Dear Child of GOD,

I remember when I was first saved. The wonder and the Glory of GOD consumed me. It only took 8 years for one busy-body to put a damper on my enthusiasm. It was a subtle thing at first; wanting to show a new Christian the proper way to dress and talk. And her ideas were well-received because I was 42 when Salvation came to my wretched soul. We started visiting people and as I spent more time with her, it became clear that she was not an example that I should be following. Her visits for prayer and consolation were nothing more than a chance to spread gossip under the guise of “praying effectively” as if GOD did not know what we needed even more than we did.

My life was filled to overflowing with sin until I was 42. I knew what I had given up and can tell you that giving up misery was an easy choice. I knew from the time that I was 6 I was a sinner bound for Hell; but I could not break free on my own. Thirty-six years later, after a life of tears and wasted time, I grabbed hold of Salvation with everything in me.

That was told for one reason – to let you know that no matter how close a person can be to GOD, there is always a rock in the road prepared especially for you to cause you to stumble. There just always seems to be that human component to the rock. When in fact it is Satan using pride of one person to stumble another. Her pride in thinking she knew the Bible and she knew better than GOD Himself how to whip people into shape.

You, my friend, were raised in a Christian home with parents who loved you and tried their best to help you get closer to GOD than perhaps they were in their youth. You saw at an early age the Wisdom and Glory of GOD; your soul was reborn and you began your journey with your LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. Your only desire was to serve HIM in anyway that HE required of you.

What happened? Why has something or someone else replaced GOD as your desire? Why have you strayed from even the basic doctrines of Scripture?

I remember my first real boy-friend. I only wanted to be with him. He gave me his class ring before the summer was over. The first day of classes he wanted it back “to get it cleaned” he said. As he walked away, I turned to see him walk toward another girl and give her his ring. The funny part was, we had only met at the pool. We had gone for a couple of walks and I do not even remember him giving me one kiss. He called me on the phone most days during the summer to see if I was going to be at the pool. I was not heart-broken, but I was miffed and wondered what I did wrong or what was wrong with me.

I remember my first kiss at the skating rink on New Years Eve, and did not know that this young man thought I was 20 and he was married. When he found out I was only 16, he never called again. To say I was naive and easily led when I was young would be a definite understatement. But I was no different than you. In spite of our differences in upbringing and location; in spite of the fact that you did not come from a broken home as I did; we are virtually no different. We have the same driving hormonal fleshly desires and you have, like I did, chosen to ignore the warnings of those who love you. The only One who cared enough to warn me was GOD and HE did it through Scripture, but I ignored it or did not know how to follow it because there was no Holy Spirit living within me. I almost had no choice but to follow the flesh. Not even common sense could win in my case. My mother did not know how to keep me from making her mistakes, so how could she talk to me? As much as she went to church, she did not know GOD; there was no personal relationship there. She was searching until 6 months prior to her death.

But you, my friend. You promised to not even kiss anyone until your wedding day, but there you were, clinging to that young man like getting closer to him was going to fulfill all your desires in life. You would have to have been naked to be any closer to him. Scripture tells us to abstain from all appearance of evil. You failed that one and I failed you by not taking you aside and telling you right then and there what you were doing was wrong. But I did nothing. Just like the object of your affection, I did nothing. He either had so little respect for you that he expected you to act that way sooner or later, or he was so tied up with his cell phone that he did not even know what you were doing. Either way, he was wrong. His actions, his appearance show me his lack of respect for you, for your siblings, for himself and for our home.

You thought because he went to your father first to ask Dad's permission to court you that he was a man of GOD; because he obeyed the rules at school and at your parents' home, that he was GOD'S choice for you. What if he is not GOD'S choice? What if you did not listen to that still small voice, but listened to the shouts and laughter of the world? You are far too young to screw up so royally. What would it hurt to call off the courting and see what GOD says for certain? Yes, even if you have crossed the line.

I am not saying any of this because I talked to anyone. I am saying it from personal observations. The path that is narrow only the Saved, Blood-bought Child of GOD can walk. The path that is broad and leads to destruction can be walked by both Regenerate and unregenerate souls. The difference is where the broad path leads.  For the Christian it leads us away from that sweet communion with our LORD and SAVIOR but not to Hell.  For the unregenerate soul, the path leads to Hell regardless of how good that soul may be.  Without the blood of CHRIST to cleanse sin, the soul is condemned.

Be careful where you step because just as on a farm, you can step into something that will leave a stench in your nostrils for days. And just when you think you have washed it away, you find another glob of it that you have tracked all through your home. Sin is different in that it rises up for a lifetime to remind you how foolish you were. 

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. GOD forgives us for all our sin; our stupid decisions; our failure to follow HIM. Forgetting? Well, that is a different animal altogether when it comes to the human mind. When you least expect it, it jumps up out of nowhere and whispers, “Remember when …?”



Shalom! Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem!!