loveletter

PREMATURE DEATH

What Do you think about this?

Some people say, "We are all going to go sometime, and when its time to go, we are going to go, and nothing can change that."

Scripture does not support such a fatalistic view; instead, the Bible indicates that prayer can cancel the assignment of death. King Hezekiah was told he was going to die but, as the king earnestly wept and prayed, God added 15 more years to his life (2 Kings 20:6). Miriam, the sister of Moses, was stricken with leprosy, but Moses interceded and the Lord spared her life (Numbers 12:13). In Ecclesiastes 7:17 the question is asked "Why shouldest thou die before thy time?" ... indicating the possibility of departing this life too early.

Paul said that many in the church at Corinth were "weak, sick, and many slept". Paul used the word slept or asleep to describe the condition of a believer after death (1 Corinthians 15:51, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:10). These Scriptures make it clear that a person can die before his or her appointed time.

Accidents, criminal acts, and sickness are three darts whose sting can spread the pain of premature departure. Remember, "The thief cometh not but to kill, steal and destroy" .... but not God. God comes that we MAY have life ... and have it more abundantly. God says that "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" ... God does not want us to be ignorant ... It is our choice .... Choose Life!

God Bless!

"To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it."

Nita T Major

ONLY A BLACK MAN.....................

Can drive the hell out of any vehicle
from a hoopty to a honda.............

Can wear any kind of cologne and smell
good.....................

Can make a left turn to his ex-girlfriends house and by the end of the argument make you believe he turned right..........................
(and besides what kind of psycho are you anyway to be following your man around)

Can take a shirt from walmart and and pair Of   shorts from TJ Max and make it look stylish................

Can display such power and gentleness in one glance (ladies, have you ever seen a brother pray)...........

Can talk you into an orgasm (we may not want brothers to know they have that kind of power - but you know it happens)..........

Can make silver jewelry look so sexy.........
(i.e Malik Yoba - that silver bracelet was bustin)

Have sex and watch ESPN at the same time - and the game and the sex is almost over before you realize what he is doing................

Make you cook a big Sunday dinner on Tuesday night (now that's love)...............

Make you horny when you hear his car pull up in the driveway ( I know I am not the onlY one)..............

Take a street activity like rapping or
basketball and make millions of dollars
off of   it..................

Make a child behave in 2 seconds when you have been threatening to beat their butts all day!

Is found to be sexy by every other race of women (cause I don't know of too many sisters that want anything other than a brother)..........................

Can rub the back of your neck and make your whole body shiver......................

Can give you a hug and make your whole body melt...............

Can wear the hell out of a suit and tie.....

Can make socks and sandles fashionable ( who would have ever thought?)

Let's not forget that not all Brothers
are in jail or on drugs. There are still a lot of   Brothers who work hard everyday and want the same things out of life that we do.

I believe that God is calling Black men to higher heights and deeper depths.

The Black Man is a gift from God and should be treated as such.

Whether it be a friend, lover, brother, or father, take time out to let the Brothers know that we love them and we still got their back.

Cause if we don't, there are plenty of other folks who will......

Ya heard me.

Check Yourself

Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed an increase of confusion in my life and in the lives of those close to me. We get angry at each other, we treat each other badly, and we are uncaring and inconsiderate. We criticize, judge and abuse each other. Most of the time this is unintentional, other times we do it knowing full well what we are doing, (at least we think we do). And we make the conscious choice to hurt each other.

Sometimes it is because we have been hurt, and before we know it we have reacted out of our own pain. It does happen, and we are all guilty. The question is, when you realize what you have done wrong, do you ask God to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, (and heal you so that you wont be driven to behave that way again)? Or do we keep trying to justify our behavior by pointing fingers and blaming the other person or people for what they have done to us?

(Remember Adam when God confronted him about his sin … Adam said, “It was this woman whom 'You' have given me”!) … This is the classic example of finger pointing and blame. He never even acknowledged that he had the power to choose to say “no”.

It takes wisdom in these situations to know what spirit we may be operating under. Sometimes the things we do are purely selfish. At times like these we may do “what seems right in out own sight”. That is a good indication that we are not doing what is right in Gods sight.

The thing that we seem to forget the most is that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities”. Simply stated, we fail to realize that Satan hates us all. And will use every opportunity he can to get us to treat each other badly and to destroy our relationships with one another. He doesn’t care who gets hurt. He wants us all DEAD anyway! He gets great pleasure in watching us mistreat each other. But then again, this is still our choice to make.

God’s word clearly states who and what Gods standards are. His word says, “God is love”. His word also plainly tells us what Love is, and what it is not:

Love suffers long, and is kind.
It does not envy
It does not boast
It is not proud, rude or self-seeking
It is not easily angered
It keeps no record if wrongs
But rejoices in the truth.
Love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. Love never fails.

This should be our barometer. If we doing any different, it is a good indication of the spirit in which we are operating under. Therefore, it is not for me to judge whether anyone else is right or wrong. My job is to “judge myself” by simply making sure that I am walking in Gods standard of what Love is, and what it is not. Purely stated, there is simply no excuse to treat another person badly … not one. Even if they treat us that way, they are accountable to God. As it is written “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, says the Lord”. Do we really believe that we can do a better job at vengeance then God can? I know I cant.

We all have heard the saying, “What would Jesus do?” … What we need to ask ourselves is, “What would we do if the other person were Jesus?” God’s word says that “What you do to the least of these, you have also done to me.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be guilty of being a person who ignored, hurt, lied on, abused, criticized, misjudged, gossiped about, murdered, hated, or was spiteful to Jesus!

It seems harder to find a spirit of compassion, grace, and mercy lately. This means simply being kind to each other, because Jesus loved us. We did not deserve it, and never will. He in fact did not give us what we do deserve, which is absolutely nothing! He is merciful to us anyway, in spite of ourselves. So what makes us so self-righteous that we cannot do the same for each other? I have no reason to walk around with a “Holier than thou” attitude … not one. Especially when I know that Satan enjoys it so much! He loves Ego and Pride! We need to know who our real enemy is.

Remember … Satan has servants too. We need to be aware of what spirit each of us is serving. Being a Christian does not make us exempt from being used of Satan! It makes us that much more vulnerable, because he really does not want us to walk in love. Jesus says, “By this they shall know that ye are my disciples, by the love you show one for another.” So to whom do you think we as Christians serving when we are mean and hateful to each other?

It’s a very humbling thought to know that we are only responsible for and therefore need to check our own behavior. God gave us only two commandments. “To Love God with all our heart, soul and mind” and “to love each other as we love ourselves”. In the end, this is all that ultimately matters.

God Bless.

Perfect Timing

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there...to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or
help figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be but when you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength,
will power or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small
tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere
.
Safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious
to whom you open your heart to.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and to open your heart and eyes to little things. Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great
individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

Thinking about Marriage?

Even if you are married I believe that you can get something
out of this, enjoy.

THINKING ABOUT MARRIAGE? BETTER THINK
CAREFULLY. TILL DEATH DO YOU PART IS A
LONG, LONG TIME . . .
by Pastor Creflo A. Dollar

If you're over 25 and single, chances are, you've felt the
pressure. Maybe it has come from well-meaning parents,
overly eager for grandchildren. Maybe it has come from
friends who think that because they're married, you should
be too. Maybe you've felt pressured by your own insecurities
as you have wondered, What's wrong with me? Is it the way
I wear my hair? Am I too fat? Too skinny? Why am I not
married yet?! If you're unmarried and starting to get frantic
about it, stop. Take the next few minutes, climb out of the
pressure cooker and take an honest look at what a mate can
and can't do for you. By doing so, you might well avoid
one of the greatest catastrophes life can bring - a bad marriage.
As a pastor, I can tell you that Christians are being trapped in
such marriages all the time. They're marrying the wrong people
for all the wrong reasons. They're being deceived by marriage
myths that have left them disappointed, disillusioned and, all
too often, divorced.

Myth #1: The Loneliness Cure

The first of those myths is the belief that marriage will put an
end to loneliness. One single woman, sadly deceived by this
myth, wrote:

I can't think of anything I hate more than being alone.
Everywhere I turn, I see couples. Couples on TV,
couples in cars, couples on planes, couples in restaurants,
couples in parks, couples...couples...couples. Everywhere
there are reminders that I am alone. I wonder if I will
ever find a person to fill that hole in my heart.

Child of God, if you ever find yourself thinking like that,
warning signals should start flashing in your mind because
you're expecting something from marriage that it never
can give you. Marriage is not the "cure-all" for human
loneliness. There are many desperately lonely married
people who can vouch for that.

You see, God created human beings to yearn for two levels
of relational intimacy. Granted, one of them is the yearning
for an honest and trusting relationship with a friend or
marriage partner. But the second one is far greater. It's the
yearning to enter an authentic, growing relationship with God.
We've been putting too much emphasis on meeting a mate,
believing that mate will fill the hole in our heart. But they
can't do it. A mate might fill the space in your house, but
they can't fill the hole in your heart.

Only Jesus can fill your heart. It's fine to date someone, but
that person is not the loneliness cure. Jesus is your cure. So
the dating relationship should direct both of you - as individuals,
to an increasing intimacy in your relationship with God. As He
becomes stronger in your lives individually, then you'll have
a completeness you never before have experienced. In John 10:10,
Jesus said, "...I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly." Remember this: Only Jesus
can give you abundant life. Only He can give you a life so
full that it puts loneliness behind you forever. That curly-headed
cutie who catches your eye can't do that for you. So before you
plunge into a human relationship with expectations that never
can be met, plunge into the depths of your relationship with
Jesus Christ. Build a solid foundation in Him.

Myth #2: The Life Preserver

The second myth many people believe about marriage is that
it will heal their broken heart. They're hurting and they think,
If I can just find a mate, I'll feel better. If that's what you
think, then think again. A man or woman who is drowning in
emotional pain and latches on to marriage as a life preserver is
opening the door for disaster. I've seen it time and again. One
day the life-preserving spouse will stand up and say, "Please,
can you just back off and give me some space?!"

Then the pain-filled spouse will interpret that request as another
round of rejection, neglect or abuse. When they react to that
threat, chaos will break out in the marriage. Healthy marriages
cannot be built on foundations of brokenness. Spouses cannot
heal broken, messed-up hearts. Only Jesus can do that kind of
heart surgery.

Therefore, if you're hurting, if you're plagued with feelings of
inferiority and fears of being abandoned, don't cling to a
boyfriend or girlfriend. Cling to Jesus. Develop a personal
relationship with Him, and you'll find He can be the best
companion and lover you ever could have. He'll never leave
you nor forsake you. He's a friend that sticketh closer than a
brother.

You don't need that unemployed, cocaine-using boyfriend who's
been using and abusing you. You don't need that girlfriend who
criticizes and belittles you. Kick those heartbreakers out of your
life and get hooked up to Jesus. He'll take care of you.

Myth #3: Happily Ever After

The third and perhaps most common myth to beware of is this:
Marriage will make me happy. Countless singles fall for that
lie. They think, I'm not content now as a single, but if I can
get married, I'll be content. After all, I'll have my wife, a
fireplace and a wonderful life. We'll get cozy on the couch,
listen to Lou Rawls records and live happily ever after.
You know what I would say to that?

Wake up!

An unhappy single equals an unhappy marriage. An angry
single equals an angry marriage. A dissatisfied single equals
a dissatisfied marriage. Whatever you are when you are
single, that's what you'll be when you're married, because
marriage does not produce life or character transformation.

Jesus transforms. The Word of God transforms. But marriage
does not. It will not transform you and it will not transform
the one you marry. If your boyfriend is a frog before you
marry him, he'll be a frog after you marry him. Saying "I do"
won't turn him into a prince.

Character changes are produced by the inner work of the
Holy Spirit independently of one's marital status. Whether
you're married or single, if changes need to be made within
your heart, they will have to be made by meditating on
God's Word, acting on that Word, and being yielded to the
Holy Spirit. There is no other way to get the job done.

Myth #4: Marriage Is for Everyone

Despite the fact that most people in our society eventually
get married, it's important to keep in mind that marriage is
not God's plan for everyone. There are those who, like the
Apostle Paul, have the gift of abstinence. That simply
means they have no compelling need for a sexual relationship.
Such gifted people can serve God in ministry in a much
greater way than married people can because they don't
have to attend to the responsibilities of a family. In
1 Corinthians 7, Paul, addressing this subject, writes:

But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if
a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless
such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare
you.... But I would have you without carefulness.
He that is unmarried careth for the things that
belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
But he that is married careth for the things that
are of the world, how he may please his wife....
The unmarried woman careth for the things of
the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and
in spirit: but she that is married careth for the
things of the world, how she may please her
husband (verses 28, 32-34).

You need to realize in advance, some troubles will arise in
your life as a result of marriage. You're living in a fools'
paradise if you think just because you have a romantic
experience, or even a spiritual experience, with your mate
that you won't have problems.

Marriage is made of problems! It is a continuing opportunity
to cope with and overcome one attack of the devil right
after another. If you go into marriage thinking otherwise,
you're already starting out on the wrong foot.

For that reason, Paul advises those who want to give themselves
completely to the ministry of the Lord to remain single. Paul
says, however, if they cannot abstain from sexual passion,
"let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn"
(1 Corinthians 7:9).

But that doesn't mean you should get married because you're
burning with sexual lust. No, fix the burn before you get
married, because if you marry with the burn, you'll burn
up after you get married! The lust that drove you to marriage
will eventually drive you out of your own household into
adulterous relationships. So deal with it now.

Take Your Time

"OK, Pastor Dollar," you say. "I'm ready. I have built a solid
relationship with Jesus. He's healed my broken heart. I'm
happy, healthy and I want to get married. Do you have any
other words of wisdom for me?"

Yes, when you choose (for a woman) or find (for a man) a mate,
be absolutely sure to obey the instructions God gives in
2 Corinthians 6:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light
with darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? (verses 14-15).

In other words, only marry a believer. Unpopular though it sometimes
may be among singles, that is a requirement of God. Keep it
without compromise.

If you're dating a man who is "kind of saved," who drinks a
little and smokes a little and cusses a little, then get rid of him
until he gets delivered from that little bit of stuff he's been doing.
You don't need to marry into that mess. You wait until he gets
"real saved" before you marry him.

Even then, don't rush into anything. Take the time to observe that
potential mate very carefully. They are not always what they
appear to be. Just because they say they're a Christian, don't
automatically believe it.

The Bible says you'll know who's a Christian by the fruit they bear.
So let that boyfriend or girlfriend bear some fruit first. Then give it
some time to see if that fruit lasts. Don't say, "Well, he bore fruit
last week so we'll get married next week!"

No, I advise you give it at least one year. If that boy is still opening
doors for you and sending you flowers, if he's still concerned about
you and hasn't pressured you into sexual activity after a year, reel
him in because he's a good catch! If that girl is still talking sweetly
to you and treating you with respect after she's been seeing you a
year, set the wedding date, because she's the one you've been
praying for God to send.

Finally, as Colossians 3:15 says, "let the peace...from the Christ
rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts" (The Amplified
Bible). Next to making Jesus your Lord, choosing a mate is the
most monumental decision you'll ever make. So don't do
anything unless God's peace in your heart tells you it's safe.

Let Him direct you. Never jump ahead of Him. Relax and let God
bring your marriage to pass in His own way. Don't get in a hurry
and make a mistake. After all, "till death do you part" is a long,
long time.

How Will I know?

Evangelist T. A. Williams

"I need a woman to talk to and share something that has been on my heart for sometime now. Can you email me back? My question is: How do you know when you found the right man that God has chosen for you?"

This was sent to me by one of my readers and I asked her if it was okay for me to share it with you. I have, of course, concealed her screen name to keep her identity a secret. The question is a valid one and many of us have
asked the same thing. Some of us who didn't ask the question have suffered tremendously because we did not now how to choose a mate.

I want to begin answering the question by saying this -- God does not "choose" a mate for you. This is a misconception that many of us have as believers. Creflo Dollar did a wonderful teaching on this and basically what Pastor Dollar said is that God makes "presentations." It's up to you
to choose. The Lord doesn't make choices like that for us. He doesn't even make the choice for us to be saved. We have to "choose ye this day whom we will serve." If God doesn't force salvation on us, He certainly will not
force a mate on us. So, I'm so sorry to tell you. You can't put it on God.

The choice is yours. That being said, God will certainly not have us ignorant. While He does not choose our mates, He "presents" potential mates who, based on his
infinite knowledge, He feels will meet our needs. My, my, my. If I'd only listened to the leading of the Holy Ghost and not my flesh. I'd be in Tallahassee right now. But that's another story...Moving right along.

I also want to add that it is just as important to be the right person as it is to choose the right person. If you are not all you need to be, even if God were to send the right man/woman, you would not be in a position to receive him/her. You won't know how to treat him, talk to him, love him, comfort him, support him, nurture him etc.

There is a certain young man that was very interested in me years ago while I was in college. I can't tell you how many times I have kicked myself for not having responded properly. But the truth is, at that time, I would not
have known how to appreciate a man of his caliber. If we had ended up together I would have messed it up but experience is a good teacher. I know some things now that I didn't know then. I have learned obedience through
the things I've suffered! LOL:-)

Note: For non AOL readers, LOL means "Laughing Out Loud" and ROFL OR ROTFL means "Rolling on the Floor Laughing."

Anyway, Ladies, I'm going to help the brothers out a little bit. We say we want a good man, with a good job, handsome, built. Don't get mad with me now, but are you where you need to be? Are you a good woman with a good
job? Do you make yourself attractive and do you keep yourself in shape? Or are you living beneath your privilege, a spoiled, big mouth, loud, unruly woman that never combs your hair, your fingernails are dirty and you got runs in your stockings and scuff marks on your shoes?
Lawd, ya'll ain't gon' like me today.

That's alright. you just need to be honest with yourself. You want a man that looks like Denzel, shaped like Wesley Snipes, and paid like Deion Sanders but you don't keep yourself up, shaped like Miss Piggy, and your credit is so bad you can't buy a tube of toothpaste on credit.

Did I say something about credit? (Lawd, let me leave that credit thang alone!) :-)

But seriously, you've got to bring something to the table too. What do you have to offer this wonderful brother that you're believing God for?

One has to be honest with one's self. Now, after you have examined yourself, ask yourself some basic questions about the man you're considering:

1. Is he saved?

That's the first question you need to ask. If not, he's not the one and if you think he's the one, he's not the one right now. You need to wait. The Bible clearly states that we are to be submitted to our husbands. It is difficult to submit to a man who is not submitted to God. He is not equipped to lead you. I don't care how much money he makes, what kind of house he lives in, what kind of car he drives, or what's in his bank account. If he does not know Jesus, he is not the one.

2. Do you have the same beliefs?

If you believe in speaking in tongues, does he believe in it too? If you are a woman minister, does he believe in women preachers? (This was a big problem in my house). What was his religious/spiritual up bringing. Does he greet people by saying "Praise the Lord" or does he greet people by saying "As salaam alaikum."

3. Do you have the same interests?

I happen to be a woman who loves to read, sing, write, soap operas, talk shows, etc. But, I will beat any man to the TV for a good football game (especially when Florida State is playing, boxing match, and basketball game
(playoff time only). Most men can appreciate that! What things do you have in common?

4. Is he interested in you?

Do you have to call him all the time? Go see him all the time? Initiate all communication? If so, the brotha don't want you. I just have to make it plain. If you have to do all the calling, all the writing, and take all the initiative, just face facts and move on. Don't run behind him, don't chase
him, because even if he is a little bit interested, that will turn him off.

A man knows how to pursue what he wants. If he wants you, he knows where you are. Women that I have to run behind anybody. I have too much to offer a man. If he can't see that then somebody else can reap the
benefits of my love.

Let the church say amen! ROFLLLL

Will he be willing to support you if necessary. He might get mad, and if he does, "he ain't the one." Don't get mad with me.

Then ask yourself some basic questions.

--Does he bathe?
--Is this a man you want to see naked for the rest of your life?
--Does his breath stink?
--Are his fingernails dirty?
--Are you physically attracted to him?
--Does he have other children?
--If so, are you ready to be a mother to children you didn't give birth to?
--Is he your spiritual equal or greater?

Ask yourself these and other questions and be honest. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and line the man up with the Word of God.

Does he fit the bill? Will he love you as Christ loves the church? Will he be your provider, protector, comforter, nurturer, and a godly head? If you feel good about the answers to your questions, then pray about it and trust
God. Chances are, you've got the right one! If not, keep waiting. It's better to be single for a little while longer than marry the wrong man and head to divorce court. Trust me.

I hope I've helped you, Sis. And I hope I've helped all of you too. 'Til next time, may the Lord God bless you
=====
The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

Be Blessed.

:-)NITA MAJOR

Leon Charles Reed, Jr
Model

TwoDaddy50's Loveletter

Jeff Hall - Tell Me Again