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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.

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You might be thinking: I didn’t break this world; it was already broken when I got here. Well, I can’t argue with that; but you’re here now; and the Word says in Romans 3:23 that we have all fallen short of the glory of God. We can’t pretend like none of this is our fault. That’s like a disobedient child destroying a toy—then throws a five-alarm tantrum when the toy is broken. We shouldn’t waste our faith believing God will make all the wrongs of this world go away if we’re not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to bring about restoration.

Hate unmasked!

If we examine the root cause of this brokenness, we’ll find the hand of Satan disseminating discord—using man’s adversarial nature to pump out hate. Though that’s nothing new; the enemy has always used people, including church folk, to spread his venom. Yet, things seem different now; hate has taken off its mask; and has boisterously accelerated its course to an alarming degree that can’t be ignored.

God has already done His part.

All this destruction started back when Adam sinned; however, God so loved the world sent His Son to restore us back to Him. Jesus came and modeled God’s redemption plan; paid our sin debt with His blood; left us written instructions; and now we have the Holy Spirit to—teach, guide, protect, and comfort us.

It’s the Church’s turn.

God has given His Church (the Body of Christ) everything she needs to overcome this spirit of hate that is trying to take over this world. Her most trying challenge is to: not succumb to the enemy’s deceitful tactics that he specifically designed to control her emotions. Hate, for instance, is one of those emotions that has many disguises; the most ardent Christians can be harboring ill feelings and not know it. Just like a driver suspected of being intoxicated breathes into a breathalyzer, a person who suspects hate is steering their emotions should ask the “hate analyzer” question:

Would I want myself or my loved ones treated in such a deplorable manner?

Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31, NIV).

That question rips the veil off hate—exposing it for what it is. If we align our actions to the way we would want to be treated, we’ll open our hearts for the power of the Holy Spirit to intervene. When we operate out of kindheartedness without any undermining ulterior motives, we touch the heart of God. The Spirit will empower and lead us in the way we should go.

When the Church walks in the Love of God, the world gets to see God is Love; and since God is Love—love is the glue that will mend the broken pieces.

You’re not responsible for all repairs—just the parts you broke.

• If we say that we have fellowship with him, [God] and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7).
• Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them (1 John 2:9-11, NIV).
• Do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:14, NIV).

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith. 

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A few months ago, when all this global devastation started, I asked the Lord what did He want me to do? This is what He slipped into my spirit: Pray for the Church!

God was not referring to any local assembly; He was talking about the Body of Christ. Weeks after praying, my spirit became troubled as if my prayers were hitting a stoned wall; something wasn’t right. That’s when the Holy Spirit let me know: Even though the Church loves Him and wants to do right by Him, too many members were operating from opposing sides; she was fragmented; “truth” was swaying like a palm tree blowing in the wind to justify personal prejudices and stereotypes. That’s not to say members of the Church can’t have different opinions; however, those opinions must be grounded in the Word of God.

A house divided will fall.

Satan knows the Church can damage his kingdom if she harmonized; therefore, his mission is to cause division. His main tool is to pitch people against people, race against race, culture against culture, religion against religion, families against families, and the list goes on . . .

The enemy is cunning; he knows how to slice into our beliefs without us realizing we’ve been indoctrinated with his fabrications. That’s why it’s imperative that we routinely ask God to search our hearts; show us all sides of a situation—not just what we want to see and hear, but the Truth of the matter; no matter where that Truth leads or what it will expose. Now after the Truth has been revealed, anyone still holding to their incorrect preconceived notions, chooses to be part of the problem.

The truth will set us free.

If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ³² And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32).

I think the Church is accepting more Truth about her ways since the pandemic; and the bright spotlight that is shining on racial injustice. We are now listening and talking to those outside of our closely knitted clusters—just the way Jesus modeled. We still have quite a bit of work to do.

If we can’t learn to love each other, then we missed a huge part of our earthly mission. By faith, we must love one another. PERIOD!

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

(Matthew 22:36-39).

 Truth will bring the Church together the way God intended.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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I’m sure you have seen, or perhaps even been a victim of, someone hysterical—being shaken back to reality. That illustration came to my mind when I was thinking about all the turmoil this world has faced, and is facing within a short period of time. It’s as if this wayward, rebellious, sinful planet is being warned to come out of its immoral state of complacency. I know this shaking has spiritual implications because of its global magnitude. We must keep in mind; this whole world has been called on the carpet; the moans and groans cross all language barriers and cultural differences; these vibrations are felt around the world.

You’re dead if you don’t feel this shaking.

However, not everyone will comprehend these dire circumstances as warnings; but those who do, are not taking this shake up for granted—but seeing it as a wake-up call; a time to examine their ways in the light of God’s Word.

In Amos 3:7, it says the Lord will do nothing without revealing it first to His prophets. Perhaps we should look at these events and interpret them as a forewarning?

What is God saying to us personally, and collectively?

We can’t ignore these current uprisings when they affect our health, our families, our security, our means of survival, and in many cases, rattling our distorted archaic ways of thinking and doing things. This erratic shaking is loosening everything that isn’t built on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must pay attention and not be tricked into thinking all this turmoil is because of someone else’s error. Be not deceived, everybody’s fingerprint is showing up.

Consider:

• Have we replaced God with the “gods” and idols of this world? (See Exodus 20:3.)
• Have we gotten so fixated and self-absorbed that we are blinded by the cruelty of our actions toward one another? (See Mark 12:31.)
• Have we labeled ourselves as righteous before God, as we hold fast to deep seeded resentments? (See Matthew 7:21.)

We should take questions like these before God, and ask Him: Show me—to me. Then by faith, when He does reveal our hearts, we must not rationalize or make excuses for our ungodly ways; whatever God is shaking off—let it stay off.

There’s a reason for this shaking. . .

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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Millions of people out of work; cries for justice ignored; people protesting, rioting, cities on fire; everything in turmoil—falling apart; and then on top of all the pain and suffering, COVID-19 is still with us—killing masses around the world. As I’m watching the evening news, I feel as though the world is imploding. Is there a word from the Lord?

As a matter of fact, there is; He’s speaking; but, are we listening and obeying?

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send 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).

A few months ago, when the churches first closed due to this virus, I posted a writing called: Evicted. In that piece, I stated we should use this time being quarantined to get closer to the Lord. In James 4:8 it says, draw near to God, and He’ll draw near to you.

Later I wrote: Christians Got Mail. I said if Christians are bored-stiff during this pandemic, apparently, they haven’t opened their mail and read their “To Do” list from heaven.

The time is NOW!

Those writings came from an urgent feeling I felt in the pit of my gut. I knew we, as believers, needed to make sure we were prepared spiritually for what was coming down the line. Having an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit was going to be imperative for the days looming ahead. I didn’t write those posts to frighten anyone; I didn’t know at the time what was on the horizon, but in my spirit—I could tell God was calling His Church for active duty.

Well, that time is now for the Body of Christ to stand and take her proper position. It’s time for the Church to lead the world; not so much with unconvincing words of religiosity, but with action. The world needs to see us addressing matters that impact their lives—like all the injustice taking place. When we put our partialities aside and let the Spirit reign, people will take notice.

The world will see God’s love, when we treat those in despair the way we would want to be treated if we walked in those same shoes. With a blink of the eye, life can flip things around; it’s called reap what you sow. Experience is a strict no-nonsense teacher.

We all go through times when we are abounding and times when we are abasing; God designed the world for us to help each other. Have you noticed, our tests in life are attached to mankind in some way or another? We have got to get this love your neighbor commandment right.

The world is imploding right before our eyes; not the time for the Church to be a silent spectator. She has everything she needs through Christ to illuminate His love during these unsettling times.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.