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As much as Satan would love to, he knows he doesn’t have the authority to close the Church—the Body of Christ. Christ being the Head, and every born-again believer a part of the Body—the Church is not under the enemy’s jurisdiction. Therefore, he’ll settle for the next best thing; deceiving man into believing the Church is only a building made of brick and mortar. But for those who know better, have not restrained their Christianity to a building that can be manipulated by man.

The Body of Christ is too powerful to be contained!

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12)

COVID-19 is like a disturbed hornet’s nest; raging fearlessly throughout the world leaving behind unprecedented catastrophic footprints. The world is searching vigorously for vaccines and any other means to stop, or slow down this deadly threat on the world.

Every facet of our lives has been affected by this uncontrolled virus. Schools have closed, businesses have folded, entertainment has been interrupted; but the Church—is still doing what she’s called to do:

• Still covering her families and loved ones in prayer,
• Still clothed in the armor that’ll stand against the wiles of the devil,
• Still laying hands on the sick,
• Still fasting and praying,
• Still worshiping and giving thanks,
• Still singing and praising the Lord,
• Still reading the Word; and receiving divine revelation,
• Still communicating with other believers,
• Still enjoying the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit,
• Still walking by faith,
• Still witnessing to unbelievers; and caring for the needy are just a few things the Church is still doing while the local church doors are shut.

The positive side of all this: Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is being given the opportunity to draw closer to Him—while the world gets to see the love of Christ in action through His Church.

Remember, the Body of Christ Never Closed!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

 

 

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We, who confess to be believers, must make sure we believe—what we say—we believe. Through Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit is dwelling on the inside of us. Some of us operate from that level of awareness; then again, most of us don’t believe the scope of power accessible to us. Since COVID-19 made its appearance, the world is more opened to hear and learn about God—but not without reservation. Their skepticism will weigh our actions—over what we say—we believe.

Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit!

(Zechariah 4:6)

God empowered us with capabilities to perform exploits beyond our physical being. So, don’t let the frail structure eclipse the power within. I will say, though, quite a few of us have curtailed our faith to fit a limited set of “controlled” circumstances; thinking it will have to get done with our abilities. But the Holy Spirit has assignments for us that will challenge us to function on a higher level of faith. Onlookers, and even ourselves, will say, only by the grace of God.

 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (1 Corinthians 1:27)

In order to believe on that higher realm of competency, we’re going to have to develop a steadfast, unwavering trust in God. This unfaltering stance comes by studying and obeying His Word; spending quality one-on-one time in the quietness of His presence; and by experiencing His faithfulness time-after-time.

  Think about this:

The more time we spend with a person, the better we get to know them. We soon learn to distinguish their voice from a multitude of others; we know if they are dependable and trustworthy; we learn their likes and dislikes; even find ourselves finishing their sentences before they can. That level of familiarity is because of the time we spend around them. The same is true when it comes to our relationship with God. He has made it possible for us to be as close to Him as we are willing to invest the time, and effort.

Because of the pandemic crisis the world is facing, if anyone of us is taking our spirituality for granted, time is out for that kind of lackadaisical attitude. In Isaiah 55:6 it says, seek Me while I may be found. The word while suggest a limited frame of time.

Don’t lose focus of the fact, God allowed this whole world to be shut down; the message that encompasses is not to be slighted, but taken seriously. Our prayer should be, Lord what is my role in all of this? What do You want me to be doing? However, when He answers you, it’s going to involve your faith to believe in Him.

 God gave us the power; He gave us His Word; now we must exert our faith to BELIEVE!

• Greater is He that’s in me than He that’s in the world. (See 1 John 4:4.) Do your actions reflect that?
• I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (See Philippians 4:13.) Do you rely on His strength?
• No weapon formed against me shall prosper. (See Isaiah 54:17.) Do you really believe that?
• The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. (See Psalm 23:1.) Do you wait on His provisions?
• If God is for me, who can be against me? (See Romans 8:31.) Do you walk in that level of confidence?

Believing Believers—Believe!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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Earth and all its inhabitants are under the watch of: God the Father—the Son—and the Holy Spirit. Nothing can attack this world, or hit us personally without Heaven knowing about it. What can slip by El Roi—the God Who sees [all] me? He has us engraved on the palms of His hands. (See Isaiah 49:16.) Everything about us is under Heaven’s watch.

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me (Psalm 139:8-10).

When hell fans its flames, look to the hills. . .

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.² My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.³ He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber (Psalm 121:1-3).

Heaven sees every diabolical move hell makes against us; yet we’re told—to fear not. (See Isaiah 41:10.) All we’re required to do is have faith and obey God’s instructions; then—look to the hills for whence cometh our help.

We should be consoled with the fact the Spirit of the living God will personally escort us through every battle and storm that we face; in our loneliest times, we’re never alone. He said He would never leave nor forsake us. (See Psalm 94:14.) Every minute detail concerning our lives is duly monitored under Heaven’s watchful eye.

All injustice is being noted; all lies are being logged; all cruelty is being recorded; all such matters—registered under Heaven’s watch!

God saw all the crooked deals formed against us before they were even thought of; He heard every plan to take us down before even one syllable was uttered; He knew all the answers before there was a need for questions. And yes, God saw Covid-19 zooming in on earth—when there wasn’t a world to zoom in on.

Beyond man’s intelligence!

One might say, since Heaven sees all the corruption, pain, and sorrow going on, why doesn’t God do something about it?

Well, who is to say He’s not doing something? Who has enough brain cells to understand, debate, or question any of God’s ways? He said His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (see Isaiah 5:8-9). When Job started questioning God’s actions and motives, the Almighty replied with a series of questions that has befuddled the most intellectual minds. (See Job 38-39.) I hope you find time to read those chapters; after which, meditate on this:

Who is foolish enough to think anyone can get away with anything—when every move made is,

Under Heaven’s Watch?

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

 

 

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As history is being written, I’m reminded of the old familiar childhood game: musical chairs. Well, the music has stopped; and the world is left standing—right smack in the middle of a pandemic. Why now? Don’t know. Why us? Don’t know that either. However, one thing is evident; trouble has the tendency to bring out the best and the worst in people. Right now, we are seeing who and what we value as individuals; along with who and what we value as a nation. God has used COVID-19 to unlock the world—exposing the good and ugly.

Nothing is [so closely] covered up that it will not be revealed, or hidden that it will not be known. ³ 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 and behind closed doors will be proclaimed upon the housetops (Luke 12:2-3, AMP).

Look inwardly!

As a Christian, look inwardly; take an inventory of who you are as a believer; think about questions like:

• During this time of uncertainty, how is my faith reflecting what I profess about God?
• What does my character say about my relationship with the Holy Spirit?
• What will I profit if I gain the whole world and lose my soul? (See Mark 8:36.)

As a nation, we should examine our priorities and answer questions like:

• Why do we place more worth on materialistic gains than we do for human life?
• Why do we jeopardize the lives of others to satisfy our own insatiable greedy nature?
• Why do we think we can ignore God and still be boundlessly blessed?

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: (Luke 6:45).

In the midst of all this sadness, hurt, and inconveniences, we must use our faith and see God’s mercy unlocking and revealing—so we can get it right.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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I’m not a prophetess; nor have I taken any formal classes in theology. I have not read the Bible from cover-to-cover; I’m still trying to figure out the book of Revelation. Nevertheless, I do know this—for sure: This virus that’s swarming around the world unabated, has a spiritual tie. I don’t know how all the threads knot together—I’m searching for those answers.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: (see Hosea 4:6).

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).

I’m searching for answers because I think when we are confronted with life’s challenges, we should find out what’s going on in the spiritual realm. Life is not as mysterious as we might think—answers to our perplexing questions are written down in black and white. Therefore, while scientists research vaccines and cures for this menace; the believers should vigorously comb through Scriptures that will shed light on what’s really going on. I’m afraid if we don’t link the present with the past, it will be to our peril to unknowingly repeat long-ago disasters.

As I search. . .

In my quest for answers, I’ve listened to various sermons on social media and television. Even though those ministers spoke the Word of God, only a small handful, that I’ve heard, analytically compared today’s hardships, with what people endured in biblical times—then synthesized that data, and concluded what the Lord is saying to us—right now. Since I have a desire to learn more about all of this, I asked the Holy Spirit to teach me what He wanted me to know.

The Spirit led me to read the books of: Joel, Amos, and Obadiah. After reading, this is what I understand—so far—right now: The basic plot throughout each of those books is the same—like many other books in the Bible.

A simple one-two plot!

1. God’s love and mercy gave countless opportunities for wicked nations to repent.
2. Lack of repentance was followed by the wrath of God.

Some will say, how could a God of love—rain down all that wrath?

God faithfully poured out love and mercy to those people in spite of all the repeated ridicule they thrashed upon Him. The Lord chastens those He loves (see Hebrews 12:6-7).

I can hear you asking: Paulette, are you saying God caused this coronavirus because of our corrupt ways?

I’m not saying anything; I’m still in the process of looking and praying for answers. I find it intriguing, though, that this same plot has been repeated down through the ages. It would be naïve of us to think God will change the plot—just for us. I don’t think He will; however, we do have control over how our story will end.

If you want more insight into what we’re facing currently, may I suggest you read, or reread, those books mentioned above, along with other books in the Bible as the Holy Spirit leads—then align those events and consequences with what’s happening today. We can’t possibly think we can live successful lives and not read the instructional manual, and follow the blueprint; better known as the Bible—the Word of God.

After you have finished reading, draw your own conclusions about this virus: Where it came from? Moreover, our collective and individual parts in the plot. If you like, share your thoughts; I’ll enjoy reading them.

Now, we’re characters in the plot.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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I’m so glad the Church is not a building; instead, it’s comprised of each individual believer who accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. What a terrifying thought to think that the only way we can get prayers answered, receive blessings, or get instructions from the Holy Spirit is by entering into a church building. Nevertheless, Satan has deceived a lot of people into believing just that. His delusive lullabies have put many believers into a comatose state—they’re just waiting for the church buildings to reopen after this coronavirus; overlooking the fact they are the Church.

Arise sleeping giant!

Of course, I’m not saying all believers that make up the Church are sleep; however, too many Christians have taken on a laid-back stance; and Satan is taking full advantage of it. A lot of us are waiting for God to change this broken world, but His job was done at the crucifixion; it’s on His people now. Am I saying we as Christians are the reason why the world is in the state that it’s in? Yes, I am!

Second Chronicles 7:13-14 is resounding throughout the world today; I’ve quoted it myself several times in the past few weeks.

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).

Notice, in verse 14, God is talking to His people—not sinners. Sinners cannot turn things around—so, who’s left? Are we doing what God mandated in order for the land to be healed? Or are we just shaking our heads in dismay at all the evil that’s happening?

We must ask the Holy Spirit to put the spotlight on our hearts like David did in Psalm 139:23-24—then answer the question: Does my lifestyle satisfy the requirements stated in 2 Chronicles 7:14?

If your answer is depended on the actions of others, rather than on yourself, then I must say, you are part of the sleeping giant. Each believer must take responsibility for their own life when it comes to that verse.

Believers cannot turn things around while sleeping.

When I think of the Church as being a sleeping giant, I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I’m saddened, because God has equipped her with immeasurable power—yet she is underperforming as demonstrated by the diminishing reverence she once had in the world. Then on the other hand, I’m angry; as we sleep, Satan is taking corruption, immorality, and wickedness to unrecognizable levels.

Whoa! When the giant wakes . . .

Imagine for a moment how things would be on earth if the Church would take control through the power of the Holy Spirit. If God is for us who can be against us? (See Romans 8:31.) We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (see Philippians 4:13); Greater is He that is in us, than he that is within the world (see 1 John 4:4). God has already empowered us, but He needs us to use our faith and walk in that reality.

The devil knows the power of the Church. He’s going to do whatever; we allow him to do—that’ll keep the giant sleeping.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you (Revelation 3:2-3, NIV).

Are you sleep?

   © 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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The world is hurting! There are no easy paths through or around COVID-19; it has entwined us into a painful terrain of thorns. Those who tested positive, and those who have lost loved ones—hurt the most. There’s no ticket out of this devastation; and if there were such a ticket—there’s no place to go—we’re all in this together.

Love is key!

I think one of the quickest ways to claw our way through this thicket, is to embrace: All people are equal in the sight of God; no matter where they call home.

For God shows no partiality [undue favor or unfairness; with Him one man is not different from another]. (Romans 2:11, AMP)

In Matthew 5:43-44, it tells us to love our neighbor as thyself. Who is our neighbor? Every single person on this planet—is every single person’s neighbor. The term neighbor—crosses all ethnic, socioeconomic, and boundary lines. When we mistreat and undervalue one another, we will reap the actions we have sown. (See Galatians 6:7-8.)

If we don’t learn anything else from this pandemic, it’s imperative that we realize God commands us to love one another; not withholding people who have nothing tangible to offer in return. (See Matthew 25.)

The world applauds!

Even though the ground is thorny—there are so many human-interest stories told about people sowing seeds of compassion. We touch the heart of God when we treat each other with love and respect. For example, those in the medical field who daily put their lives in danger, and some even lost their lives; the world applauds you. These treasured beings are literally on the battlefield working under deplorable conditions; social distancing—not applicable when caring for patients with the virus. When their shift is over, they can’t remove their heavy hearts as easily as they can strip off their protective gear; soap and water can’t wash away the stains of sadness.

Applauding. . .

Let’s not forget about those who work outside of the medical field; many times, these laborers are often taken for granted: the maintenance crew who discards all the contagious waste; workers who replenish barren shelves, clerks and cashiers who are working in harms’ way. Yet, many of these workers are working at minimum wage.

Still applauding . . .

The United States military—we salute you for erecting make-shift hospitals in a matter of days. Retirees—we applaud you for volunteering your expertise; truckers, driving across country to deliver food and supplies, thank you; good Samaritans, your generosity is deeply heartfelt—leaving boxes of groceries on porches of those in need. Philanthropists, checking on the lonely and forgotten; we applaud you, too.

I only listed a few of these precious souls for the sake of space; nevertheless, we all know who they are; they are the backbone, the engine—who God is using to keep things up and running during these unprecedented times.

The ground is thorny; but the soil is fertile.

Hopefully, by the time COVID-19 runs its course, the thorny grounds will have been replaced by green pastures. Thank you, humanitarians; your kind-heartedness is fertilizing this old self-centered, materialistic world.

The applauds continue. . .

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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Christians who are bored-stiff during this coronavirus pandemic, apparently haven’t opened their mail and read their “To Do” list from heaven. I’m using “mail” as a metaphor to mean: Seek what the Holy Spirit wants you to do. God’s ambassadors can’t relax their stance during wartime; and this is spiritual warfare. I know everybody isn’t going to understand what I’m talking about; might even think I’m crazy—I understand that. But there are some warriors who know exactly what I mean. Yes, we see suffering taking place; yet, while all the drama is unfolding, we mustn’t ignore the spiritual side of this.

Called for active duty!

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).

The world is scratching their heads trying to figure out these unprecedented bizarre circumstances. Christians, on the other hand, have a direct link to the One Who knows what’s going on; these atrocious events are not out of His realm of control. This is why it’s essential for believers to continue to develop their relationship with the Holy Spirit; this is the perfect time to get closer to Him. He will use His children to show the world His Son. God has given so much; now is a time to give back to Him. The world is primed to hear from the Lord.

Open your mail—there’s work to do!

Let me give you a peek into my mail; not as a standard, but only as an example. Everybody’s mail is probably different.

My to do list from God:

• Every day spend quality one-on-one time with the Holy Spirit; maintain a sense of prayer throughout the day.
• Pray for My will to be done during this coronavirus pandemic.
• Develop your spiritual ear by purposefully paying attention to what I’m imparting into your spirit.
• By faith, be obedient to Me. For instance, call whomever I tell you to call and check on; pray for those on the frontline; pray for people who have lost their friends and loved ones.
• Ask Me to search your heart, and make you aware of your sinful ways. Ask Me to help you to overcome those areas.
• Listen to My instructions on how you can help Me during this crisis.
• Connect My Word with what’s going on in the world today; for example, read how people behaved in Noah’s day before the flood; read what was happening in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Read how I used people like Jeremiah and Gideon to do mighty feats; now ask yourself: What is the Holy Spirit calling me to do?
• Check with your Christian friends to see if they heard anything from Me that they can share; as well as letting them know things you’ve heard from Me that you can share.
• Check your mail regularly; list is subject to change.

I know God is preparing His people during this time; don’t know for what, but I do know He’s getting them ready. It would be regretful not to utilize and learn all that the Holy Spirit wants to teach during this pandemic. Everything He teaches is vital! What is God saying to you?

Please, don’t walk around the house undressed (see Ephesians 6:10-18).

Open your mail—the Lord has work for you to do.

© 2020

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COVID-19 is nondiscriminatory; no one will get through this unscathed in some way or another. It will strike the renown and anybody else along its path; this virus has placed us all on an even playing field. No nationality gets to own pardoning rights. COVID-19 bows to no man!

Of course, we all want this virus to dissipate; however, I don’t think praying for God to make it go away is an effective use of our faith; that’s too simplistic. Instead, we should ask the Holy Spirit to direct our prayers so that our faith—is aligned with His will. Our faith attached to God’s will—Oh My Lord!

What are you learning?

I think we’ll see God’s will unfold as we open our eyes and note, there are some worldwide lessons He wants us to learn. Therefore, we shouldn’t get so distracted by this pandemic that we miss these valuable learning moments. These lessons are multifaceted and complex, yet simple if we take the time to see what’s in plain sight. Some are customized for individual self-growth; while other lessons must be learned collectively as inhabitants sharing the same global space.

One worldwide lesson!

One global lesson for this world to learn—is how to love and respect each other. People come in all different shapes and sizes with varying degrees of intelligence. They have different likes and dislikes. Some people are full of love; some full of hate. Opposing ideologies will cross over into someone’s comfort zone. Diverse religious interpretations are as vast as the capacity to comprehend. There are different races, customs, cultures, and social standings that give innumerable perspectives on how the world is seen. And what seems clearly simple to some is muddied and mysterious to others.

The recognizable differences are far more than what I have just listed. Still, with all the dissimilarities, God lumped us all together on earth and said: Love thy neighbor as thyself! (See Mark 12:31.) My interpretation: Y’all play nice!

For there is no respect of persons with God (Romans 2:11).

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

The predicament the world finds itself in right now is the perfect time for us to recognize we all need each other. I’m afraid those who have the misconception that some people are better than others will struggle the hardest during this pandemic. God will not relax His standard to love one another—just to oblige our fears and insecurities. We are commanded to love people in spite of our differences.

Let’s use this unique time to learn our individual lessons—as well as how to fairly share God’s world.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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Probably for the rest of our lives we’ll be recalling how we coped with this coronavirus pandemic. This slice of history will be entrenched in our minds—for better or worst. The theories as to why this virus invaded the world—will be discussed, debated, and analyzed for quite some time. Hopefully, we will have learned many lessons that generations to come will benefit from; for example, how we typically “do” church.

The fact that many church buildings are closed right now leaves me wondering: Why? I really think there’s a deeper spiritual reason other than stopping the spread of this disease. As a matter of fact, this whole pandemic can be interpreted spiritually.

God’s church is not a building.

Now that many church doors are closed, soon it will become apparently clear for those who didn’t already know—the church is not a structure made of bricks and mortar, but rather each individual believer is the church; the body of Christ. And we as believers, must view it as such.

Lord, what are you saying to Your church?

Here’s my take on it: Yes, the Word of God tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (see Hebrews 10:25). But many are deceived into thinking going to a church building is all that is needed to live a Christian life. All their praying is done there; all their Bible reading is done there, all praise and worship done there, too. Going to church is only a small portion of being a Christian. In some cases, going to church served as a crutch; now the crutch has been removed. Can you walk, now?

Religion without God!

Okay, I’m going to take a big BOLD step of faith and say, (not talking about all churches) God was not pleased with how things were going. In some churches, He had been replaced by larger-than-life egos, fighting over who offended whom, why did he do that; why her, not me? Petty bickering!

We know all the correct religious words and phrases; though, lacking the power of the Holy Spirit. What was sacred, has been replaced by the world’s practices and values. God is calling His church back to Holiness.

Cut—Time Out!

Generally speaking, the local churches have slowly drifted away from teaching and practicing holiness. We, as believers will have to answer for that. Therefore, this time out—is a period for us to reexamine our priorities.

A friend of mine correlated this virus to the flood in Noah’s day; he said this was our modern-day flood. (Read Genesis 6-9.) If this person is correct, then just being a member of a local church isn’t going to be enough to fight this battle.

We must take advantage of this time out in order to get ready for what’s in store down the line. I’m not saying this to frighten anyone; there’s no reason to fear for those in Christ. (See 2 Timothy 1:7.) However, this is not a cakewalk; this is serious. This is spiritual warfare!

Ways to prepare

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubled-minded (James 4:8).

We can prepare by getting to know God personally for ourselves—not as a casual acquaintance through someone else. We must repent and turn from our wicked ways. (See 2 Chronicles 7:14.) Spend quality time in meditation before Him. Let the Spirit examine our hearts; show us the error of our ways. We must get into His Word, and allow the Word to govern our lives.

Read Ephesians 6:10-18; make sure you are dressed for battle. Do some scriptural research, use the Internet if you like; cross reference various commentaries, ask the Holy Spirit for understanding. Whatever, spiritual level you’re on, you can always go higher.

  The pews are empty!

Yes, the pews are empty—for now. But if we each do our part to draw closer to God, when the church doors reopen—church will not be as usual. We will have matured spiritually. Believers should be excited; I’m excited because the power of the Holy Spirit is going to work through us like never before. We were evicted; but we’re coming back on FIRE!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

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Presently, this coronavirus (COVID-19) has the world’s undivided attention; will man hear God—now? I’m not saying God caused the virus; I have no idea about that. However, I will say, He permitted it—and that’s all I need to know. And since He allowed it, I had better listen to what the Lord is saying.

A clarion call!

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)

This pandemic has humbled this grandiose, self-righteous, fallen world down to a measly marble—summoned before El Shaddai: God Almighty.

Charges: Man’s insatiable desire for more has crossed over into gluttony; immorality has no restraints; compassion for those in need—ignored; and hatred—cowardly hides behind a false sense of righteousness.

This world has been subpoenaed!

Those are just a few charges that must be addressed for such a time as this. It’s only because of God’s mercy that the world has been given a chance to get its act to together; work on one accord—during this international crisis; talk about irony. No one can afford to finger point and say it’s only happening over there to those people; everybody is defined as “those” people. We all have a stake in this global emergency.

I don’t just write these posts off the top of my head; I wait for the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. With that said, it’s time for the world to drop to its knees and repent while the Lord can be found. The word while suggest for a limited period of time; mercy before the wrath of God. Things aren’t bad, yet.

The believers’ role

I’ve heard believers say this pandemic doesn’t involve them; I beg to differ. I think every believer has been called before God to take on the role He has for them to do. The world is full of fearful people right now who are scrambling for the answers—that believers have.

Ask the Holy Spirit to equip you with the words He wants you to say, and the deeds He wants you to do. This is not a time to become immobilized by fear; there’s too much work to be done as an ambassador for Christ. (See 2 Corinthians 5:20.)

. . . The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; ³⁸ Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38).

If there ever was a time for the world to hear from the Lord, it is now. Stay prayerful; ask God to open your spiritual ear so you can receive the revelation He wants you to know. Position yourself in His presence, so you can hear from Him.

God knows how to COMMAND an audience!

In closing:

For me, during this trying time, I’m walking by faith; while I use wisdom. Faith and wisdom are both given to us by God; they complement each other; they work hand-in-hand; one does not exclude the other.

. . . God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:3b).

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and unbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

 

 

 

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Well, you know what they say—where there’s smoke there’s fire. Last week I talked about how spending regular one-on-one time with God is like being immersed in smoke (see “Do You Smell Like Smoke?”). This week I’m continuing only to say: Collectively, spirit-filled Christians have enough Holy Ghost fire, meaning the glory and power of God in and on them, to set this whole world on fire for the Lord. But, there’s a glitch—the devil is after the same territory.

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 7:14).

I truly believe we are at a pivotal point in God’s overall plan for humanity. Also, I think this period of time is just as significant as those hair-raising events recorded in the Bible. The question is: Do we have the faith Noah, Moses, and other heroic souls had for us to hear and obey God’s instructions? God’s master plan didn’t stop with those courageous beings; on the contrary, the plan continues from generation to generation. . .

Holy Ghost Cues

When we experience an emotional touch from the Spirit, the purpose of that intensified moment isn’t to give us a goose-bump thrill, but should be viewed as one of the cues for us to fight spiritually. When those “electrified” moments occur, we should open our spiritual ear to receive instructions as to what the Lord wants us to do with all this flowing energy.

You see, once we gave our lives to Christ, we are on call 24/7—agents in a foreign land—ready to witness to a lost world. We are equipped with gifts, talents, and the Spirit of God living within us; everything needed to carry out our special duties.

Fire Wars

But the devil is not going to relinquish his hold without combat. Even though signs of the last days are outlined in Matthew 24, some of us are in bewilderment—scratching our heads as to the unconscionable acts we are observing on earth today. However, we don’t have the privilege of being shocked to the point of being immobilized, because the enemy is not going to lighten up—if anything, he’s going to get worse.

Therefore, believers must prepare and stay ready. (See Ephesians 6:10-18.) We must continue to build and strengthen our relationship with God; having a casual acquaintance will not do in these serious times. We can’t hide our heads in the sand thinking we can ignore the inevitable; won’t work—the bottom half of our anatomy is exposed.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).

As troubling as things are, we should never allow the fiery flames of intimidation to drive us away from our heavenly missions. The devil speaks boldly, while having the audacity to dare us to speak what saith the Lord. We must speak unapologetically; keep in mind, hell’s flares cannot compete with the fire of the Holy Ghost. Greater is He that’s in us, than he that’s in the world (see 1 John 4:4).

These fire wars have been going on way before we came on the scene; and will continue after our departure. The only say so we have in the matter is—on whose side of the flame will we stand?

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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The other day the devil told me I was spending too much one-on-one time fellowshipping with God. He went on to add that it was unnecessary to do that every day—and that I was wasting my time. The Lord responded to those allegations using smoke as a metaphor to convey this message to my spirit:

When you walk out of a smoked-filled room, you will smell like smoke. Spending time with Me is like being immersed in smoke; My essence trails you. Ignore the devil; he’s threatened by this smell. He knows where there’s SMOKE—there’s Fire.

Smoke is a substance that gets into every crevice, fiber, and cell it comes in contact with— leaving behind a pungent undeniably whiff. However, when it symbolizes being in the presence of the Lord, smelling like “smoke” is a good thing.

He who dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).

When we are absorbed in all that “SMOKE” we can’t help but to walk in the power thereof.

There are believers who understand the importance of spending regular facetime with God. They realize it’s within themselves to be as close to the Lord as they desire. Those believers rely on, as a vital necessity, the strength, comfort, protection, and wisdom that being with the Almighty brings. It’s inconceivable for them to go about their lives without this special covering.

Prior to my retiring, I got to work at least an hour before starting so I could relax and spend time with the Holy Spirit. My time with Him took on various forms; for instance, sometimes I would pray; but mostly I sat silently while He poured into my spirit what He wanted me to know.

Some people who can’t do mornings with God, do evenings, or some other designated time. The time of day doesn’t matter. What matters mostly is to give the Lord our undivided attention. It’s an honor and privilege that He would even want to spend time with us.

You can’t fake the scent of Smoke.

On the other hand, there are still too many believers who don’t understand the value of this revelation. They think Sunday morning services are enough; or they’re under the delusion that spending time alone with God “every-now-and-then” is sufficient. Maybe that works for them; but they won’t smell like someone who has been immersed in Smoke; nor will they receive the benefits of their faith strengthening—while marinating in this Holy mist. They’re like the Emperor who paraded around with no clothes on. He was the only one deceived; everybody else knew he was naked.

People who devote quality time with the Lord attract the attention of nonbelievers. These onlookers might not be able to put their finger on it, but they know there’s something different about that person who dwells in the presence of God. Just like in the natural you can tell when smoke is nearby, the same is true about this invisible mass that follows a person who spends time with God.

The devil knows who has a close-intimate relationship with the Lord—he can smell SMOKE.

 

Do you smell like Smoke?

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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If you got a minor cut, scratch, or bruise—put some hydrogen peroxide on it. If you got a swollen ankle—put some ice on it. But if you got troubles and cares—put some WORD on it.

The other day I was wondering if I had done the right thing concerning a matter. My doubts opened the doorway for the devil to pitch in a few of his lies. Even though earlier that day, I had prayed specifically for God to direct my steps before I had to meet with a client. However, after I returned home, I couldn’t tell if I had made the right moves or not. That’s when the Holy Spirit said this to my spirit:

You put WORD on it!

The Spirit wanted me to know that I had already put His Word on it when I asked Him to guide my way. Now, I had to have faith that He did. The Lord brought Proverbs 3:5-6 to mind.

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.

God wanted me to understand the full impact of . . . lean not unto thine own understanding. The enemy can bombard my mind with his rationales if I depend on my justifications and analyses for clarification. But to lean on God means, the whole matter is released to His charge. It doesn’t have to make sense to me, as long as my heart is obedient to His ways.     

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. I did acknowledge God in the matter when I let Him know that I was dependent on Him. It was then up to me to believe His Word, and that my actions were directed by Him.      

Put some WORD on it!

When you are facing difficulties, don’t waste your time in confusion trying to figure things out. Instead, incorporate Scriptures into your circumstances; weave in what saith the Lord. Find out if the Word supports or refutes what you want God to do. If the Word supports, hang on in there; be obedient to God, and let Him guide your moves. If the Word refutes, turn your mindset around because God isn’t going to change His.

When Christians tell me about their woes, I’m listening to find out if they asked God to intervene. If they only speak defeat—no mention of the Holy Spirit, then that’s a major faith problem. That breach of trust must be resolved, because the answer they’re looking for is found in their ability to believe God’s Word.

God speaks through His WORD.

Personalize Scriptures to read as a personal word from your heavenly Father. When you do that, you feel closer to Him. For example: Fear not Paulette; I am with you (paraphrased from Isaiah 41:10). Paulette will call upon Me, I will answer her: I will be with her in troubles (paraphrased from Psalm 91:15).

Whatever you’re facing—Put Some WORD on It!

Side note: The Bible is not a read-only document full of historical facts of days gone by; but it’s a hands-on instructional manual for your life today. Yes, make it personal as it relates to your circumstances. As you read the Word, keep your spiritual ear opened to hear how God wants you to apply what you read to your current situations.

Once we receive revelation of how our everyday lives connect to the Word, we’ll never want to be caught without it. It becomes our lifeline.

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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When someone throws you insults, offenses, and other hate balls—don’t be so quick to react. Those balls are meant to arouse and distract your flesh with a bunch of slurs, eye-rollings, and neck jerks while the real enemy, the devil, sneaks into your spirit and dumps a truck load of contaminants. By faith, let God catch those balls.

You don’t have to catch everything that’s thrown.

God is working on me in areas that I’ll share at a later time. However, there’s one area I conquered over twenty years ago: Hate balls. As a matter of fact, now when I see one coming, I get a kick out of watching the Holy Spirit intercept.

Let me share one of the lessons the Spirit taught on hate balls. One day at work, a lady was throwing me hate balls left and right. Her face became distorted and monstrous as she viciously gave me a piece of her mind—as she would have described—getting me told. What she was spitting out was incorrect, which didn’t matter; her only motive was to destroy and cause pain.

I didn’t listen that closely to her long-winded rampage; instead, I used that time to think how I was going to slam her down with my comeback.

Arms of flesh throw balls pitched out of hell.

Just at the moment I couldn’t take it anymore—tongue ready to butcher, when God spoke this to my spirit: “Shut up!” In other words, don’t catch that ball—it’s laced.

The woman kept yakking, but after God gave me my orders to stay quiet, I felt peace in my soul. I didn’t get a fleshly satisfaction that you would normally get after you put somebody in their place; I received something better, a spiritual satisfaction of knowing I passed my test with God. My stillness freed the Holy Spirit to handle that lady on my behalf. At the same time, He taught me a lesson on how to fight battles beyond the devil’s reach.

In a multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise (Proverbs 10:19).   

Don’t Catch that Ball!

You have been warned!

 © 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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Can God count on you to defend Him in the presence of scoffers? Do you stand in silence when He is being mocked? Is status—power, money, and fame more important than defending the Lord? Do you ignore the Holy Spirit when He prompts you to say something in His defense? Do you appease your denial with: “God understands—He knows my heart”?

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 10:33). (Also, Luke 9:26; 2 Timothy 2:12).

There are times when it’s inappropriate to speak out. However, we all know the difference (God certainly does) between when our silence is proper, and when our low profile is because of what it will cost us. Persecuted Christians who are tortured in order to spread God’s Word, might find it a little hard to swallow—for us to put self above coming to the Savior’s defense.

God will put us in situations so we can know the scope of our dedication to Him. Are there certain circumstances He can’t depend on us? Many times, we won’t know what we’ll do until we are confronted like Peter was the night Jesus was taken into captivity.

Peter told Jesus he would never deny Him; he would die with Him. But, when that night’s drama unfolded, Peter ended up denying that he knew Jesus three times in order to save his own neck. (See Matthew 26:31-35.)

³⁵ But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. (NIV)

Representatives—represent!

I’ll admit there were times when I didn’t speak up; missed golden opportunities to plant seeds of salvation as the Holy Spirit instructed. I allowed the spirit of pride to override my duties as one of His representatives. My focus was centered on me: How I would look if I said the right thing—the wrong way.

The Spirit anoints His people to speak up on His behalf. He certainly wasn’t counting on my words, but rather the words He would put into my mouth.

• When Moses told God he couldn’t speak for Him because he was slow of speech, God told him, “Who made man’s mouth”? (See Exodus 4:10,11)
• When Jeremiah gave God excuses why he couldn’t speak on His behalf, the Lord put forth His hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth and said, “I have put my words in thy mouth.” (See Jeremiah 1:9)

Do you have the faith God will speak through you?

I believe those opportunities I chose to remain silent would have not only blessed the listeners, but would have helped me with my spiritual growth.

Whenever we are placed in predicaments where God is being disrespected, or need us to speak up for Him, we should use our faith and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Those sticky-awkward moments could very well be the times when He wants us to represent Him as lights in a dark world. If God can’t depend on His own people to defend Him, then who else is there—rocks?

Can God count on you to defend Him?

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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When Satan takes a victory lap—flaunting his control over our families, our dreams, our health, and other matters of concern, we shouldn’t let that shatter our faith. Don’t forget, he took a victory lap when Jesus was nailed to the cross; and we all know how that turned out.

The distress Satan manages to pull off, nonetheless, still produces toe-curling pain. He knows exactly when and how to strike; what’s precious to us. Like a maestro, he knows exactly when to strike that perfect pitch. Everything is fair game—nothing is off limits.

Sometimes God will empower us to outwardly fight; then there are other times when He will instruct us to be still—incognito. I think being still can really challenge our faith when we think we have the wherewithal to make an impressive knockout punch.

Jesus stood still.

Imagine how Jesus must have felt when He stood still before Pilate while the chief priest and elders interrogated Him. (See Matthew 27:1-12.) Now imagine how He must have felt when His accusers nailed Him to the cross; all the while, He had the power to call a host of warring angels on the scene.

To understand how Jesus restrained Himself as Satan took those victory laps, we must understand what He did in order to prepare Himself for that moment. Jesus didn’t wait until the day—all that drama unfolded in the Garden of Gethsemane—to start praying. He didn’t wait until the adversary approached Him with a kiss—to establish a close relationship with His Father.

If we want to be victorious and defeat Satan, we can’t do anything less than what Jesus did. Developing an intimate relationship with the Father, is paramount. Satan fights dirty; on our own, we’re no match against this evil-vile spirit. But when God is the Referee—calling the plays, we can expect:

• We can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us (see Philippians 4:12).
• His grace is sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9).
• If God be for us, who can come against us? (See Romans 8:31.)
• For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are unable to perform (Psalm 21:11).

Satan will dig deep into the trenches to bury us alive; but does he not know—

El Shaddai: God Almighty,

Jehovah-Elohim: All powerful God,

El Elyon: God the Highest,

Yahweh Shalom: The Lord of Peace,

Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord will Provide,

Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord our healer,

Yahweh Nissi: The Lord is My Banner,

Jehovah-Rohi: The Lord is my Shepherd,

. . .is with us?

When the greater One is within you—take your VICTORY LAPS!

© 2020

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.

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I’m sure you’ve seen signs posted at construction sites that read, “Your tax dollars at work.” Well, the Lord brought those signposts back to my memory the other day when He unexpectedly did me a favor and sequentially dropped this into my spirit:

“Your prayers at work”

You see, that favor was just to encourage me to keep the faith, because I’m still waiting for Him to answer a ten-year-old prayer. So, when I received that favor, I took it as God telling me:

Paulette, I heard your prayers, but the time has not come, yet; stay faithful.

The size of the favor was inconsequential, and to tell you the truth, I can’t even remember what the favor was. The favor was not the point; it only served for the Holy Spirit to let me know: Your prayers are at work. However, the devil wanted me to think that speckle of favor was just a stroke of luck, a coincidence unrelated to the matter at hand. The enemy told me too much time had lapsed—making the prayer impossible to materialize.

We are unnerved by the level of difficulty—not God!

We are compelled by time—not God!

For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

I can’t overemphasize the fact that our prayers must be in God’s will. (See 1 John 5:14,15.) The enemy will use our vulnerabilities when we are waiting for long-awaited prayers to be answered; he would love for us to fixate our minds on wrong construction sites. Therefore, it’s imperative that we continue to develop a close relationship with the Lord, so we can discern the route He wants us to go. (See Proverbs 3:5-7.)

A good way to keep your faith stirred up and encouraged: Any movement towards your prayers being answered (large or small), acknowledge secretly to yourself:

My prayers at work; Glory to God!

© 2019

See you next week on Paulette Talks Faith.