, I couldn’t get passed the first two chapters without seeing the startling resemblance between what was going on then and what’s happening now. God sent Micah to tell the people in the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah that He was coming down there because of their transgressions (1:3). Just like in Genesis 18:21, God told Abraham He was coming down to Sodom and Gomorrah because He wanted to see if their sins justified the punishment He had planned for them. Of course, all-knowing God knew what was going on, but by declaring that He was coming down exemplified the seriousness of the matter. Those drop-in encounters made me think: Has God come down here?

When I was a child, I knew exactly what my mother meant when she said, “Don’t make me come in there!”

I’m not familiar with all the sins happening around the world; but I do see what’s going on in the United States—and I know God is not pleased. We have always claimed this was a Christian nation; but the land was stolen; in addition, people were chained and brought here against their will. Did I miss something—how did that portray Christianity? And the sad part, those injustices, often disguised, are still taking place—when will the bleed stop?

Our woes are deeper than COVID!

God doesn’t take injustice likely. We can try to justify our immoral actions, but we know right from wrong. Have we turned our backs to God by allowing all this immorality to take place—on our watch?

We need to stop digging deeper holes of damnation; instead, fall to our knees and repent; ask the Holy Spirit to help us get our priorities straight. Stayed focused; we only have two jobs to do here on earth:

1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind;
2. and thy neighbour as thyself (Luke 10:27).

If you love Me, you’ll keep My commandments (John 14:15).

It’s up to each believer to stop the bleed!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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A lot of people can tell something unusual is taking place with all the disturbing events simultaneously occurring around the world. Christians who interpret these unprecedented occurrences from a spiritual lens usually conclude this story is coming to a climax. This saga is unfolding in real-time; and since history repeats itself, take note what is to come.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

The Bible is a living document.

The other day it dawned on me the narrative that was started back in the book of Genesis and carried throughout the entire Bible is continuing to unfold. I began to connect the dots; realizing how each person’s life is intricately intertwined into this long dramatic narrative; leaving no one out.

A few months ago, I wrote a post titled: Same Plot: In that piece, I suggested the importance of not overlooking the rich history embedded in the Old Testament; it helps us to understand what’s going on in the world today.

By reading or rereading books in the Old Testament that will familiarize us with prophets of long ago like Joel, Amos, and Obadiah, it becomes obvious that our lives are structured around a two-step plot.

1. God’s love and mercy always gave countless opportunities for people and nations to repent.
2. Lack of repentance was followed by consequences.

The daily news has me intrigued because I analyze it from a biblical standpoint. It’s amazing that the only things that changed from days long gone, are our modern-day mechanisms and protocols; otherwise man hasn’t changed one bit.

• People worshipped false gods then; people worship false gods now.
• People were self-absorbed then; people are self-absorbed now.
• People willfully imparted injustice to others then; people willfully impart injustice to others now.

I think you understand the point I’m making.

Don’t miss your cue.

Now that the narrative has reached us on the timeline, we don’t want to miss our cue. I think it would help if we could understand that our names are written in the script; action is required; we all have assignments.

If we’re not sure what we should be doing specifically for such a time as this, we should ask the Holy Spirit to lead us in the desired direction; and by faith—when it’s revealed—not to procrastinate. In the meantime, do what you know will please God.

Until the book of Revelation is fulfilled, this saga will continue spiraling on—if you do your part or not.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

 

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Not that anyone would want to, but here’s how to give the devil a belly-gushing laugh: bring some toy weapons to a spiritual fight.

Take a moment to let that sink in!

So, what are toy weapons as related to fighting spiritually? Faithless religious practices that lead to prayers that are not connected to the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. Usually people who are not fully committed to God straddle the fence sporting part-time Christianity; they don’t want to align their lives completely with Christ, but yet, they want the “Promised Land” promises to manifest in their lives—ignoring the conditions that are attached for such results.

They only want to listen to church sermons that offer pleasantries that soothes the ear; afterwards, they’re are left spiritually malnourished. Paul warned Timothy that the day would come when people would reject sound doctrine.

For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, ⁴ And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions (2 Timothy 4:3-4, AMP).            

When trouble strikes, those souls know enough Bible to quote: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” But as far as the devil is concerned, that’s a toy weapon, because it’s spoken from a hollow vacuum. Please note: When this certified killer invades your life, he can recognize toys; and he’s not coming to play with them; he’s coming to kill, steal, and destroy. (See John 10:10.)

But still in all, there are people who settle for the works of religion over the power that can cause this killer to back off. They will tell you that it doesn’t take all that commitment to be in right standing with God. Guess who told them that lie?

It would be ridiculous for a United States soldier to go into combat without proper training and ammunition; likewise, we must be properly armed for spiritual warfare.

In these troubled times, why would anybody not be armed with the Word? God has given His angels charge over us to accompany and defend us in all our ways of obedience and service (see Psalm 91:11, AMP). We are in a spiritual war; however, those who have aligned their lives with the Lord are equipped for this battle. We Do Not Bring Toys to the Fight!

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (2 Corinthians 10:4)

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).

Don’t entertain the devil waving toys in his face; approach him with

WEAPONS empowered by Almighty God!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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There are times when you need to flush your head of all the outside voices and listen for the inner still voice of God. If you listen up, it’s in those quiet moments when you can hear valuable nuggets from the Holy Spirit; tidbits of wisdom that addresses your life personally.

Right now, the world is unstable; and if you’re conducting your life solely on its “upside-down” philosophies, viewpoints, and attitudes, you’ll end up just as erratic. But as a believer in Christ, you are privileged to get your directions from the Most-High God. He knows which way you should turn; and He knows who you should trust when making important decisions.

Factor in:

God gave you a measure of faith—wisdom too, if you ask for it. One does not cancel out the other.

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say, (Isaiah 28:23, NIV).

It’s every believer’s responsibility to purposefully listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to them. It’s not a good idea to lean on others to do all your spiritual listening. There will be times when the Lord whispers a distinct word directly to your spirit. Could He be checking to see if you’re listening?

Isn’t it obvious since so many church buildings are closed due to this virus that we need our own one-on-one communication system with God? With all good intentions, sometimes people will tell you to go left because the Lord told them to go left; on the other hand, the Lord might tell you to go right. Consequently, if you don’t listen for yourself, you might follow another person’s specific instructions that the Lord gave for them to do. When you do that, you’re out of God’s will for your own life.

When the Spirit of the Lord speaks, we need to listen up.

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left (Isaiah 30:21).

The more we listen—the more we hear Him speaking.

The more we involve the Holy Spirit in our daily routines, the more intimate our relationship with Him becomes; because then, we’ll find ourselves listening and depending on that still voice for directions. Acquiring that level of faith to know when the Lord is speaking is an on-going process that develops as we obey His Word and devote daily fellowship time with Him. Who wouldn’t want to listen to what the Spirit of the Lord has to say?

Listen up!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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How much more has to happen before we realize God is sounding the alarm? I know there are people who have already hit the snooze button on COVID-19; they still don’t believe it’s a real threat even though it has brought this entire world down to its knees; killed many and counting.

Don’t be oblivious to the signs of time.

Nevertheless, this virus isn’t the only alarm God is sounding; we have racial tension, climate change, and economic hardships looming. If these issues don’t sound the alarm, just wait—there’s more to come. God loves us enough to reveal the good and ugly aspects of our true nature as to how we conduct ourselves during these perilous times. What a perfect backdrop to show us who we really are.

There’s no time for compromise when it comes to living our lives according to the Word of God. Yet, we have the option to hit snooze; turn over and get a few more winks. Although keep in mind: hitting snooze won’t stop time; the clock is still ticking; and it’s later than we think.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 13:9).

Some people can’t hear the resounding warnings because they’re being controlled by the spirit of deception. They’re like the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 who weren’t ready when the bridegroom came. God is merciful enough to signal us that challenging times are ahead; and to get our lives in right order with Him.

I’m sure you’ve heard people say they’ll be glad when things get back to normal. Personally, I don’t think life as we knew it will ever go back to the way it was; and for some, that’s good news. We are going to have to open our minds to receive a new normal.

Our commitment to God is being tested.

God has told His people what to do (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). If it wasn’t for the Church (the Body of Christ) praying and doing what God commands, we would have been consumed long ago. In the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, God told Abraham He would spare the city if He could find fifty righteous people. Abraham negotiated the number down to ten. As a result, the city was not spared; what does that tell us? (See Genesis 18:26-32.) If we only have a superficial relationship with the Spirit, it’s time to get serious and become fully committed.

It’s later than yesterday!

We must use this time to draw closer to God; hide His Word in our hearts (see Psalm 119:11). The Holy Spirit will bring the Word back to our remembrance (see John 14:26) as needed. The Word is the sword that will cut through the devil’s attacks as we hold up the shield of faith. We are here on earth at this time, which lets us know we can do what needs to be done with God on our side.

I apologize if this writing has a gloom and doom undertone; I’m not trying to over dramatize the moment that we find ourselves in; however, burying our heads in the sand and pretending that none of this is occurring will only leave us powerless in Satan’s hands.

I truly believe what we have been through thus far is only the tip of what’s to come. But don’t fear; fright is immobilizing. In the place of fear, we should ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and let us know what is displeasing to Him. Whatever He tells us to clean up, we must act on it.

Don’t hit snooze—the hour is late.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people (2 Timothy 3:1-5, NIV).

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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Thank God for assorted flavors! This would be a boring world if we were all cut from the same cookie cutter. Only a narrow-minded narcissistic personality would think otherwise. Hopefully, one who thinks like that will come to realize that type of egoistical thinking would trap them in their own ignorance. It’s through our diversity that we receive knowledge and strength; therefore, we must embrace all the rich culture and experiences that we each bring to the table of life.

No one owns the rights to this WORLD.

During all the uproar the world is facing today, do you think God is sending us a strong message that we are to respectfully come together and work these problems out while His mercy is being offered? Is that why our problems will take universal solutions?

We can’t expect to live in the promises of God when we disregard, mistreat, and ignore one another. Those are barriers built in the chambers of hell to clog our channels of communication with the Holy Spirit. Many times, we haven’t received answers to our prayers because we aren’t willing to meet the criteria attached to God’s promises. No matter how much faith we try to generate, we can’t discount the love factor. (See Galatians 5:6.)

When will we learn to care and respect each other?

• When will we kinda, sorta get it that we can’t be in right standing with God while promulgating hate toward another human being? Jesus told us to love one another; guess who’s telling us to hate one another? I’ll just leave that right there.

 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34-35).

• When will we kinda, sorta get it that we need the cooperation and help from one another in order to combat COVID-19? However, instead of working cooperatively, many have allowed themselves to be overcome by hatred, selfishness, pride, and defiance—principalities and rulers of darkness.

Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interest, but also each for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4, AMP).

• When will we kinda, sorta get it that we are to look out for those who are in need? Throughout biblical history, it is recorded how God retaliated mightily when injustice was done to the least of His people. God is the same today as He was then; He hasn’t changed. (See Malachi 3:6; Isaiah 40:8; Hebrews 13:8.)

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? (1 John 3:17, NIV)

• When will we kinda, sorta get it that God alone is LORD? Nevertheless, man with all his vain glory is trying to push God out of everything and promote himself as the god over this world. King Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest Babylonian king before pride brought him down; as a result, he ended up groping around in the fields like an animal. (See Daniel 4.) God’s wrath isn’t to be taken lightly.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images (Isaiah 42:8).

All that’s happening now should make us wonder:

When will we kinda, sorta get it through our thick heads . . .?

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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If you are running a scam of any kind, it’s time to close down shop and walk upright. Though that statement has a humorous undertone, the message is spot on. I’m sure you’ve noticed no one is getting away with anything these days. It’s as if God has unmasked the world—exposing all its dirty little secrets.

Whatever you have spoken in the darkness shall be heard and listened to in the light, and what you have whispered in [people’s] ears behind closed doors will be proclaimed upon the housetops (Luke 12:3, AMP).

We must keep in mind that the world is comprised of people; therefore, if the world is being unmasked, that reveal includes our personal lives as well. We can’t point fingers and scorn others for their downfalls when we might have a few skeletons rattling in our own closets. (See Luke 6:42.)

COVID-19 has put our lives on lockdown; forced many of us to quarantine. But on the positive side, it has given us time to do some self-reflection. It’s giving us time to develop an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Ever since this contagious invasion, other matters of concern have been unmasked; brought into the light—and placed on center stage like: racial tension, inequality, and economic hardships to name a few. If one particular thing doesn’t grab our attention, another one will. We are all being tested in one way or another—for whatever reason—for such a time as now.

Why is all of this coming to a head at once?

We can all feel the tension; we don’t have to be all that in tuned to know something unusual is taking place; too much happening all at once. However, in spite of all the distractions, this is a time to be alert and not just look at things at face value, but interpret these events from a spiritual standpoint, because all this uprising has a biblical backing. This is a time to ask the Holy Spirit to show us the correlation between what happened in the past, to what’s going on now as we search the Scriptures and read about the feats long ago. What lessons can we learn that can be applied to our circumstances in the present moment?

All that’s going on today is not by happenstance; it’s not one big colossal prank. God is sounding the alarm for us to come before Him with a contrite heart; and by faith, humbly ask for His forgiveness.

I think everything is at a pivotal point right now; it’s time to voluntarily take off our masks, or else be unmasked on the world’s stage.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.