April 2024

Welcome! I answer everyone who writes by enclosing a letter, brochure and ministry card when you Contact Me. But first, please find answers to your questions by exploring the site to get to know the new me. My sole desire is to help you understand salvation through God's love and to put Jesus first in your life.

"And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints" (1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13, NKJV).

A Contact's Response...

Cynthia wrote: "I recently came across a video on YouTube about the Manson murders . . ."

. . . (which I’ve always known about), and I clicked on it because it seemed interesting. That’s when I learned you're a Christian, and you have your own ministry! I immediately went to your website to check it out, and I read a great deal and learned a lot about you! I cross-checked what you wrote with the Bible and that’s when I knew I had to contact you right away!

I’ve been a Christian ever since I was a young child and have always been very sensitive and close to God. I like to think I have always had discernment and despite a lifetime (41 years) of trouble, hard times and bad choices. I know it was God's love and grace that saved me more times than I can possibly count! I am a recovering meth addict, and I was in and out of jail for most of my adult life. That’s over now, thank God! But I grew up in an alcoholic home and had an abusive step dad, which left me tainted and even a little bitter, which hinders my happiness a great deal.

I want you to know that I think God had his hand on your life, and what a blessing that your mom kept on praying for you. What an amazing mother! I am so glad you found the Lord regardless of the circumstances! I know God uses people like you and me to do his greatest work in the world and always has! I am sorry you had to go through the things you did. I feel I can learn so much from you. I have problems fully trusting God sometimes and don’t really know how to pray from my heart. I still have so much to learn and understand!

Anyways you are truly a blessing to this world, and I pray for your continued good health, protection, safety and God's blessings! I will keep you in my prayers and if you have the time would love to hear back from you and get some of your thoughts and ideas. God bless! Cynthia, USA.

Sparking A Godly Desire...

Cynthia's heart is an example of the seed [God's Word] falling on good ground. I spoke about this in the Parable of the Sower in last month's view. Because of a godly desire placed in her heart from a young age, God used a documentary on YouTube to draw her to the site and to contact me. Her sensitivity, closeness to God, discernment, humility and compassion shines forth in her letter, which is evidence of her salvation. Her heart reminds me of the Scripture: "Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you had a taste of the Lord's kindness" (1 Peter 2:2, NLT).

If you don't have a desire for God's Word and to know your Heavenly Father, it is likely that you are not born again. You have to be born not only physically, but spiritually. This should cause concern, because it means that you don't have eternal life. But there is still hope, since you have taken the time to read these words. It means that you are recognizing a need in your heart for a change of thinking, understanding and a new life. Paul wrote in his letter to Titus: "Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other, but when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life" (Titus 3:3-7, NLT).

The Beauty Of God's Word...

Do you see the beauty of the Scriptures written above? My desire is for you to develop a hunger for God's Word but, for this to happen, you must be born again for spiritual understanding. It is as simple as ABC: Admit your need by turning to God for eternal life. Believe in Jesus, Who loved you so much that He died for your sin by taking your place on the cross. Confess Jesus as Lord and call on Him in faith: "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by you openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.' Jews and Gentiles are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved" (Romans 10:9-13, NLT).

The beauty of God's Word was planted in my heart almost 50 years ago when I experienced the amazing love of God through salvation. The Lord immediately gave me a hunger for His Word. The seed fell on good ground! I felt like the psalmist David, who wrote: "They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb" (Psalm 19:10, NLT). As a new creation, the Holy Spirit began to water the seed, bringing forth an abundant life. I was like a sponge soaking up all the water that was spilling over into my life. I read, listened to and meditated on the Word. I learned how to study it, practice it and confess it over my life still to this day. "So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ" (Romans 10:17, NLT). For this reason, I suggest that you listen to my podcast on "How To Grow Spiritually" after reading the blurb of some of its contents below:

How to Grow Spiritually #1

This podcast episode is the first of two parts in a series on five ways we can grow Spiritually: 1) Read God's Word; 2) Pray, talk to God; 3) Fellowship; 4) Witness; and 5) Praise God. Remember, our spirit is born again when we receive Christ. We needed to be born again because our spirit was corrupted by the original sin of Adam and Eve. Although our spirit has been made anew, we need to grow in spiritual understanding in the soul. Man is made up of spirit, soul [mind, will and emotions] and body. A fleshly mindset causes worldly actions, but a Spiritual mindset brings forth Spiritual actions. As believers, we are allowed by the Word and the Spirit to know and understand the thoughts of the Lord (Luke 24:45). As we change through renewing the mind, we take on the actions of Jesus.

READ GOD'S WORD: It builds our faith, and then, we begin to act as God wants us to act. When tempted by the devil, Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4, NKJV). We need a constant relationship with the Word of God; meditating on it, being ". . .doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22, NKJV). If you hear the Word of God and don't do it, you are defeating yourself.

PRAY: We grow spiritually by praying. We must pray using our knowledge of God's Word. We pray the Word with thanksgiving. We pray by faith in the Word of God and the faith it brings. We pray in confidence because we are children of God who enter the throne room boldly (Hebrews 4:16). In prayer, we acknowledge who we are in Christ and all we received through His finished works. Jesus found the disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane and said, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41, NKJV). Jesus is talking about our willing spirit and prayer. We are to pray in the Spirit for each other. These messages are about specific ways we can grow. Selah. [Click here to listen to the Abounding Love Podcasts: "How to Grow Spiritually #1", and "How to Grow Spiritually #2" episodes.]

A Prayer For You...

(This is an example of praying the Word of God.)

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

"So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation -- the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ -- for this will bring much glory and praise to God" (Philippians 1:3-11, NLT). Amen!

(Also pray Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21, and Colossians 1:9-14).