We routinely take the same route; red light stop—green light go; change lanes; turn right, turn left; go straight; more lights, and before we know it,

Tadaaahhh—we’re there!

When it’s time to leave, we robotically return home; stopping at the same lights and making the same turns. The brain automatically placed that boring commute into a human databank ready to perform on demand—great!

However, not so great when the brain automatically turns our praise and worship into a thoughtless religious-ritual. Even though we love the Lord, if we aren’t mindful of the enemy’s tactics, we could find ourselves worshipping from an archive of dead religious clichés.

It’s good to outsmart the brain, every now and then, so it won’t unexpectedly place our praise and worship into a powerless spiritual-database of routines. Our Lord deserves more than prefabricated praises.

Words without power equals no faith.

How can we tell if our praise has slipped into a mindless practice? We can tell because robotic spirituality lacks the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit is a part of our worship, He brings healing, comfort, and other aspects of His love. Also, we can tell we’re not linked to the Source when our faith yields too easily to doubt and unbelief.

The idea of worshipping turning into a ritual came to my mind the other day when I deviated slightly from my usual morning routine with God. Instead of praying before sunrise, the sun had already risen, and I changed from praying first to reading Scriptures. That’s when the devil told me my prayer wasn’t effective because I didn’t follow my regular format.

Red flag moment!

What the enemy said was so ridiculous that it made me stop and think: Am I so dependent on a mindless rigid routine (churches can be guilty of this, too) that the Holy Spirit’s freedom of expression is smothered? Are my praises coming forth out of habit or from my heart?

Worshipping God is more than a ritual.

We must honor God’s spontaneity. If He wants us to sit in silence and listen with our spiritual ear, or sing a song, or read His Word, whatever He wants us to do, we should be willing to relinquish our routine, and allow His Spirit to direct our praise.

Almighty God deserves more than a routine praise.

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comey (Psalm 147:1).

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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We are witnessing what happens when global warming is ignored; glaciers melting causing water levels to rise; arctic wildlife threatened with extinction; weather patterns gone haywire, and air pollution worsening are a few problems that have been emerging. But there’s another type of global warming that should get even more of our attention:

Hell fires!

These demonic fires are melting away (among other things) our decency; the moral values of this world. What used to be wrong is now acceptable; what used to be right is now outdated and old-fashioned. The Word of God warns us not to compromise (see Galatians 1:6-7; Matthew 6:24; James 4:4).

So, how can we slow this inferno down? Notice, I said slow down; I’m not naive enough to think we can stop it altogether; these roaring flames began simmering sometime in the beginning. . . However, just because it started once upon a time, doesn’t leave us blameless without anything to do.

Don’t get pulled into this molten world!

Pointing fingers is not what I call doing something; if the truth be told, we are all playing a part in this meltdown, either by passively surrendering our self-respect to a perverted world, or by being a direct or indirect contributor. To delete moral decency and think everything will be fine, is like trying to hold water in our bare hands—won’t work! We must not give way to this demolition of values.

Fight fire with the FIRE!

God is the all-consuming fire (see Hebrew12: 25-29). Jesus came to earth and modeled how we should hold our stance against this meltdown. His armor (see Ephesians 6:10-18) when put under the most extreme conditions—won’t melt.

Fight indecency with decency!

Our love for Christ will give us the passion and the faith to stand on the side of right. The world might be slowly melting, but God’s people are standing firmly on the solid Rock.

• Treat people the way you want to be treated (see Luke 6:31).
• Give mercy the way you want mercy given to you (see Matthew 5:7; James 2:13).
• Leave vengeance to the Lord (see Romans 12:19).
• Overcome evil with good (see Romans 12:21).

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).

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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Water dissolves sugar; gasoline dissolves oil; vinegar dissolves calcium, and God dissolves confusion. So, if you find yourself confused, call on God to dissolve it. And, since He’s not the author of confusion (see 1 Corinthians 14:33) guess where it’s coming from?

Are you confused about anything?

I’m constantly learning about the benefits children of God have through Jesus Christ. But, many of us don’t use our faith to receive these privileges because of a lack of knowledge (see Hosea 4:6). God’s Word serves many purposes; however, I feel one of those functions is far too often overlooked. We see the Bible in its broader sense, but what about how it offers practical advice for everyday mundane situations like being confused about something. Do we tolerate this spirit of confusion thinking it’s just a part of life, or do we oppose it vigorously knowing it’s not from God?

As I’ve stated, I’m still learning about the privileges I have as a child of God. But one thing I have learned, and that is not to put up with confusion. Confusion is a red flag for me to stop and call on the Almighty. He knows the way I should go; so, why not ask Him? I would like to share two examples of how God dissolved confusion in my life.

Example #1: I was in a church committee meeting when we found ourselves in a ball of confusion trying to decide what to do and which way to go in a matter. Around and around, and around we went until God put this into my spirit: Ask Me what to do?

When I told the committee what God said, we stopped and prayed. In a couple of minutes, we noticed the Holy Spirit had filled the room with peace and we were able to think clearly.

God dissolved the confusion.

Example #2: Back when I was an elementary school principal, I can’t tell you how many heated disputes I witnessed between parents and teachers. When the battalions came to my office, they each told their side of the story.

As they vented, I would sit silently at my desk, with my eyes automatically shifting back and forth to the person speaking at that moment. Anyone would have thought, “She’s listening intensely to everything that I’m saying.” However, the truth of the matter, I wasn’t listening at all, but instead my spirit was bowed down to God pleading and crying: HELP!

God always heard my cry and calmed the situation by telling me the perfect thing to say. All those conferences, and I do mean ALL, ended with either a handshake or hug.

God dissolved the confusion.

The devil loves it when he sees us wasting time trying to untangle commotion he instigated; instead of entertaining him, we should use our faith and get help. We should never assume we can handle the enemy’s plots without the help of the Holy Spirit, because even small elements of confusion can mushroom into something greater if ignored or mishandled.

Children of the Most High don’t have to tolerate what is not of God. We have certain rights, privileges, and benefits through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore—

Ask God to dissolve any confusion in your life!

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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When life drains all your fight-back energy, it can leave you feeling despondent. Nevertheless, even though you’re beaten-down and cornered in, you manage to find a tiny seed of faith that you humbly exchange for an enormous miracle. It’s not easy to believe such a meager offering will be sufficient for God to bring “it” to pass. However, He knows when you’re doing your best to trust Him. He can interpret your heart’s intent, and turn your little faith into a gigantic miracle.

God knows a seed’s authenticity.

In Luke 17:6 it says, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

If God said He will do it, then He will do it. If He spoke it, then it will come to pass (see Numbers 23:19). Unlike man, God can’t lie. He knows everything about the situation you’re facing; He knows what needs to be done, and He has the power to bring it to pass with your little, not quite sure, seed of faith.

That’s exactly the state I found myself in a few weeks ago when I was crying out for a miracle. As I was praying, the Holy Spirit brought Psalm 37:3-5 to my attention.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Let me tell you, when God interrupts your prayer in order to give you a Scripture, you better pay strict attention, and do whatever it says for you to do. Hold on to that Word; it’s your confirmation that it will come to pass if you met the conditions. Every time doubt tried to creep in, I used those verses like a Sword and chopped the enemy down. You can’t receive anything better when you are believing for an answered prayer than to get a direct Word from the Most-High.

Watch Me bring it to pass!

The Holy Spirit spoke to me directly from His Word. Not only did He speak His Word, but He empowered it with revelation as it pertained to my circumstances; He put the following in my spirit from Psalm 37:

• Verse 3 says to trust God and do good. God let me know that being kind was not my problem, however, trusting Him was a different matter. He enlightened me that my trust wasn’t where it should be; that I still doubt and worry more than I should. But He knows I’m working diligently on it as demonstrated in verses 4 and 5.

• Verse 4 says to delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. God put in my spirit that I do delight myself in Him, because the quality time I spend with Him is increasing out of the mere fact I want to be with Him. I include Him in everything that I do, and wouldn’t think about making a decision without His directions. The Holy Spirit knows I have an insatiable appetite for the things concerning Him.

• Verse 5 says to commit your ways to Him and He shall bring it to pass. God let me know that I’m doing the best, in my flawed ways, to commit to Him, and since I’m meeting the conditions of these verses, in spite of my imperfect understanding, He knows I’m sincere. Therefore, when the devil comes with a lie, I should confidently tell him, “That’s not a desire of my heart.”

I shall bring the desires of your heart to pass!

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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We are lit to light. Here’s what I mean: Our encouraging words could light the fire that will inspire someone to go after their dreams. A smile given to a despondent stranger could be the light that says: You have value. Even the hardships we have gone through, empowered us with the sensitivity, wisdom, and understanding needed to ignite faith to those hurting. We are lit so we can light the light—in others.

We are lit to bless.

If God had wanted our lives to be lived in isolation, He wouldn’t have put so many of us, jammed packed, on earth. These living conditions causes us, like it or not, to inner act with one another. To say it differently, we need each other. While I’m lighting your fire, someone is lighting a fire in me. Consequently, the gifts, talents, and other attributes that we are blessed with are lights to be shared.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house (Matthew 5:14-15).

We have no idea how many lives we are influencing.

But here’s the problem, the adversary doesn’t want us to share the blessings of God. Therefore, he will plant thoughts like jealousy, greed, and resentment. The devil doesn’t care what type or method of discord is used as long as it impedes our lights. Of course, we know these are not thoughts from the Holy Spirit; so, as soon as these ills are detected, we are to start pondering on godly things (see Philippians 4:8). And even if our hearts are pure from strife, the enemy will cause us to doubt that we have any lights to share.

Last week when I was volunteering at a food pantry, another volunteer spotted a client in distressed. The volunteer looked at me and said, “Somebody should see about her.” It struck me that the volunteer was the “somebody” with the light—it was her heart that was moved with compassion. How many times do we pass off our responsibilities to help when we are the somebodies with the light?

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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You’ll get no argument from me; I agree, there are some pretty scary stuff happening on this planet. There are bloodcurdling, run for your life, moments occurring somewhere all the time. It’s true, not every fear falls into the hair-raising category, however, they are still fears—no less.

Don’t fear the wrong fears!

As alarming as our personal everyday circumstances can be, many of those incidents don’t merit the caliber of fright we attach to them. Or, maybe I should state it this way: We allow the fears that are spawned from hell too much control over our lives. It tells us in Isaiah 14:12-17 that everyone will gaze upon satan and ask:

. . .Is this the man that made the earth tremble, that did shake kingdoms (vs. 16).

It sounds like he doesn’t deserve the respect of our fears. After all, he was thrown out of heaven; why would anybody be persuaded to follow him? The fears we validate the devil with are displaced! He doesn’t deserve our fright.

Be more afraid of what God will do when you disobey Him, than the devil.

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him (Luke 12:4-5).

There’s nothing coming out of hell that a child of God should fear.

God has given His children the faith to be able to overcome anything discharged from the pit of hell (see Luke 10:19). The power we have shines light on the deceptive shadows of fear. What is there to fear if we have the faith to put on God’s armor? (See Ephesians 6:10-18.) You tell me, what demon can come against an angel of God? (See Exodus 15:6; Psalm 91:11-13.)

The other day when I was fearfully worried about something, God had me to remember an old familiar line parents used, and some are probably still saying:

“If you don’t stop crying, I’ll give you something to cry about!”

My heavenly Father’s message to me:

If you don’t stop worrying, I’ll allow something to worry about!

Whoa! I don’t have to tell you I straighten up—INSTANTLY. Fear and worry lost that round. As the Scripture in Luke warns: Fear the One who can cast you into hell.

Make sure your fears aren’t displaced!

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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It’s so good to know that when we come before God, we can drop our masks and be ourselves. Unlike dealing with people, we don’t have to put on a plastic smile to cover-up our tears; or fake a love from a hateful heart; or pretend to have faith when we’re really in doubt. But with God, it’s so refreshing to be able to come before Him just as we are; nothing pretentious, but down-to-earth openness.

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications (Psalm 130:1-2).

God knows the real person behind the mask!

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off (Psalm 139:1-2).

Even though God knows everything about us, it’s still necessary for our emotional healing to humble ourselves and express our honest feelings. How else can we get to the truth of the matter if we keep our true selves covered up? When we drop the masks (even the ones we wear privately) we might learn a few things about ourselves. What a relief it is to be able to take the masks off, and just be real with God. Whew!

God is multilingual—He translates our grunts, groans, and moans.

There is nothing that’s so awful or reprehensible that we can’t talk to God about. We don’t have to use pretty-flowery words; as a matter of fact, we don’t need words. Our groans and grunts will speak volumes. The pressures of life can sometimes have us feeling like we’re in a sealed can ready to erupt. How dangerous is it for that impact to explode at an inopportune time, like on our jobs?

God knows how to relieve the pressures.

But when you take your burdens to your heavenly Father, He will relieve the mounting pressures. All you have to do is approach Him by faith with a sincere heart. God will not tell your secrets; so, you can tell Him everything that is weighing you down. You can tell Him things you wouldn’t, and perhaps shouldn’t, tell another living soul. You can just be yourself and let the Holy Spirit comfort you as you confide in Him. He will hold you in His arms and lead you in the way you should go.

Afterwards, wipe your eyes and blow your nose, and keep trudging forward, because you have dropped the mask and received supernatural strength from the Lord (Psalm 121:1-2).

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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The earnest-heartfelt prayers of the righteous, moves heaven. And when heaven moves—hell trembles. The enemy knows he can’t stand up to the power of the Almighty; therefore, his strategy is to come after us. Our challenge is to keep our faith in God.

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working] (James 5:16b, AMP).

We shouldn’t let hell’s tremors frighten us.

There are times when life can throw us in sudden turmoil. However, we shouldn’t be frightened because our loving Father is monitoring the whole situation. There’s not a move hell can make that heaven doesn’t know about. That should give us all the comfort and assurance we need.

The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry (Psalms 34:15).

God knows how much weight we can take, and when the burden gets too heavy, He will make a move (see Corinthians 10:13). We might not think we can endure, but if the Holy Spirit allows it, His mercy will sustain us if we put our trust in Him. It’s the enemy’s mission to deceive us into believing we’re alone and no one cares. We don’t ever want to sit around and let those depressing thoughts occupy and take root in our minds. Instead, we should run to the Comforter (see John 14:26). Keep in mind, just because we can’t see anything happening, we know by faith there’s always movement in heaven.

I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4).

In John 16:33b it says, In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

God has equipped us to be conquerors (see Ephesians 6:10-18). All we have to do is be obedient to His Word, and let Him fight our battles.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10).

When heaven moves, hell trembles!

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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Maybe I believe God will do it; maybe I don’t—just pencil that in. Don’t bother penciling “that” in; faith is written with permanent markers. Faith is not a social function where it’s acceptable to be penciled in when our plans are in doubt. When it comes to faith, either we believe or we don’t. James was straightforward when he said, don’t expect anything from the Lord if your faith is wavering.

. . .let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord

(James 1:6,7).

Penciled-in faith is not walking by faith.

Down through the years, I can’t tell you how many times I heard and read that Scripture. But today when I read it: BAM! This was an eye-opener for me. The Word of God is forever revealing on-time truths. That’s why we can’t read the entire Bible or even a Scripture and think: “I got this!” God continuously opens our understanding as the fluidity of His Word fits into all the nooks and crannies in our lives. There are no circumstances that can hide from or overpower God’s Word (see Hebrews 4:12).

Through the gift of faith, we are connected to that power. But far too often this gift is not received in a manner where it can exert its full potential. It can’t be over emphasized the need for faith development. Whatever level our faith is on; there’s always room for growth.

Our problems are too important to worry about.

How dear is the problem you’re praying about? Based on the Scripture in James, you know it’s not alright to sit around all day and worry about it. Not only is that a worthless endeavor, but it’s detrimental to getting your prayer answered. The familiar saying: “Less is more” can be applied here. The less you worry, the more supernatural power is generated. Pray for God’s will to be done, and do your required responsibilities concerning the situation. Outside of what’s required of you, dismiss it knowing: Heaven’s got it; so, what needs to be done, will be done.

Faith is a permanent marker—not a pencil.

When we put our trust in God, no matter what is known or unknown, we’re signing our confession with a permanent marker saying: I trust You Lord! As long as Peter kept his focus on Jesus, he was able to do the miraculous—walk on water. But as soon as he started paying attention to the harsh conditions that surrounded him, he began to sink (Matthew 14:28-31). Peter put more confidence in the winds and waves taking him down than he had in the Lord lifting him up. I guess one could say Peter’s faith was penciled in.

Penciled-in faith fades———————away!

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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Is there a fork in the middle of your plans, dreams, or ideas? Don’t fret. Sometimes those forks are divinely planted so you’ll have to stop, take a breath, and analyze the situation. Who knows—you might end up thanking God for that fork?

Stick a fork in it!

All obstructions should not be viewed the same. Some obstacles are there to block us from bad ideas; some are there to stop us from good ideas, while there are others strategically placed to grow and challenge our faith. And, to complicate matters even more, God’s ideas are not necessarily free from adversity. We can’t assume just because there are hurdles to jump over, and demons to bypass, that it can’t be God. Now of course, the only way we can really tell which-fork-is-which, is to ask the Holy Spirit.

Who put that fork on the road?

When the Holy Spirit tells us to overtake and conquer a fork, He doesn’t expect us to do it in our might (see Zechariah 4:6). Therefore, we shouldn’t turn away in defeat, but zero in and attack it in the in the power of God. How many blessings have we passed up because they weren’t handed to us problem free? Anybody can travel down forkless roads, but the victor is the one who knows how to step out by faith.

The only way we can walk in that realm of boldness is to have a close relationship with God. Think about the connection David had when he offered to go up against Goliath. He had more than a superficial awareness of his Lord. That’s why he affirmatively said, he was going to cut off Goliath’s head and give the carcass to the fowls of the air. David knew heaven would back up every word. (See 1 Samuel 17:45-47.)

Why is this fork on the road?

Well, the same God is here for us when we come up against forks in our lives. But, if we want the David type of results, we have to do what he did prior to receiving those results. David put in the time that is required to build such a strong unyielding bond.

If our plans, dreams, and ideas are God inspired, we can’t let forks stop us from moving forward; if we do, we won’t get much accomplished, because there will always be forks on the road.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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