~ A Letter of Love ~

For the past few weeks, I have received different videos from an anonymous sender.

Until today the videos contained different Christian songs...

Beautiful songs that coincided with whatever I have been posting about recently...

Songs of encouragement, songs of hope and joy...

Today I received the following and knew I just had to share it.

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you ~ Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up ~ Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways ~ Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered ~ Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in My image ~ Genesis 1:27

In Me, you live and move and have your being, for you are My offspring ~ Acts 17:27-28

I knew you even before you were conceived ~ Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation ~ Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in My book ~ Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth, and where you would live ~ Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made ~ Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your Mother's womb ~ Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born ~ Psalm 71:6

I've been misrepresented by those who don't know Me ~ John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love ~ 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you ~ 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are My child and I am your Father ~ 1 John 3:1

I offer you more then your earthly Father ever could ~ Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect Father ~ Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from My hand ~ James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs ~ Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with Hope ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love ~ Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts towards you are countless as the sand on the seashore ~ Psalm 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you ~ Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession ~ Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul ~ Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things ~ Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me ~ Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart ~ Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires ~ Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine ~ Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you ~ Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart ~ Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe every tear from your eyes ~ Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth ~ Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus ~ John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed ~ John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being ~ Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you ~ Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I can be reconciled ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you ~ 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love ~ Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me ~ 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again ~ Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party Heaven has ever seen ~ Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father ~ Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is ~ Will you be my child? ~ John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you ~ Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad, Almighty God

The Path That Is Before You

"I Will Lead The Blind By Ways They Have Not Known, Along Unfamiliar Paths I Will Guide Them; I Will Turn The Darkness Into Light Before Them And Make The Rough Places Smooth. These Are The Things I Will Do; I Will Not Forsake Them."

Isaiah 42:16

Someone recently said to me that He feels my pain...

That He walked this path before I ever did.

The Bible verse stated above is fast becoming a favorite of mine...

The path I am on is very unfamiliar to me, however I also know He is lighting the way for me...

I am still waiting on the bumps to become smoother...

Besides the Serenity Prayer, one of my favorite poems is Footprints in the Sand.

One set of footprints throughout the darkest and saddest moments of your life because He was carrying you.

When you needed Him the most, He stayed true to His word, and you were never forsaken.

In the dead of night, I go and sit on the back porch and just look towards the heavens and talk to Him...

Most times there are tears involved, however tears have a way of cleansing the soul so I don't worry about them...

He knows that they are coming.

Sometimes I just sit there in the silence and the darkness...

Most of the time though I am seeking answers...

No longer the "Why" answers though sometimes I do travel that road...

The majority of the time I am asking for guidance...

When you have lived your entire life one way, only to wake up one day to find yourself on a whole new planet, well it can be very disheartening...

Because this is a new path for me, I feel very lost at times, alone and yes sad...

I know if I picked up the phone in those wee hours of the morning, someone out there would be more then happy to answer on the other end, yet I don't...

G - Always up so much later then me, I know in my heart all I would have to do is send him a message and he would be right there, dialing before I could even utter a reason as to why I need to talk at 2am...

He has spent countless hours with me on the phone as well as the computer...

He knows me almost better then I know myself and I trust him implicitly...

I thank God for him every night as well as every morning...

I thank God for all the people He has placed in my path these past 16 months...

I would never be where I am right now, had it not been for each and every one of them...

People from all walks of life, most in different, yet similar situations as mine...

All on the same path with me, thanks to Him.

Now if that isn't the blind leading the blind, I don't know what is.

99% of the people I have met in this situation are new to it as well...

Yet something wonderful has happened during all this strife and pain...

Fantastic friendships have been formed...

People you may not normally hang out with, now have become your closest confidant...

People you may not look twice at in the mall, now become your shoulder to cry on...

People who may not ever have had anything to do with you, are now asking you to pray for them...

These are people you can be yourself with - Your true self with no judgements...

You laugh and cry and vent together...

You grow from within together...

The tentative bond was formed out of heartache and tragedy, the strength of the bond grows as each of you walks the path He has placed in front of you - Together.

Because each of us is in the middle of some form of transition and it is clear none of us would be able to travel this road alone, He plucked certain people out of a different garden and placed all of us within this new one...

Knowing we each had strengths and weaknesses, He filled this garden with people who would draw that out of us...

Some of us "click" more then others however, we each have something to offer one another...

Some of us are so new we haven't met you...

You are still standing on the outskirts of the garden however, you will be welcome once you turn around and truly face what is happening in your life.

Whether you are the driver or the passenger on the infidelity super-highway, there is death and destruction at every single hairpin turn.

The ride will not kill you...

It just feels like it will...

You will question each and every single belief you have ever held true...

You will question each and every single moment you had with your significant other...

You will question each and every breath you take, asking yourself, "Is this truly happening?"

I still ask myself that almost 16 months later...

Don't live in denial, it is happening, it is a horrific path to have been placed on, yet there was a reason your name was called by Him to travel this path.

None of us knows what tomorrow may hold...

I do know that I have people in every corner of my life that love me, respect me, and care about me...

People who help me to nurture my forgiveness and compassion...

People who help me to not allow hate and bitterness take over...

People who, at the very ugliest times of their lives, are more then willing to forget their situation for the time-being and help a fellow friend...

He did that...

He has already traveled this road prior to us, knew what each of us would need, knew this was going to happen before-hand and then set about making sure we were still protected within the circle of His wings.

It may not make it hurt any less, however it is a beautiful blessing to have received.

MATT REDMAN
Oh No, You Never Let Go
Through The Calm And Through The Storm
Oh No, You Never Let Go
In Every High And Every Low
Oh No, You Never Let Go
Lord, You Never Let Go Of Me

How Will You Spend Eternity...Smoking or Non-Smoking?

"Rejoice And Be Glad, Because Great Is Your Reward In Heaven, And For The Same Way They Persecuted The Prophets Who Were Before You."

Matthew 5:12

"Do Not Be Afraid Of Those Who Kill The Body But Cannot Kill The Soul. Rather Be Afraid Of The One Who Can Destroy Both Soul And Body In Hell."

Matthew 10:28

In the AME Church we believe in Heaven or Hell...

There is no in-between or Purgatory as some call it...

There is a Book of Life with our Father and I am certain my name is in it...

Not every ones name is written in this book...

It isn't enough to just have Faith that God exists, you have to believe that Jesus died for our sins, that God raised Him from the dead and you have to confess with your mouth that Jesus is our Lord, then and only then are you saved.

All the good deeds you spend your life doing won't be enough, you won't be able to "earn" your way into Heaven...

You are saved by God's grace, accessed by your faith, which is found in His word.

The good works that you do in your life should come from the well within your soul that has been placed there by the Holy Spirit - The nature of Jesus Christ.

Baptism is important as well...

That is part of your initiation in the Kingdom of God, it marks you as a Child of God...

It is about what God is doing from that moment forward because we acted in faith.

According to the Bible, Heaven is going to be absolutely beautiful...

The Apostle John, who wrote the Book of Revelation had a dream one night in which an angel appeared to him and showed him many things, among these things, Heaven was one of them.

The walls of Heaven are so clear, you can see through them.

The foundation of the city walls are made up of 12 precious stones...

There are 12 gates and each gate is made up of a single pearl...

The city street is made up of pure gold...

There is no temple because the Lord God and the lamb are the temple...

There is no sun and there is no moon...

The glory of God gives the light and the lamb is its lamp.

Nothing impure will ever enter, and only those whose name is in the Book of Life will pass the gates.

There will no longer be any pain nor any suffering, the people who hurt you here, will no longer be allowed to hurt you there.

In my mind, children are running freely over the clouds, happy and carefree...

Safe from the troubles of this world...

Adults are calm and peaceful and everyone has a smile...

You are able to go directly to your Father and finally be at peace within your soul...

The people you have lost throughout your lifetime are there waiting for you, with open arms...

Family members, friends, loved ones etc...

I imagine the colors are more vivid then the eye can see down here...

Brilliant greens, blues, oranges, yellows, reds, purples etc...

Rainbows and precious waterfalls everywhere the eye can see...

Angels playing and singing soothing music...

Flowers and trees all bursting with life...

Animals roaming freely...

There is no hate, there is no despair, there is no anger - Nothing but pure love given by our holy Father.

So what happens when you find yourself facing our Lord and come to find out you aren't in the Book of Life?

First of all you need to realize, He isn't sending you to hell, you did that yourself by rejecting Him in this life...

I feel for you, I truly do because even though I prefer the darkness and all it has to offer, I do not relish the thought of that darkness.

While I find a nice, crackling fire soothing, the thought of eternal fire for my soul just doesn't do it for me...

So once you are cast into that Lake of Fire, what is next?

I am limited by my imagination, while good, even I am unable to touch on what Hell truly is.

I imagine absolute black...

Not darkness per se...

But walls of the blackest black you have ever seen...

Possibly floors of molten lava...

And unimaginable screams of agony that go on and on and on - Forever.

There is hate and despair and doubt and fear and anger and rage and sadness etc...

All the feelings that suck at your self-worth here on earth, will be magnified ten-fold in Hell...

You will be in the company of non-believers, rapists, murderers, adulterers, pedophiles etc....

Basically the worst of the worst.

The Bible states, in Psalms 9:17, "The Wicked Shall Be Turned Into Hell"...

So not only will you be in Hell, you shall become Hell.

You will see it, smell it, taste it, feel it, live it - For all eternity.

You will be ruled by Satan himself along with his dark angels...

Satan - The ruler of all that is evil will now be with your soul forever.

I can't even begin to imagine the torment you will then be facing...

The pain of an eternal life filled with fire and brimstone.

Guess what Hell doesn't have?

Hope...

Once you are there, there is no escape...

Now picture this....

You are dead (I know morbid, however go with me here)...

Your soul has left your body...

Which direction is it going?

For this moment in time let's just go with Hell....

You are heading to Hell, after living your life the way you wanted to live it with no concern for anyone else...

You didn't believe, you didn't give thanks, you didn't care about anything or anyone other then you...

So, now your soul is traveling towards your home for all of eternity...

What is that awful noise?

Screaming souls which are burning...

The smell filling your nose?

The stench of those same burning souls...

Fire has ignited your face and flames are coming out of your eyes, mouth, ears and nose...

The pain, the agonizing pain, when will it end?

That is when it hits you - Never, ever, ever...It will never stop.

You scream and plead and beg for God to release you from the pain you are feeling...

You ask why He didn't warn you, however He did...

All those times you sat in His house and were there only to fill a square...

Remember the man at the front of the Church asking if anyone needed to be saved?

My Pastor ends every service calling people to not walk but run to the Altar while the blood is still warm and flowing...

Remember all those Bible verses that warned of Hell and what would happen upon being thrown into that Lake?

Remember Sunday School, being taught about Heaven and Hell?

Remember hearing about it throughout your journey of life?

Now remember all the times you rejected your ticket from Him...

Your ticket out of an eternity of Hell...

You may not know the Bible from beginning to end, I know that I don't, however I do know enough about where I want to spend eternity...

I may be a "child of darkness", however even this child needs light every now and then.

We all make mistakes within the course of our life, sometimes our mistakes are huge and we would give anything to go back and change them...

However I believe that if you die without Jesus Christ, that will be the biggest mistake you will ever make.

I know a lot of you are saved, you believe and you practice...

No offense however I am not speaking to you, I am speaking to the ones who may be standing next to you, sitting near you, or laying beside you...

We all have sinned and we all fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).

If you are reading this, you still have a chance to be saved...

So what is it going to be?

Smoking or non-smoking?

LINCOLN BREWSTER
I Will Give
With The Life That I've Been Given
And Go Beyond Religion
To See The World Be Changed
By The Power Of Your Name

How Are You Walking?

"For We Walk By Faith, Not By Sight."

2 Corinthians 5:7

What does it mean to walk by Faith and not by sight?

I have touched on this before however I was sitting at work yesterday and felt I needed to revisit the topic...

To walk by sight means you live a life for yourself without thinking how He would want you to respond or what He would want you to do.

Walking by sight means you rely upon other things to make it from this hour to the next.

It may mean you are more worried about what you can acquire in the material sense, you work to have things yet the things you are getting never quite seem to be enough, so you work some more to buy more stuff and it is honestly just an endless cycle, that is destined to be repeated tomorrow and all of your following days.

It may mean you are fearful and anxious within your life...

It could be a paralyzing fear which keeps you from living life to the fullest or it could many little fears which still hinder your ability to enjoy everything He has blessed you with...

Death, homelessness, divorce, losing your job, losing your "stuff", etc...

All these could be fears that are deep rooted within you, however these exact fears are keeping you from being fully within Him.

I know this because I also lived this exact way...

Terrified of losing my marriage, my home, my car, my ego, my pride, my self-worth etc...

Walking by sight brought me unspeakable anxiety and utter despair, pain I honestly thought would just consume me, thinking I would never be the same person again.

My thinking wasn't to far off...

I will never be the same person again, however I am a much better person now then I was one year ago...

Once I stopped walking by sight and started walking by faith, I knew I would never be the same again.

You know how to walk by sight now I am going to show you how to walk by faith...

In order to explain how you walk by faith, I need you to stand up, close your eyes, hands by your side, now walk...

Don't worry I will wait right here as you bump into walls and possibility the furniture...

The bruises won't last to long and hopefully you aren't laying on the floor...

You may be feeling disoriented and completely turned around, however if you continue this walk, you will eventually feel more confident in your abilities to navigate your way around.

Walking by sight means you "see" and that is how you are living...

We as humans have to have something tangible in order to believe...

We have to see it with out own two eyes before we can say we believe...

We want to be able to reach out and touch, smell, feel that which is in front of us...

Walking by sight is a dangerous way to live and not the way He wants us to be.

Walking by faith means we are willing to takes steps that may not make sense from a "worldly" point of view.

Walking by faith means we are living in faith for His future and the promises He has given us.

We are living in faith for His Grace.

We live with confidence that He has absolute control and we will have His full Grace from this day forward.

In order to live by faith, you have to be willing to make sacrifices that you may otherwise might not be willing to make.

Sacrifices???

Yes I know what you are thinking because I thought the same things as well...

In order to glorify God, you have to take risks for Him to work in your life...

You need to be willing to risk it all...

You can't just let Him into part of your life to work, you have to open up and allow Him into each and every crevice of your soul.

You need to be willing to risk your finances, your relationships, your health, your jobs, your very being...

You do this because you can't lose with Him leading...

Do you fear Him or do you fear losing everything?

You can't have it both ways.

Don't be afraid if He calls on you to take risks...

Be thankful and do it joyfully, knowing when all is said and done, you will be a better person because of it.

Once He calls your name, don't ask "Why me?" ask "Why not me?"

Make sure each step you take in faith counts...

To walk by faith, you need to be willing to not follow your natural desires...

Desires for more money, sex, drugs etc...

Whatever could lead to self-destruction or lack of self-control is walking by sight...

Whatever could lead to self-respect and joy in what you do for Him, is walking by faith.

Faith in Him, even though He isn't "seen" with the eyes, nor "felt" with the hands, and what He is doing in your life...

Faith that you are right where He wants you to be for a reason...

He isn't wrong, though you may feel like you have no purpose or that you don't belong where He planted you, trust it is for something truly magnificent.

Keep your eyes on Him and continue to walk by faith, not by sight.

JEREMY CAMP
Well I Will Walk By Faith
Even When I Cannot See
Well Because This Broken Road
Prepares Your Will For Me