Looking back before you became a child of our Heavenly Father, did you ever really had a dislike
for a person so much that you were not very nice to them? Then for some
reason you got to know that person, and you came to have a genuine love for
them? You were so sorry for how you treated them, the things you said about
them, and you had to make it right with them. You didn't have peace until it was
all right. You came to love them, didn't want to do anything to make them
unhappy, you did things pleasing to them, or special things for them.
We wanted so much to be His child, and we lived our life accordingly. As years
went on He talked with us, explained things to us, and we formed a tight
relationship with Him. A precious one that was more important than any thing else.
We didn't love Him and want to be His child because He scared us half to death.
He wanted us to love Him, and then fear to disobey Him.
I can remember back in 1956 or so reading the book of Rev. I read it under
the covers at night, and it scared me. I just knew they were looking in the
windows at me, and they could not see me under the covers! I didn't know it
was all symbols. I thought they were real.
I can remember when I was young a Church Of Christ ministers coming to the
house, and he had all these drawings on a huge paper. All those heads, and
horns on one animal! He had it down pat. My mom was big on talking on all that
stuff. To a child it was just what I saw on that paper. One animal with to many
things on it's head!
Then later in 1962 I started the correspondence course. After two lessons
I stopped. Scared to death of what I read.
I was remembering over the last few days about the process of things when
I was drawn to the Father. I can remember being drawn though wanting to
prove someone wrong on something. The words being clear that I read. I saw
things about a relationship of the Father and His children. Oh it was
awesome, the beauty of belonging to Him. He gave me enough of His Spirit
that I was filled with such a wonderful joy. I was in love, wonderfully in
love.
I read to the wee hours of the morning devouring those words. I wanted to
be His kid. In wanting to be His child, I saw what displeased Him, and I
was guilty of so many things, and it hurt so bad that I had done things that
hurt Him. I cried, and prayed, and cried over all the things I could think of
to say I was sorry for, and it hurt me, that I hurt Him.
I found that the way to wipe it all out, and have as it were a clean slate
was to be baptized. I wanted that so bad I could taste it. I knew without
being forgiven, I could not have His Spirit, and I wanted that so much. It
meant I was His kid lock, stock, and barrel, as they say in the south. I
learned of His Son, what He did for me. And that hurt. It hurt because I
loved Him, and He hurt because of what I did.
As I grew I learned of a hope, a hope like I had never had here on earth.
It was grand, it was more than grand! A new body, to live with Him
forever. Be loved by Him forever, not ever fall from that favor ever.
I read of a city, and what it looked like, and I wanted to be a part of it. I read
of Isa. 65: and I wanted to see all this. I was loved. I didn't have to understand
Rev. I could understanding the warnings, and I wanted no part in doing those things.
I didn't have to be afraid any more of Rev. as if I was His kid, He was going to take
care of me when that time came. Love has no fear, and He took that fear from
me.
So for years I have said we ought to love people into the kingdom. Bringing
them into a relationship with the Father and His Son. Introducing a person to
them, by showing them who they are, what they are. Bringing them to where
they love them so much that they want to repent of the wrongs, not because
you try to scare them to death.
I must always remember how great it is to be called by love to be the Fathers
child.
©All rights reserved 8/3/1998 Mary Lois Bierman's Inspirational Ministry(C), is supported solely by love offerings.
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