Letters From God   

 


Fear Is Faith In Reverse!!

                                                                      St. Valentine's Story

           Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings. Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happen? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
           Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies--secretly, of course. It was realy quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.
           One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guesss.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
         I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many youg people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
         One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
          I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now every year on this day, people member. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh--because they know that love can't be beaten!

Express Love
By: Pastor Gary Stoots

    February is a month accept as a time to express love. Husbands and wives express admiration for each other. Those who are dating do special things for one another. To show love for others is always good regardless of the time of the year. The greatest love any person can experience is God's love. His love was demonstrated when he gave his life for us on the cross. No greater love has man than this that a man would lay down his life for his friends. Jesus gave us that supreme expression of love. He continues daily to say, "I Love You". On cold winter days He makes the sun warm up our world. Occasionally the beautiful snow blankets our homes and yards, the fields and trees, and brings to mind His purity as we behold HIs hand at work. The spring and summer splatter magnificent color around us as God's flowers express his beauty and love to us, just as a loving friend would send a beautiful boutique to someone dear. Scriptures tell us, "He daily loads us with His benefits." He gives us the ability to see the smile on loved ones or a child's face. We hear the birds sing and the music of the rumbling rivers and washing ocean waves. We can smell the fragrance of beautiful roses or delicious food cooking for our enjoyment.
    He enables us to touch the soft, green grass or the hand of that special someone. Our voice can sing for joy and express appreciation and thanks for those who God sends to bless our lives. These wonderful gifts we are given are God's way of saying, "I love you" in addition, He forgives our sins, heals our sicknesses, comforts our broken hearts, supplies our needs, and offers us a home in Heaven. Yes, Jesus loves me. Oh, how He loves you and me. The Bible teaches that we should return the love we have been so unselfishly given. We can express our love by living righteous lives and setting an example for God's glory. It is a joy to spend time with those we love. Let us spend time with God in prayer, by reading the Bible, and being faithful to go to church and demonstrate our love for Him with others. Remember, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Another Commandment is that we love one another. He even said that the way we love each other is the same degree of love we have for Him. It is important that we use our lives to show God's love to the unsaved and lead them to the God that cares.
    Christians should encourage each other in our daily walk with the Lord. Everyone has days of discouragement and disappointment. Everyone needs a friend. I am grateful for the many times God sent someone my way to pray for me and to show they cared. I have been abundantly blessed over the years with helpers in God's work and friends to lift my burdens. That is the reasone I need to reach out to put sunshine in the lives of others. Regardless of what Cain told the Lord, we are our brother's keeper. I am on my way to Heaven, but I am so glad I do not have to make the trip alone. We are more than people of God; we are a family of God that extends around the world. Our family has things in common. We have the same father. We enjoy serving and praising God together. We keep the same laws and reap the same rewards. It is love that holds a family together and it is God's love that unites us into a loving, caring family.
     Express that love every opportunity. Tell others you care and thank them for blessing your life. This month and every month let love flow from your life. It was Jesus who said, "By this shall all men know you are my disciple.

 

Love God and others.

God's Love




A Question For Anyone

Would you die for your God? I saw in a movie once where there were these four men. They were in a town that was cursed many years ago. Two of the men's master is God; the third man' master is Satan. When the fourth man asked the three men a question that anyone of us can answer. The question is, would you die for your God? God's two men both said yes. I will die for my God because he died for us. As for the third man had no answer. So the the question is, would you die for your God? In the end it's you. Because only you can answer.

 

 

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