CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS

Introduction

This book is dedicated to:

My Mom

Inez May Campbell ... July 25^th 1926 – Sept. 22^nd 2008

My grand-dog/baby

Sampson ... July 12^th 2006, & stolen in Nov. of 2009 in Spring Hill Florida

My Daughter

Danielle Hinds ... Sept. 18^th 1991

These earthly three will I love, until the day I die.

Many thanks to a Special Friend – Julie Porter & Family in Lebanon TN.
Julie, your friendship is very rare, I’m forever indebted to you for your support.

CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS

Creation versus the Secret; God’s expectations of mankind;
His position and our role

In this interesting tale, two complete strangers trade ideological philosophies about faith and spirituality.

In this highly debated exchange, each person displays a heightened sense of surety in their belief. Read on to find out exactly where you are positioned, you might surprise yourself.

Regardless of the readers’ perspective, my hope is that even one person will find some inspiration within these covers, which ultimately leads him or her to our Heavenly Father.

IF GOD WAS AS SELFISH AS US
(One of my favorite pieces from my book of poetry)

Each individual on this earth is always hoping for riches
We clamor for this, dream of that, and have a thousand wishes
Imagine God who created the world and everything therein
He has but only one request, and that’s repentance of sin

If we find that time is passing and our desires aren’t met
We walk around with frowns on our faces, to show the world we’re upset
We need to focus on certain things lest we should forget
God never asked for anything before He gave us breath

We tend to take for granted how fortunate we truly are
Just being privileged to exist, is a lot to thank God for
So the next time you breathe a word of complaint, or decide to make a fuss
Remember, there are many things we would be lacking, if God was as selfish as us

© 1997 Audrey C.

Conversation Between Two Strangers

It was a cool and slightly windy Saturday afternoon on November 6^th 2010 in sunny Tampa Florida, and for me this was one of those relaxed weekends with nothing much to do at home as I had just completed my third manuscript for my publicist. The temperature was slated to get to a high of eighty-six degrees, so this was a perfect day to spend by the beachside with my favorite book, the Bible.

I snuggled myself on my pink plastic recliner, thinking about my favorite Book of the Bible – Matthew, and my mind zeroed in on a question the chief priests and elders asked Jesus while He was preaching, teaching and healing blind and lame people. I opened my Bible and began reading from the book of Matthew.

Jesus left the city of Jerusalem and went into Bethany.

He stayed overnight into Bethany then returned to the city of Jerusalem the following morning, at which time He was hungry.

So, seeing a fig tree, Jesus went up to the fig tree and found nothing on it to eat, just leaves only. This angered Him, and He said:

“Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever.” And immediately the fig tree withered away. His disciples marveled and remarked. “How soon is the fig tree withered away!” Jesus answered and said unto them. “Verily I say unto you, if you have faith and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but you could also say unto this mountain, be thou moved, and be thou cast into the sea, and it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” Now, while Jesus was in the temple the chief priest and elders asked Him, “By what authority do you do these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered and said, “I’ll also ask you one thing, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from Heaven, or of men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we shall say from Heaven, He will ask us, so why did we not believe him, and if we say of men, the crowd will be angry at us, because they hold John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We cannot tell.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you, by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew Ch 21 Vs 17 thru 27)

I smiled openly to myself as I ran this moment through my mind.

Suddenly, I noticed that someone had placed a reclining chair not far off to the right of me. I would put this person in the age group of 55 to 65.

As I look over, I smile and say, “Hello”

“Hello.” He says with a smile, and went back to the book he was reading.

About a minute later, he covered his mouth, while coughing, and at the end of his throat discomfort, he asks, “Are you waiting for someone?”

“No,” I tell him, “I’m actually here just enjoying a bit of our Father’s creation.”

“Creation?” He asks, quite puzzlingly.

“Yes” I respond.

To that he places a smirk on his face. He then lifts his glasses to his forehead, and says, “I see that you are reading a Bible, so you believe that the world and all existence was created?”

“I sure do.” I answer.

“In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void. And darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis Ch 1 Vs 1 & 2)

“I am the Lord who make all things, who stretch forth the Heavens alone, and spread abroad the earth by myself.” (Isaiah Ch 44 V 24)

“What are you reading, and what do you believe?” I ask him.

“This is a book on keys to empowering yourself. I believe that life form has evolved over centuries, and I also believe in the power of the mind.”

Before I was able to give a response, he asks me.

“Have you ever heard of the secret?”

“Yes I have actually, it’s the belief that an individual can control destiny, simply by concentrating and reinforcing their thought process.”

“Pretty much, it also requires a lot of self discipline, hard work and persistence. You summed it up quite nicely nonetheless. How is it that you have a conceptual understanding of the secret, yet you talk about the idea of creation?” He asks.

“Like I said, I’ve heard about the concept, hearing and agreeing, are two completely different things.” I remark with a smile.

“Take a good look at me, can you guess my age?” He asks me. 

“I would say you’re about 45”

“I’m 51” He says.

“You look great for you age!” I tell him.

“Thank you! Now, I have lived the secret nearly all my life, and I’m telling you that that’s the concept which dictates the laws of the universe and governs all lives.”

“My name is Audrey, may I ask yours?” I say to him with an outstretched arm.

“Marlon, the name is Marlon.” He says as he shakes my hand.

“Pleasure meeting you Marlon.”

“No Ms. Audrey, the pleasure is mine.

I detect an accent, where is it from?”

“Jamaica, yeah I’m originally from the Island of Jamaica.”

“Beautiful accent, I like it.” He tells me.

“Thank you. So Marlon, you’re saying to me that all existence under the sun evolved over tine, and each of us can control our destiny if we simply apply our minds?”

“Yes” He says.

“Well Marlon, I have news for you. Existence was created, and we – humans have absolutely no control over the future, nil, no control whatsoever.”

“By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” (Psalm Ch 33 V 6)

“Know ye that the Lord He is God, it is He who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm Ch 100 V 3)

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Revelation Ch 22 V 13)

“Really!” He remarks.

“Yes, really!” I say.

“I have to challenge you on that Audrey, and I really don’t know how you could possibly have me believing or even thinking differently. I know I couldn’t be where I am today had it not been for the power of thinking, which is clearly what the secret is. It’s how you perceive your life to be, and creating your own circumstances. Negative thinking yields negative results, and negative actions yields negative results, period.”

“I promise you Marlon, you are not where you are because of any secret.

Who or what you are, I assure you, there are many others who have thought, hoped, and wished they were, and if the secret was capable of fulfilling people’s positive consistent thoughts, I promise you that there would be thousands of you all over the world.

The Almighty God designed your life, my life and every other person’s lives, and our individual choices will most certainly determine whether we stay on God’s side of life, or not. God Almighty is the only One in control and that’s why there is only one you, and one me, there are no two people who are exactly alike.”

“Stay on God’s side of life or not, what do you mean by that Audrey?”

“By that I mean, us making the choice as to whether or not we are going to live our lives in a Godly manner.”

“And what’s a Godly manner?”

“Loving God with all your heart, not having nor serving any other God but Him, loving your neighbor as you love yourself, loving one another, sharing, refraining from bearing false witness against another, not killing or harming anyone, not committing adultery, etc.”

“Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto your own understanding. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil.” (Proverb Ch 3 Vs 5 & 7)

(We also go over Exodus Ch 20 Vs 2 thru 17, an outline of God’s commandments.)

“Wow, so serving a God means living a squeaky clean perfect life?” He says with a laugh.

“No, none of us can be perfect, perfection is humanly impossible,” ‘to err is human, to forgive divine’, “I’m sure you’ve heard that quote from the late Alexander Pope?

Marlon, we as humans must endeavor to grow in wisdom and understanding about our Father God Almighty, as this is important to our existence both here in this world, and the hereafter. Life and death are two things that are essential to each other, even though they are entirely physically separated.

How we choose to live our lives, will undoubtedly determine what the hereafter will be like for us. If we make the choice to seek God with our whole heart, we will inevitably gain knowledge, wisdom and understand in that quest, and with these three, comes a map that will direct our pathway through this life here on earth, and in the hereafter.

“Happy is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain more than fine gold.” (Proverb Ch 3 Vs 13 & 14)

“For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired, are not to be compared to it.” (Proverb Ch 8 V 11)

“A wise man will hear and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instructions.” (Proverbs Ch 1 Vs 5 & 7)

“When their fear come as desolation, and their destruction come as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon them, then shall they call upon me but I will not answer; they shall seek me early but they shall not find me. For they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.” (Proverbs Ch 1 Vs 27 thru 29)

“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverb Ch 3 V 6)

“I hear that, and your theory sounds plausible Audrey, but I’m a fairly educated person who has the ability to comprehend and analyze. What about a person who does not believe in a God or a hereafter, and much less, doesn’t even have a basic education, to that person, what you just said makes no sense at all. So how will s/he ever get to know this God?

“Ahh Marlon, education or the lack thereof, has nothing to do with it. Anyone who wants to know the Almighty God, they very easily can.”

“My child, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you, if you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding, yes, if you seek these as silver, and search for these as hidden treasure. Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs Ch 2 Vs 1 thru 6)

“You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah Ch 29 V 13)

If you don’t mind my asking Marlon, what field do you work in?”

“I’m a Bio-Chemist.” He responds.

“Great field. Well Marlon, I can write on my front door, on my mirrors - everywhere they are in my house - on the outside of my refrigerator, on my bed’s headboard, under my pillow, I can plan everything I’m going to do, to be exactly like you. I’ll get up every single day of my life and rehearse what I’m going to do first thing in the morning, and the last thing before I go to bed.

I will implement these plans with every fiber of my being. And I promise you, that I could do this for twenty or forty years with precise consistence and absolute concentration, and I’d never be able to be you. Simply because your choices are quite distinct to you as an individual, so neither I nor anyone else will be able to replicate them, in order to be just like you.

In other words Marlon, our choices in this life will be like our finger prints to God, on the day of reckoning when we face Him.”

“So you’re saying that everything that happens in the universe is God’s plan, and if I or anyone else does not make choices to suit God, we will be punished or something?” He asks with a broad smile.

“Behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many.” (Isaiah Ch 66 Vs 15 & 16)

“The Lord is King for ever and ever, the heathen are perished out of His land.” (Psalm Ch 10 V 16)

“God designs Marlon, He doesn’t have to plan, He doesn’t need to plan. Our Creator designs, put things in place, and from beginning to end He knows what’s going to happen, and He has complete understanding of everything.

“The Lord by wisdom has formed the earth, by understanding has He established the Heavens. By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down their dew.” (Proverb Ch 3 Vs 19 & 20)

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it, the world and they that dwell in it.” (Psalm Ch 24 V 1)

As God is the designer of existence, this clearly shows that He is a very brilliant being. With His brilliant mind, He made the decision to give us humans the freedom of choice, which then puts us in the position of being accountable for our own personal actions.

You and I, Marlon, can easily think of many tragic things that have occurred in this life, things that fellow human beings have done. Let’s use a tragedy that is world-renowned, September 11^th of 2001. Almost 3000 people lost their lives in a series of attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. This was said to have been the mastermind of one called Osama Bin Laden. God Almighty knew before hand that these things were going to happen.

“Hell and destruction are before the Lord, how much more then are the hearts of the children of men?” (Proverb Ch 15 V 11)

The question that needs to be asked is, why does He allow these tragedies to occur, and the answer to that is. Based on the fact that God gave us the freedom of choice, this means that we will be required to give account for our actions.

“There is a way which seem right unto a man, but the end of it are the ways of death.” (Proverb Ch 14 V 12)

“Woe unto them who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.” (Isaiah Ch 5 V 21)

God Almighty will undoubtedly return and judge mankind, and when we will be called upon to explain our actions, will be determined at a time appointed by our Heavenly Father Himself.

“For man also know not his time; as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snares, so are the sons of man snared in an evil time when it falls suddenly upon them.” (Ecclesiastes Ch 5 V 12)

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the Angels of Heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew Ch 24 Vs 35 & 36)

We’d like to think that we’re in control, because as humans, we allow our egos to dictate most all the times, but we are certainly not in control of anything.

Please allow me to elaborate Marlon, half of what happens on a day-to-day basis – we often say why? Why did s/he do it? Why did that happen?

We are unable to give answers to so many every day occurrences, and can’t even begin to understand why some things happen, and we supposedly have the power to control, or, are in control? If we were really in control, as we like to think, then we would be able to comprehend anything and everything.

Marlon can you speak any other language?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“I don’t either. So if you were to hypothetically go to sleep tonight and wake up in China tomorrow morning, can you even imagine how completely confused and lost you would be?”

“Oh for sure, but what’s that got to do with having the power to control your destiny?” He asks with a smile.

“Well, that’s how much we are not in control. Something as simple as another person speaking a different language baffles us. God is certainly not baffled by a Chinese person’s language. He gave every language to every person in the world, so anyone, anywhere in the universe can pray to God in any language, and He can hear and understand all. He knows all things, and that’s who is in control.

“I have made the earth, and created man upon it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the Heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” (Isaiah Ch 45 V 12)

Marlon, does a young girl get up thinking, ok, this is the plan for my life, I’m going to school, when I graduate I’m going to take a brake in Aruba, go off with a stranger, he’s going to kill me and I won’t live to be twenty one?

Or does one ever plan, ok, I’m going to take a trip overseas, my plane is going to crash, and I’m going to die. No, no one ever even thinks anything like that, but guess what? It could certainly happen, and has happened.

And we’re in control of the future, we’re able to control what happens in the future, and can control destiny? We are not in control of anything, neither do we have the power to control anything, God is in control!”

I assure you Marlon, if humans were in control by any stretch of the imagination, do you have any idea how many times they would get upset with each other and turn off the moon or the sun, simply out of spite?”

(He chuckles)

“So if I’m an alcoholic, or drug abuser, I’m neglecting my kids, I can’t hold a job, I end up homeless on the streets. I can’t decide to change that, that is God’s plan for my life?” He asks.

“I told you before Marlon, God doesn’t plan, He doesn’t need to plan, ok?”

“Ok, His design, that’s God’s design for my life?” He repeats.

“God creates, and everything goes after His order, but don’t forget that our freedom of choice will either work in accordance with God’s design, or not. If our choices don’t align with His design, we must be prepared to deal with the consequences.

Take for example my birth, I had nothing to do with it, in that, I had no knowledge about it, and likewise my death, I have no knowledge about it. However, in the sphere of this existence, between my life and my death, I am going to make choices and do things. In the midst of birth and death, the choices I will make, I will have to consider wisely before making them, if I want to live a life that is satisfactory to my Heavenly Father.

I’ll be attracted to men, and I will be having intimate relationships with men. Now, does God physically pick me up and place me in these positions with a male so I can enjoy him and he enjoy me, or does He make the choice as to the number of men I’ll get intimately involved with? Certainly not, I make those choices.

I was designed a female by God, so it’s natural for me to be attracted to, and copulate with, the opposite sex. Did God create humans? Yes, Did He design the cycle of life? Yes. And in the sphere of that existence, again, we, as living breathing humans, are going to, make choices, and do things of our own free will.

We will do natural things, and unnatural things, good things and bad things; brutal things and loving things, all based on our choices. In turn, we must not forget that we will ultimately have to answer for our choices and actions. Remember, God created humans, not robots, and with His wisdom He gave us the freedom of choice.

Some people will make the choice to smoke, some are going to be attracted to the same sex, some are going to be self righteous, some of us will be alcoholics, some of us are going to live like hermits, some of us are going to blow up buildings.

Some of us will choose to be sexually attracted to kids - and have the nerve to even justify it. Some are going to kill kids, some are going to kill their own wives, some will kill their own parents, some are going to kill strangers, and I could go on and on.”

“And those are God’s designs?” He asks.

“Absolutely not! Those are purely choices that we all will make.

Marlon, what we have to understand is that God Almighty who created the earth and all existence, is Alpha and Omega, He is the beginning and the end. What does that mean for humans? There will undoubtedly come a time when we will have to give account for our actions and choices.

“Rejoice O young one in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes. But know my child, that for all these things, God will bring you into judgment.” (Ecclesiastes Ch 11 V 9)

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, observing the evil and the good.” (Proverb Ch 15 V 3)

The idea of hell and Heaven is being openly mocked by modern day society, so in order to be politically correct, churches and preachers alike, steer clear of educating people in this respect. Well Marlon, I am no preacher, I am not affiliated with any denomination, and I assure you that I am not the mother of Jesus Christ.

But if you don’t remember anything I say to you today, try your hardest not to forget, that if you don’t go to God your Creator, confess your sins, ask Him for forgiveness, and accept his Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior before you die, when you die your soul will be going to hell eternally.”

“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalms Ch 9 V 17)

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works.” (Revelation Ch 20 V 13)

“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and my iniquity have I not hidden. I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm Ch 32 V 5)

“So I can’t plan how I want my life to go, and no individual can’t plan his or her life? He then asks.

“They sure can, but they hold no guarantee as to how it’s going to play out, and this is exactly where I am emphatically saying there is no secret that any individual has to controlling his or her destiny.

For example, the mother whose life was seemingly going perfectly, had absolutely no control or even a thought about a sick pedophile snatching, raping and killing her beloved child. This is something that has occurred thousands of times over around the world.

However, it is up to each individual to make amends with God Almighty for his or her sinful actions, before it is too late.

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and abundantly pardon him.” (Isaiah Ch 55 Vs 6 & 7)

I promise you that if the so-called secret had any basis, many mothers would have been spared such unspeakable tragedies, by simply putting words all over their homes, to reinforce in their minds, that that will never happen to them.”

“He laughs out loud and says sarcastically, “So God designed pedophiles!”

“Again, Marlon, God Almighty created and designed humans, not robots, and He was wise enough to give us the privilege of choice, in order to achieve His end fairly.”

“What do you mean by that?” He asks.

“What I mean by that is, with the freedom of choice, comes the mandate of judgment. If God were to dictate our thoughts and actions, then what right would He have to turn around and judge us?

We, humans whom He placed above the animals, are the only specie with a brain that allows us the ability to speak, reason, invent, and most importantly, make distinctions between what’s right and what’s wrong.

So, every single choice we make on a day-to-day basis, places us in a position of accountability to God our Creator, and we will have to answer for these choices.

“Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand, it will come as a destruction from the Almighty. Behold, the day of the Lord comes cruel, both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate, and He shall destroy the sinners out of it. For the stars of Heaven and the constellations shall not give their light, the sun shall be darkened when He comes, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. And I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” (Isaiah Ch 13 Vs 6 & 9 thru 11)

God Almighty is completely responsible for the creation of the universe and everything that exists within it, but I assure you, He is not responsible for the choices we will make during the time that we are allowed to be here.

To say that God created pedophiles, would be saying that God is responsible for those people’s thoughts and actions, or that He created them with the predisposed ideas and intentions to harm kids.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah Ch 55 Vs 8 & 9)

God Almighty created and designed humans, some of whom finds mortal pleasure in raping and harming children. Is God to be blamed for the thoughts, feelings and actions of these people? Absolutely not!

We are completely responsible for our actions? Again, we are not robots or puppets, we are human beings created by God, some of us choose to be kind and gentle, and some make the choice to be evil, it’s that simple.

“I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walk in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.” (Isaiah Ch 65 V 2)

Tell me this Marlon, was it not God who created Mother Theresa, the universally know Saint? And was it not the same God who also created Osama Bin Laden?”

“I would suppose so, but seeing that I don’t believe in creation….” He says while lifting his shoulders.

“Well, I’m telling you that just like He created you and me, He created those two people and every other person that you see as well. My point is Marlon, no matter how saintly or clearly evil one individual may choose to be, the bottom line is that each of us is solely responsible for the choices we make in this life, and we will be called upon to answer for our choices when God Almighty our Creator returns.”

“I will also choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them, because when I called none answered. When I spoke they did not hear, but they did evil before my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight.” (Isaiah Ch 66 V 4)

“Ahhh, said Marlon, and that’s what we are saying, you can choose to be whatever you want to be.”

“No Marlon, that’s not what the secret is saying. It says that with the mere power of thinking, an individual can form, dictate and control all aspects of their lives. The basic ideology of the secret is that with pure positive thinking, one can determine whether they fail or succeed in this life.

In essence, an individual can control everyday happenings, and that’s simply not true.”

“We can Audrey, we sure can. The energy in the universe is what masters our existence. So if we focus our thought process in a positive way, we have the power to yield positive results in our lives. Tell me this, he continued, how do you explain so many successful people’s lives, versus so many that don’t succeed?”

“Simply, Marlon, I’m going to explain this to you another way. God Almighty our Creator, designed existence. Every individual whom He created, He created with a purpose, a pathway – if you will. Now, along that creatively designed pathway, He gives us the free will of choice.

Now, some of us in our decision making choose to satisfy our mortal desires with things such as; fornication, adultery, rape, incest, lust, greed, etc. So we have to acknowledge that these choices will undoubtedly take us off the pathway of God’s creative design for our lives. Sin in any form, is sin, and God our Creator requires that we lead a sin-free life, period.”

“Now the works of the flesh are clear, which are these; Adultery. Fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, quarrelling, jealousy, wrath, strife, rebellious disorder, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and such like. Of these I tell you, as I have told you in the past, that those who do these things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Galatians Ch 5 Vs 19 thru 21)

“Okay, so was my designed pathway for me to be a Bio-Chemist?”

“I don’t know Marlon, you tell me, were you drawn to the profession by a particular circumstance or desire, or did you just happen to find yourself sitting in on each semester?” I ask him with a chuckle.

“I must say that chemistry fascinated me when I was first introduced to it in high school, and I decided at the beginning of my senior year that I wanted to study the field professionally. I must confess that I’ve been repeatedly told that it is my calling, whatever that means.”

(I smile)

“Marlon, humans are creatively designed by God for a purpose, some people will do their very best to fulfill their pre-designed purpose, and so they make choices that align with God’s designed pathway.

Not to say that they are perfect and/or sinless, (Only Jesus Christ the Son of the living God has proven to be perfect and sinless whilst He was in the flesh.) they simply made the choice to commit their time, and energy, in order to achieve this innate goal, thereby fulfilling God’s purpose for them.

In other words, they eat, sleep and live the purpose given to them, and in that respect, they are blessed with success because they chose to follow the pathway designed by God for them.

Don’t misunderstand me when I say ‘blessed with success’, because a person gains wealth while fulfilling his/her designed pathway, does not necessarily mean that success is measured by money. Successes in these cases simply mean one has accomplished or fulfilled God’s designed purpose for them.

We ought to strive to fulfill our designed purpose, and be mindful of sin at the same time. Whilst it is great to achieve your designed purpose set forth by God Almighty, we also have to make sure that when the Day of Judgment comes, we are worthy enough to enter our Father’s Kingdom.

“Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But he that does the will of my Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew Ch 7 V 21)

A person who pops into my head as a perfect example of one who has achieved his designed pathway, is Michael Jordan.”

“So Audrey, you are saying that successful people’s lives were designed by God, but people who are not successful, those who find pleasure in children, those who would harm or kill a perfect stranger, or their very own family, their lives are that way because their lives weren’t designed by God?”

“Absolutely not! Come on Marlon, you are way more intelligent than that question. The point of that explanation is so clear, Stevie Wonder could see it,” I say with a smile, “The creative design of each of us lives will be manifested or not, based primarily on our choices.

Michael Jordan will go down in history as one of the greatest basketball players, not because he planed to be or even thought he would be. This came about as a result of him making the choice to follow the pathway that God had designed for him.

Michael could have decided after high school that he wanted to peddler drugs, or addict himself to alcohol, or pursue a degree in anthropology, but he made the choice to pursue the greatness that he was given by God, he knew this was his designed pathway, long before even his very parents did.

Now on the other hand, some of us will make the choice to wonder around this world aimlessly, and knowingly make fools of ourselves, by choosing to ignore our pathway that God designed for us.”

“We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, and for those who are chosen according to His purpose.” (Romans Ch 8 V 28)

“It sounds to me as if you are saying that Michael Jordan, took control of his destiny, so that’s what I’m saying, we have the power to control our destiny”

(He burst out laughing after making this statement.)

“Come on Mr. Bio-Chemist,” I say with a wide grin on my face, “There is a profound difference between choosing to be a saint, choosing to orchestrate blowing up a building and killing thousands of people, choosing to rape children, choosing to follow your creatively designed pathway in life, and having the ability to control your destiny.

Having the ability to control the future, thereby being able to control destiny, and making choices, are two complete opposite perspectives.

Let me give you a couple simple analogical differences between choice and control, Sir,” I say smiling, “A person can choose to be a philanthropist, but he or she has no ability to control whether their offspring is going to be a Bio-chemist or a musician.

A person can choose to live their life based on God’s order, or they can choose to go astray and live that life in the most demonic, reckless and/or careless way. However, they have zero control over whether or not they are going to end up breaking an arm or a leg during this lifetime.”

“Ok, let me ask you again,” he says, “The people who are not successful, their lives were not designed by God?”

“Marlon, what part of my explanation that said we will make the choices in our lives, did you not understand? Some people have no desire for success in the literal sense, the mortal sense, nor the financial sense.

Let me reiterate, some of us will choose to be hermits, some will choose to live in big houses, some will choose to live in an apartment for the rest of their lives, and so on and so fort. Are these bad choices? No, but they are ours to make nonetheless.

Again, the choices we make in this life is our responsibility, and what we need to bear in mind is that upon our Heavenly Father’s return we will be called upon to answer for these choices, so it is imperative that we choose wisely, again, always bearing in mind that God knows and sees all things.

“For as much as these people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the directions of men. Woe unto them who seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord and their works are in the dark. They say, who sees us, and who knows us?” (Isaiah Ch 29 Vs 13 & 15)

We don’t have to choose to be rich and famous, and we certainly don’t have to be wealthy in order to be considered successful either. Please understand Marlon, that success, in this case, is not measured in dollars and cents, it’s measured in the fulfillment of one’s purpose, as set by our Heavenly Father.

Marlon, from the very beginning of our creative existence, it was outlined by God Almighty that there would be a day of reckoning, judgment day, why? It fits perfectly with His position, as He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Likewise, there is a beginning to our lives and an end to our lives. So what did God do? He gave us the opportunity to choose freely during that lifetime.

“Enter in at the strait gait. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many will enter. But strait is the gate, and narrow is he way that leads unto life, and few will find it.” (Matthew Ch 7 Vs 13 &14)

You see Marlon, if my choice is to sleep with children, sleep with other women, to cheat and kill. I will, by way of my own choices, certainly take my life off the pathway my Heavenly Father had designed for my life. Also, without a doubt, I will be answering for each and every one of my sins, if I don’t go to God Almighty and seek His forgiveness before I die.

“Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (The Acts Ch 2 V 38)

I have no control over the day I will die, (unless I decided to commit suicide, and even if I did, I would still have to answer for that) but I do have the freedom to make choices.”

“Audrey, if God is going to keep control, why bother giving us the freedom of choice, seems to me that choice without control is useless.”

“Marlon, I can certainly understand your lack of knowledge about our Creator God Almighty, but for you to think that He could possibly be an idiot, makes me want to jump out of this chair and laugh my head off.”

“Oh no Audrey, I don’t think your Creator is an idiot, neither am I implying that.”

“Good. First off, He is not just my Creator Marlon, He is everyone’s Creator. Let me ask you this, if you met someone and befriended that person for the very first time, ah, let’s say me for instance, would you see me tomorrow and give me your home address, the key to your house, your car keys, your bank card and pin number, and all your personal information?”

“Absolutely not, I’m not crazy!” He says.

“Ok, that would be pretty dumb of you, right Marlon?”

“Yeah, I completely agree with that.”

“So why would God Almighty, the Infinite, the Omnipotent, the Savior of the world, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the author of the universe, be dumb enough to create the world, and then hand over control to humans?

“The Lord is King forever and ever, the heathen are punished out of His land.” (Psalm Ch 10 V 16)

God could just see us when we got angry, racing each other to turn off the air supply in certain parts of the world, so the people that we don’t like (for whatever reason) would die.”

(He burst out laughing.)

“Do you pray Marlon?”

“Do I pray? No, I meditate” He says.

“And what do you mean by that?” I ask him.

“That means that I spend quiet times focusing my mind on what I want and don’t want to occur in my life”

“And have you ever focused on something you didn’t want to happen and it did?”

“Actually, yes, I got married to a woman who did not know what fidelity meant.”

“Hm”

“So tell me Audrey, how do you pray, and by that I mean, what’s the image you have in your mind of this Creator? I would imagine that you would have to have some perception of this person or thing.”

“Brilliant question Marlon, you see, when you know God, you are compelled to see Him in His greatness. You ask yourself questions such as, am I able to count the number of stars in the sky, am I able to tell what tomorrow will bring, do I know the thoughts of others, can I prevent night from falling? Now, my answer to all these questions is no.

Well, God Almighty can answer all these questions with certainty. That tells me that He is beyond perception, so when I pray, I simply open my heart and mind and speak to His infinity. Marlon, perceptions are limited to boundaries, and God Almighty is limitless, so He cannot be perceived.”

“Those who know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, has not forsaken those who seek thee.” (Psalm Ch 9 V 10)

“The Heaven declare the glory of God and the sky shows His handy works.” (Psalm Ch 19 V 1)

“Audrey, I can’t see myself praying to someone or something without having a visual perception of them or it, I can tell you this much, I know that there is a greater source or power out there, (because like you said, and I agree with you, that, if humans could, they would turn off the sun or the moon from time to time simply out of spite) I just can’t seem to make a connection with that source though.”

“Your connection with God is already there Marlon, He is the one who breathed the breath of life in you. You see Marlon, you first have to acknowledge that you have no control over life, (neither of us does) and give homage to the One who does, God Almighty our Heavenly Father.

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God, it is He who made us and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and Bless His name, for the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth will endure through all generations.” (Psalms Ch 100 Vs 1 thru 5)

Marlon, consider the One who truly controls the moon, the sun, the stars and the very air that we breathe, the God who has never deprived us of the most essential amenities to our existence. The God who has never acted out of spite toward us, (and oh, believe me He has more than enough reasons to be frustrated with us) and I guarantee you, you can’t help but see His greatness in your mind’s eyes, and feel His wonders in your presence.

When you can ascribe honor and glory to God for his amazing wonderful works here on earth, in the ocean, in the deep seas, and the sky up above, you will gain a sense of respect and appreciation for Him, and that will give you the courage to pray to Him without having a physical perception of Him.”

“O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Thou hast set thy glory above the Heavens. When I consider thy Heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained. What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visit him?” (Psalms Ch 8 Vs 1. 3 & 4)

“Audrey, at what age did you begin developing a concept of a God, were you raised in a Christian home or did you get to know God from your life experiences?”

“My mom was a very spiritual woman, and so she instilled the knowledge of God in us. She always paid homage to God, even when she was hungry and had nothing to give us. I never did quite understand that philosophy, God is good, so how could He let anyone go hungry? But of course, I know much better now.

“The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm Ch 9 V 9)

As I grew older and started reading the Bible on my own, I found that the more I read, my interest to know God grew more and more intense. When I was reading the bible, around ages nine or ten thru fourteen, I experienced some things that took me almost twenty years to share with anyone, including my mother.”

“Really, would you care to share them with me also?” He asks.

“Sure, I must have been like I said around nine or ten years old. Growing up we had a beautiful garden in the front of our yard, and every evening after school I would go and play with the plants and flowers. They were like friends to me. I would dance and sing and pretend as if they were an audience, and I really had a great time doing this.

One afternoon, I would say it was around 2:30 or 3:00, the sun was brilliantly shining, glowing and golden. As I was dancing and skipping around, suddenly I saw a patch of rain coming down. I was startled, because the rain wasn’t falling anywhere else, just a wide round patch in one spot right in front of me.

So I jumped back to prevent myself from getting wet, and as I jumped back I stood staring down at the rain as it fell on the plant, and in a very short time it began to recede to the sky, I followed the water with my eyes as it mysteriously went back up to the sky and simply vanished.”

“Um…and you told this to no one? Shoot, I would be so excited I’d be running and telling everyone.”

“Marlon, when you are nine or ten years old, you think first before you talk. I now fully understand an abused child not telling anyone what’s happening to him/her for two reasons. One, they don’t understand what’s going on, and two, they are afraid of possible repercussions.

In my case, what I had seen was not something I’d ever heard about before, so of course I don’t understand it, and my greatest fear was that anyone I told this, they would say that I was crazy. What I certainly thought to myself was that God was showing me that He is.”

“Ye are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” (Isaiah Ch 43 V 10)

“Um” He mutters.

“Another time, as kids, we were playing in what we called then ‘the gully’, this was the property right next to ours, and the owner had it bull-dozed so it became deep. Anyway, we were playing either ‘tag’ or ‘one two three red light’, I don’t recall exactly what we were playing, but altogether there was about seven of us.

Marlon, don’t ask me how, but all on a sudden I found myself standing on the edge of the ‘gully’ and I was falling face down, so I outstretched my arms, I would assume out of desperation to hold on to something, even though there was nothing around me that I could hold on to.

During this time that I’m falling, I’m moving my head from side to side looking at my cousins and friends on both sides of me. And I’m shouting, help me! Don’t you guys see me falling! Aren’t you going to help me or call somebody!?

Obviously, not a sound was coming out of my mouth, no one saw me falling or heard me calling out to them, and it was as if I wasn’t even there, they all just continued playing. Now, here is where it became even more strange to me, just as I began falling face down with my two arms outstretched at my side, mysteriously, my body began to rise upward with my two arms still outstretched, and I went right back into an upright standing position.”

“Wow, so how far down did you go?”

“I went down until my body was fully outstretched, I could only move my head from side to side. Picture a bird flying, that’s the position my body got to. Again, I can tell you definitively, when it was all over, I thought to myself, God is showing me that He is. I could not think of any other reason but that, otherwise I would have been forced to think that I was crazy, and I knew I wasn’t crazy”

“Um…wow! And you told no one?”

“No one. The thing that intrigued me with those occurrences is that they all took place in broad daylight. Another afternoon, I was standing by the fence, just watching cars, busses and people go by. It must have been around 4:30 as I had returned home from school, High school at this point.

Again the sun was blooming, very golden. Suddenly, the sky began to fall, I mean fall, literally come down. I was shocked, scared and amazed all at the same time.

I began to pull my face away from the fence, because this was how close the sky felt to me. It got as low as my eye level, and I was looking directly into the clouds right in front of my face. I was frozen! Like the rainfall I saw a few years before, it began to recede and simply went right back in its place. Here I was either twelve or thirteen years old, and I was still afraid to tell anyone.”

“So when did you decide to share those experiences, and do you recall who you first told?”

“I was about twenty nine or thirty, and at that time I was spending a lot of time with this guy, I wasn’t too interested in him, but his unwavering persistence got me to start liking him. And so I got to a point where I felt very trusting of him, and comfortable with him, I felt very confident that he would not view my experiences in a negative way, and so I decided to open up and share them with him. And about five years after telling him, I told my mom.”

“He must have been a very special guy Audrey, you told him before telling your mom?” He remarks with a broad smile.

“Yeah he was, I actually thought that I would have married him, but that didn’t happen.”

“So would you say that your belief in a God and creation was influenced by those experiences you just shared with me?”

“No, my experiences didn’t just serve as influences Marlon, they changed my childhood teachings about God from a belief into a knowing.”

“I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” (Psalm Ch 22 V 22)

“Audrey, I have often wondered about a certain aspect of life that I have observed time and time again. What would you say about the people who spend their entire life praying, trusting and believing in God, and they still die poor and destitute?”

“Marlon, not everyone who we may assume died poor and destitute, was poor in the sense that we think. They are actually some of the wealthiest and happiest people when they finally departed this place.

There was simply nothing here that appealed to them, or anything that could satisfy their spirits or their souls, so they were at perfect peace when their souls and spirits finally left here.”

“But how do we know that though?”

“I saw that Marlon”

“You saw that, how?” He asks quite shockingly.

“It’s nothing strange Marlon. I saw that in the life and death of my dear sweet mom. My mom was the kindest, most caring, loving, forgiving, committed, hardworking, humble, and true confidant, anyone could have possibly met. Yet, with all the care she gave to others, families and strangers alike, my mom got nothing from anyone, including us, her own children.

Despite not receiving anything from anyone at anytime, my mom continuously thanked God, and trusted in Him up to the very last day of her life here on this earth. September 22^nd 2008, a day I will never live long enough to forget.

I have to confess that I would sometimes criticize my mom’s lack of material achievement, and blame it on her not trying hard enough. Thank God that at no time did I ever muster the courage to say this to her, as I now know that I only thought of things in those ways, because my eyes were darkened then by ignorance and sin.

Marlon, not everyone who gained nothing materially before they died, necessarily even wanted anything while they were in this life, they were more inclined to listen to the words of God concerning such.”

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust can corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew Ch 6 Vs 19 thru 21)

“The Bible speaks so clearly on something like that?” He asks me surprisingly.

“It sure does, it speaks very clearly on every aspect of our human existence.”

“Ok Audrey, but how do we know that those people who have lived on this earth, and left having accomplished nothing, is really at peace?”

“Marlon, whatever it is that you want to know, all you have to do is ask your Father God. Go to Him in faithfulness and truth, ask Him for forgiveness of your sins, and commit your life to serving and honoring Him. I promise you, that He will give you the answers to what you wish to know.

Three months after my mom’s passing. One night I was up reflecting on her. I started crying uncontrollably out of fear about her being ok or not, I can’t explain it fully, but I was just consumed with the thought of her not being ok, as if she was somehow lost somewhere.

Like everything else, I went to our Heavenly Father in prayer about it, and asked Him to please let me know if my mom was ok. That very night I awoke from a dream wherein I saw my mom.

She was sitting amongst a group of people, I couldn’t see anyone else’s face but I could clearly see my mom in the back of the group. The only way I could describe the setting would be just like a spotlight when it’s being focused on someone in a crowd.

Anyway, my mom had a huge cup (that was obviously filled with ice as I could see the condensation on the outside of the cup) in her hand and she was drinking from this cup through a straw, and every time she took a sup from the straw, she would lift her head from the straw with a broad smile on her face, showing teeth and all.

Marlon, I woke up from this dream bawling, I wasn’t crying, I was bawling tears of joy and thanks to our Father God. He showed me that my mom is completely contented where she is now.

That night after having that dream about my mom, I began to reflect on a certain scripture in the book of St. Luke, and this brought even more joy to my heart.

You know Marlon, as my mom got up in age, she was always welcoming death, and that explains to me now, that there was nothing here that she delighted in or even wanted.

The sixteenth chapter in the book of Luke describes a certain beggar man named Lazarus, who was inflected with sores. He would lay by the gate of another man who was very wealthy, and dogs would pass by and lick the beggar man’s sore, as he waited and begged for the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.

It so happened that the beggar man died and was carried away by the Angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also later died and was buried.

While in hell, the rich man who was in pure torment, lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham a far off, and Lazarus the beggar man in his bosom.

The rich man cried and said, “Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received the good things, and Lazarus received evil things, but now he is comforted and thou art tormented, and besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed so that they that would pass from here to you, cannot, neither can they come from there to us.” (St. Luke Ch 16 Vs 19 thru 26)

So I know with certainty Marlon, from seeing my mom in that revelation, that she is not tormented in flame and suffering from thirst, but she is indeed comforted. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I’ve never worried about my mom since then.”

“There is such a story in the Bible?” He asks.

“Yes Marlon, and there are many more in God’s words that are there to teach us and guide us, you just have to go and read it for yourself. Ask Him for guidance and understanding, so you too can learn about our Heavenly Father, and live a life that is pleasing to Him.”

“Another thing Audrey, what do you think about homosexuals who are preachers, and homosexuals in various types of fields who are successful at what they do, so successful, that they might be quite sure that they are – as you put it - fulfilling their designed pathway set by God?”

“Marlon, it is very easy for us as mankind to justify our actions one toward another, but when it comes to God Almighty, our justifications are mockeries.

In the book of Romans, it says,

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections, for even their women did change the natural use unto that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is inappropriate, and receiving in themselves that reward of their error which was met. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not suitable.” (Romans Ch 1 Vs 26 thru 28)

“Audrey, I would have to read that from the Bible myself, that is in the Bible?!” He asks, as he burst out laughing.

“It sure is sir, go read Romans chapter one, and read it in its entirety, there is a lot more that you can learn there.

God is not to be mocked Marlon. I’m not one to past judgment, but I also aim not to please mankind, as it is my duty to keep our Heavenly Father’s laws and commandments.”

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes Ch 12 V 13)

“Like I said earlier Marlon, preachers are more concerned these days about being politically correct, and so they steer clear of preaching and teaching God’s laws. Again, when we take ourselves off God’s designed pathway for our lives, the chief reason we do this is to satisfy our mortal desires.”

“So will homosexuals go to Heaven Audrey?”

“Like the day and hour at which time God Almighty will return here, no other soul knows, only God Himself, so is the answer to that question.

Again Marlon, I am in the flesh like every other human, so I am in no capacity to past judgment.

However, I aim not to speak to mankind’s ego in order to appease them. I would rather speak in accordance with God’s laws, as it is my duty to please our Heavenly Father above even my own self.

In an attempt to address your question Marlon, this much I can tell you. There was a certain time when Christ went unto the Mount of Olives, and the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman before Him, whom they claimed was caught in the act of adultery. Back then, the law of Moses commanded that the punishment of such, was for one to be stoned to death.

So they asked Jesus, “What say you?”

Jesus responded by stooping to the ground, and wrote in the dirt with His finger, simply ignoring them. They continued to ask Him, so He finally said to them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

“Judge not, that you will not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged also. And with what measure you give out, it shall be measured to you again. Why do you observe the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but considers not the beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, let me pull out the mote out of your eye, and yet there is a beam in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take out the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to take out the mote out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew Ch 7 Vs 1 thru 5)

Marlon, the final and ultimate analysis, will be between God and each of us. There is no human under the sun who can make the determination as to who will or will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, that decision rest with only God Himself.

For more information on this topic, I also strongly suggest that you read (Genesis Ch 18 Vs 1 thru 33 and Ch 19 Vs 1 thru 29.) These chapters discuss the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and details precisely what was taking place during those times that led to God’s decision to destroy the cities.

“Audrey, if I’m going to get to know God, I sure would like to be able to see Him in the light that you do. I don’t want to feel insecure or unsure, I want to feel as confident and certain as you do, yeah, I really would.”

“Marlon, as soon as you make the decision to accept and acknowledge our God in His greatness, He will willing share things with you, and so your confidence in Him grows instead of diminish, and you feel even more secure in your acceptance of Him.”

“Call unto me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you know not.” (Jeremiah Ch 33 V 3)

“Share things with you?” He asks puzzlingly.

“Yes, there will be times when you get the opportunity to see some things in reality, such as some of the things I shared with you from my childhood, and sometimes you will get the opportunity to see things in your dreams. I personally believe those are God’s way of revealing things to us.”

“Things like what? I’ve never had a dream or experienced anything in reality that’s even remotely similar to what you described to me that happened in your childhood. So I suppose that God doesn’t share anything with you unless you accept Him first.”

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God had showed it unto them.” (Romans Ch 1 V 19)

“Marlon, I definitely can’t speak on whether or not God reveals things to people who claim to not know Him, or people who doesn’t acknowledge Him, or haven’t accepted Him. What I can assure you of is, that God is no respecter of persons, and He certainly doesn’t discriminate.  

Whether or not an individual make the decision to accept Him as their Lord and Savior, He always acknowledge and accept each of us as His child. Some of His children may make the decision to become allies of satan, but that’s their choice to make, and it’s one for which they will ultimately have to answer to Him for.”

“Okay Audrey. So you have experienced things in reality that you believe were God’s way of affirming to you that He exist, have you seen things in your dreams also?”

“Yes I have actually. I can recall two that stands out in my mind, one was very frightening.” I say with a very broad smile.

“Frightening?” He asks, “Okay, tell me about that one first.”

“Marlon, it was back in 2006, I can recall the year based on where I was living at the time when I had the dream, but I don’t remember exactly what month it was. In the dream I was on a beach, wow! Just like we are now, my God! What an eerie coincidence?”

With a big laugh he says, “Okay Audrey, say no more, this is the frightening dream so I think it’s definitely time for me to go.” He jokingly attempts to fold his recliner.

(I burst out laughing.)

“This is too funny Marlon.”

“No Audrey, this is way too coincidental.” He sits back on his recliner. “Alright I’m going to take my chances and stay, and hear this out.” 

“Okay Marlon.” I say, after recouping from my belly aching laughter,  “I was on the beach,” for the love of God I can’t stop chuckling, ‘okay Audrey get it together,’ I tell myself, as I again attempt to continue describing this dream. “Okay Marlon, it was a normal day at the beach.”

(Oh my God! I start cracking up again.)

He is dying laughing also, and between his laughs he says, “Audrey, I see what it is, don’t mention the beach, okay, just don’t say the word beach.”

I’m still chuckling, and I finally say, “Okay Marlon, I got you, I got you,” in order to calm myself down, then I continue. “Suddenly I saw three huge men walking on the water and coming toward the shores, I began looking around and shouting to others, saying, look! They are walking on the water! But everyone seemingly didn’t care, as they were not paying any attention to me, or they simply weren’t seeing what I was seeing.

Marlon, I’m talking about huge, extremely tall men, three of them, and with every step they took, the water seem to come right before my eyes, so close, that I could see and hear the water crush beneath their feet like ice. With each footstep they took, it felt as if ice flakes were getting in my eyes, because that’s how close the image of them walking on the water came to my face.

I was petrified! So petrified, that I’m putting my hands before my eyes so I wouldn’t see their footsteps or feel the ice in my eyes. It was frightening! Because instead of me looking afar off at them, which is how the dream started, as they came closer to the shore, it seems as if the water was immediately before my eyes. Oh my God! Marlon, I was scared.

“I would have ran out of that dream Audrey, oh man, that do sound scary.”

“Anyway Marlon, finally, they hit the shores, and immediately as their feet touched the sand on the shores, they became very small, and now they had wings on their backs, and their wings were white.”

“Wow, oh man!” He says excitingly, “What?!”

“Now while they were in this form, all three of them began talking, but I couldn’t hear anything that they were saying. But based on how they were gesticulating, I could tell that they weren’t saying anything good.

They were doing things like putting their hands on their foreheads and shaking their head. They were pointing their fingers and shaking them. They would open their arms widely and look up to the Heavens. Marlon, I was so scared.

And finally, God clearly realized how frightened I was, I jumped up out of my sleep and realized that I was only dreaming. Marlon, I was drenched in sweat, I was shaking, and even more scared when I woke up from the dream.”

“Wow! Audrey! Man! I’ve never had any dream that I can even recall, furthermore, one with giant men who turns into angels, wow! I don’t even know how I would handle seeing something like that in my dream.”

“Oh Marlon, you would handle it, you take it for what it is, and hope that someday you will get the full understanding of what it all means. What I tend to believe about that dream, is that it was a forewarning about my own life, I just wasn’t able to hear what they were saying.

I lost a very good job I had in December of that year, 2006. I lost my place the following year in 2007 because I couldn’t pay my bills anymore. My mom passed way in 2008, I lost my grand-dog, Sampson in November 2009, and for the major part of 2009, I was pretty much a prisoner in someone else’s house, as I had no way of paying for my own existence or my daughter’s.”

“So Audrey, while you were going through those upheavals, were you still praying to God and trusting in Him?”

“Marlon, when you get to know our Father, you have no choice but to depend on Him in trying times. You know, that there is no way for you to handle the turmoil you’re going through without Him, it’s a given for you, so it becomes natural for you to depend on Him. I promise you Marlon, that when you get to the point of accepting God for His greatness and His infinity, and you keep His laws and commandments, you will understand exactly what I mean.

“Therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my commandments, then you shall be a precious treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine.” (Exodus Ch 19 V 5)

Think about the organs of your body Marlon, if you didn’t have a heart pumping the blood through your veins, and your heart was not beating, your body couldn’t function and in essence you’d be dead. If both your feet were to be amputated, you couldn’t stand or walk, and if you somehow lost your eyes you certainly wouldn’t be able to see, right?”

“Right.” He responds.

“Okay, so it is with one’s faith in God, and God. You know with all certainty that you just can’t handle any trial or tribulation without Him.

Without your feet you couldn’t walk. Likewise, without God, one finds it impossible to handle or deal with tribulations. So your only choice is to confidently trust in Him, and you do that quite naturally.

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. (Romans Ch 1 V 17)

Imagine a baby after it’s born, it is solely dependent on its caregiver to provide and take care of it. Well, that’s how one feel about God when they get to know Him, you depend on Him completely, and trust that He will take care of you.”

“And we have known and believed the love that God have for us. God is love, and he who dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.” (First (1) John Ch 4 V 16)

“Audrey, I can only hope that I can get to the point of having such confidence in God.”

“You can Marlon, and I think you will, you have displayed the interest in getting to know our Father, and that’s the main ingredient that you need.”

“I hear you Audrey, now tell me your other dream that was less frightening.”

“Okay, back in June of 2008, I can recall the month very vividly, because during that time my mom was on what the doctors referred to as her ‘death bed’, so I would spend my nights sleeping in my mom’s room with her at the hospital. Sometimes I would climb into the bed with her, or sometimes I would just pull up the lazy boy chair that was in the room and sleep in it.

So this night I was in the chair covered with a blanket and reading from the Psalms. I have never read the Psalms the way I did that night, but this night I found myself reading one after another until I got to about the 63^rd Psalms, I recall closing the bible when I got somewhere in the early sixties number, so give or take a Psalm or two.

I honestly can’t recall if that night I slept in the bed with her or in the chair, but during my sleep I was dreaming that I was driving South Bound on Bruce B Downs Boulevard on a bright noonday here in Tampa. This is a three-lane road, and I was driving in the center lane.

For some reason there was a line of traffic so cars were backed up. As I’m sitting there in traffic, I could see about half a mile ahead of me, cars rolling, turning over, and bursting into flames.

I’m now looking to the other drivers to both my left and right and screaming at them about the burning cars, like what always seem to happen in my dreams, no one is paying me any attention, they’re just sitting there calm and collected, while I’m in a state of hysteria.

Suddenly, the atmosphere started becoming overcast, and the sky begins to darken, just as if it was about to rain. Marlon, don’t ask me how, but I’m now floating above my car and looking down on everything beneath me. Somehow I wasn’t scared, I was just floating up and looking down all around me.

The next thing I heard was people screaming loudly, and they’re yelling and crying, and the whole place was now in a state of total ciaos. Then I heard a loud noise that sounded like a very large plane landing, but I couldn’t see this thing though.

The sound was clearly coming from above, because even though I couldn’t see this thing that was making this very loud noise, I saw the cars being thrown around by the wind, and debris flying all around on the ground beneath me, and as the sound got louder the wind blew stronger.

Marlon, I turned my head, and looked up to the Heavens above me, and I was in complete awe at what I saw next. The Heavens open, and I saw a man descending, oh my God! I couldn’t see His face, but as He was falling from the sky, He took His hands, and lapped the brown shawl He was wearing between His legs.

As He continued to descend, I watched Him as He went lower, and lower beneath me. I never once saw His face or what complexion He was, but as he passed beneath me I could see His hair pulled back and held together, His hair was thick and curly, and it rested at the back of His neck right to His shoulder.

Marlon, I began screaming my lungs out, “He’s back, oh my God! Jesus is back! It’s terrible now! He’s back! Jesus Christ is back!” I will never forget those words that I screamed. All this time, the screaming and crying from the people beneath me never stopped, and I must have woken up from the dream, because I never saw nor heard anything more.”

He repeats, “Audrey, I’m scared of you, I’m scared of you. Dreams like that? Wow! I don’t even know what to say right now.”

In a low tone I say to him, “Don’t say that you’re scared of me Marlon, I am just as sinful as anyone else is. As a matter of fact, with the dreams and visions I’ve experienced, I worry that I have absolutely no excuse.” My tears begin to roll down my face.

With his eyes fill with tears, he says, “Audrey, I wouldn’t worry if I were you.”

With my tears still rolling, I say to him, “I am compelled to worry Marlon, it’s not just about me, it’s about my fellow humans also. It will be terrible.”

(We are both silent for a while.)

 “Audrey, have you lived your pathway designed by God?”

“Absolutely not. When I got to the age of fifteen, and this is one mistake I won’t soon forget. I did what I think ninety percent of teenagers do. I began experimenting with the opposite sex.

Marlon, I have to admit that I was taken. And by that I mean, I liked being with boys and playing with them intimately. From that point on, I continued to live my life satisfying the mortal desires of Audrey C, and men became toys that I played with for almost twenty years.”

“You! Miss all living our lives as designed by God?” He says with a laugh.

“It’s Ok Marlon,” I respond with a smile. “I think the important things are, for us to realize the errors of our way, find the Heavenly Father, ask for His forgiveness, change the course of our lives before it’s too late, and open our hearts and minds to His reprimands.”

“My child, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of His corrections. For who the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” (Proverb Ch 3 Vs 11 & 12)

“Ok Audrey, you said earlier that we have no control over our death, so how then will we know, if and/or when, it’s too late?”

“We will know when it’s getting late, when suddenly we begin to realize how bad things are with us, and for us. We start focusing on the downward direction of our lives, this is now bothering us, when before, we seemed ok with everything. And things that never seem to matter before, we find ourselves being concerned and worried about. We begin to feel remorseful, and empathic toward others.

All that is just our conscience having conversations with our conscious mind. That’s when we know it is getting late Marlon, and that’s our awakening.”

“Audrey, how did you take your life of the pathway your Father had designed for you, or what caused you to loose your way?”

“Again Marlon, He is yours and everyone else’s Father too, and that makes Him our Father, ok?”

“Ok Ms. Audrey, I’ll try my best to remember that.” He says with a smile.

 “Good. I can tell you Marlon, (and I’m sure that there are many other people who can attest to this fact) that the design pathway that our Heavenly Father had for my life was derailed simply by my choices. What I am doing now, I delayed by thirty years. So in actuality, I wasted thirty years of my life.

I should have been writing books ever since I graduated high school, but I chose fornication over our Heavenly Father’s design for my life. Long before I tasted (so to speak) the male specie, I can vividly recall being on my knees and asking God repeatedly to make me earn my living from writing.

You see Marlon, God Almighty promises us that:

“All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” (Matthew Ch 21 V 22)

“Ask and it shall be given to you, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be open unto you.” (Matthew Ch 7 V 7)

Now, even after I started messing around with boys, I remember doing a paper on Nelson Mandela’s release from prison back in high school. After grading our papers, the teacher asked me if I intended to become a journalist when I graduate, because, he said, my piece was ‘excellently’ written.

So even though our choices may take us off God’s designed pathway for our lives, He does not turn around and take away that which He had already given to us. What I do think happen, is, He gives us repeated opportunities to get our lives back on His pathway, and as long as we continue on the path that’s based on our choices that satisfies our mortal desires, and excludes His righteous ways, He will eventually leave us. That’s just what I personally believe.

There are a lot of people who believe that no matter how demonic or evil some people chose to live their lives, as long as they’ve been saved before, at any point and any age in their lives, they will still be worthy of our Father’s Kingdom, because once He’s got your soul, it cannot be returned.

I don’t agree with that.

Marlon, regardless of the fact that one may have gotten baptized at whatever point in their lives, if they decide to turn away from God’s laws and commandments, they stand the chance of condemnation.

If and when those people go to our Father and sincerely ask for His forgiveness, He will always welcome them, but if they don’t, I can’t see how they could still qualify to live eternally with Him. Again though, that decision is entirely our Father’s to make.

There will always be some people who make the choice to be patrons of satan, and adversaries of our Heavenly Father. These people, I believe, our Father eventually will turn His face away from.”

“Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, that He will not hear.” (Isaiah Ch 59 V 2)

“For whosoever finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he who sins against me, does wrong to his own soul. All they who hate me love death.” (Proverb Ch 8 Vs 35 & 36)

“Whoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. And whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew Ch Vs 32 & 33)

“The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous has hope in his death.” (Proverb Ch 14 V 32)

“The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord, but He love those who follow after righteousness.” (Proverb Ch 15 V 9)

“The way of the wicked is as darkness, they know not at what they stumble.” (Proverb Ch 4 V 9)

“So the important things that will save us, are, to come to realize our mistakes, turn away from our selfish desire of self-gratification, ask God for forgiveness, give Him honor and glory, accept His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior, and serve our God the Creator only, wholeheartedly.

“For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our answer, the Lord is our King, He will save us.” (Isaiah Ch 33 V 22)

Marlon, do you recall asking me earlier about some people who spend their entire lives praying, trusting and believing in God, and yet they achieve nothing?

(He nods in agreement)

Indeed there are some who spend their lives trusting and hoping in God, but achieve nothing from that hope. I was once one of those people. Fortunately for me, I got the opportunity and time to learn the truth. Some die before ever getting to the point of recompense, which is very sad.

While I was praying, trusting and hoping in God to bless my life with success and prosperity, I was openly mocking our Heavenly Father.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew Ch 6 V 33)

I was forced to ask myself these question, am I doing this our Heavenly Father’s way, or am I trying it on the reverse, by attempting to first accomplish, then seek Him? Even worst, am I pretending to serve Him, while knowingly and openly doing things I know I’m not supposed to be doing?

Marlon, I say openly, because our Heavenly Father sees, hears and knows everything, it’s only secret to our fellow humans, our wives, husbands, children, friends and co-workers.

“For my eyes are upon all their ways, they are not hidden from my face, neither is their iniquity hidden from my eyes.” (Jeremiah Ch 16 V 17)

You see, everything we do, is seen clearly by our Heavenly Father.

So one need to ask the question, am I doing something, anything that I know our Heavenly Father does not approve of? If you can’t honestly and emphatically say no to that question, you need to start your chapter over.

We can’t fool God Almighty, again, He is not to be mocked. So if you are a man married to a woman and openly engage in sexual encounters with other men, don’t anticipate that your false hope is going to be satisfied. Or, if you are a man or woman who openly derives sexual pleasure from children and/or animals, again, your false hope will remain just that.

If you are one who claim to be a servant of our Heavenly Father, but openly drinks alcohol to the point of drunkenness, or openly use your nostrils and lungs as chimneys, behind your closed doors, take heed, because our Heavenly Father will not be mocked, your hope is guaranteed to die mercilessly.

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him; Do I not fill Heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah Ch 23 V 24)

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes Ch 12 V 14)

So Marlon, should one pray to God Almighty? Yes! Trust in God Almighty? Yes! Hope on God Almighty’s blessings? Absolutely! But don’t go thinking that your prayers, trust and hope will be satisfied by God Almighty, when you make the choice to continue satisfying your mere mortal pleasures, and disregarding His laws and commandments. God Almighty is not to be mocked!”

(With a very serious look on his face, he asks me;)

“So what does someone like me do, if I can’t somehow come to the acceptance of a God in my mind? I view the world from a scientific point of view, so the idea of God seems very fictional to me.”

“Marlon, when I finally realized my sinful way of living, I prayed and asked God to forgive me, and begged Him to please help me to take my life back on His designed pathway, and here I am today, praise God from whom all blessings flow!

What I would like for you to understand is that, God is very much aware of your plight and He knows your confusion, just like He knows everything else. So He is patiently waiting on you to come to your realizations. God never stop loving us, remember Marlon, He created us, and He is our Father.

To fully understand our position with God Almighty, just think of someone who means a lot to you, say your children, or wife, parent or friend. We did not create anyone, yet we adore them, and want absolutely nothing or anyone to harm them. How then do we think God who created us, feels about us?”

“What man is there among you, who if your son ask for bread, you would give him a stone? Or if your child should ask you for fish, you would give him/her a serpent? If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more will your Father, which is in Heaven, give good things to them who ask Him?” (Matthew Ch 7 Vs 9 thru 11)

“That makes sense.” He says.

“God does not have the capacity to hate, because that is completely against His nature. So even though you claim to not know Him Marlon, He loves you just as much as He loves me or anyone else, you are His child too.

God does not hate any of us. No matter how far we may go astray from His designed pathway for our lives, no matter how much we claim to not know Him, If we humble ourselves and go to Him, He is always willing to forgive us.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ” (The First Epistle of John Ch 1 V 9)

“For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment. But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, says the Lord.” (Isaiah Ch 54 Vs 7 & 8)

“How can I get to know God Audrey?”

“Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah Ch 41 V 10)

“And you shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah Ch 29 V 13)

“Start by giving Him the respect due to Him for everything He has given to you without asking you for anything in return. Marlon, it is highly improbable for the elements in the sky to have gotten there by chance. By chance the moon would have fallen out of its place by now, by chance, the sun would have gotten closer to earth and burned us all to death.

By chance plants would have stopped giving off oxygen and most of us would have perished from suffocation. Plants exhale oxygen and inhale carbon dioxide, while humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.

That can’t be an exchange that happened by chance. These things were put perfectly in place by our Heavenly Father who created all things, to sustain existence.

Marlon, you need to go to a quite place all by yourself where it’s just you and your Creator, and tell Him that you are sorry for ignoring Him, and that you want to get to know Him. Let Him know that you have sinned and fall short of His glory, but that you would like to get to know Him.

“Come unto me all those who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew Ch 11 Vs 28 & 29)

“I love them that love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.” (Proverb Ch 8 V 17)

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is His ear heavy that it cannot hear.” (Isaiah Ch 59 V 1)

Start reading your Bible, and I suggest the books of Matthew and St. John. You will get to read quotations that came directly from the Son of the living God Himself. Oh how I love those!” 

“So I go to this quite place and do what, close my eyes, bow my head, get on my knees, what do I do?” He asks.

“I promise you Marlon, your position is the least of our Heavenly Father’s concern. You can talk to Him while you’re driving down the road, you can go to Him while you’re sipping your coffee at your table, or you can talk to Him while you’re taking a shower.

The important thing is that you are talking faithfully and sincerely to Him. When you talk to Him, Speak to Him from your heart don’t forget, He is the only One with the ability to see into our hearts and our minds.

Marlon, Jesus Christ said,

“They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke Ch 5 Vs 31 & 32)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (St. John Ch 3 Vs 16 & 17)

I once heard a Pastor Wommac on television say, “Prayers to God ought to be more about thanking Him and praising Him, and less about what we want from Him.”  And I completely agree with that.

I agree with the Pastor for two reasons, one, I truly believe that with all that God Almighty has blessed us with, we humans ought to spend our days and nights, serving, thanking and praising Him.

The second reason I agree with that Pastor is, what position are we in to be asking Him for anything? Humans get vitamin D from the ray of sunlight, did either of us have to ask Him to provide the sun for us? No, He freely gave that to us.

We didn’t have to call a meeting and tell Him that we were suffocating and so we needed air. He knew our needs and freely supplied them. So of course, anything and everything that we need He already knows and certainly don’t need reminders from us.”

“Therefore I say to you, worry not about your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink. Worry not about your body, and what you shall put on. Is not life worth more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do they reap or gather into barns. Yet your Heavenly Father feed them, are you not much better than they?” (Matthew Ch 6 Vs. 25 & 26)

If we just think about our day-to-day interactions with our fellow humans, it gives us a chance to see God more clearly. How would you feel if you were to get up everyday and provide for someone, and they never once turn to you and say thanks?”

“Oh that would be a very ungrateful person, I think.” He says.

“Exactly. Marlon, I do believe that we need to tell God thanks for everything, and I’m sure that God Almighty appreciates our thanks to Him.”

In the book of Romans it says”:

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God had showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. When they knew God they glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful. But became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans Ch. 1 Vs 19 thru 21)

“So Marlon that’s saying, we have no excuse, we can’t pretend as if we can’t see the works of our Heavenly Father. Because, even though God Himself is invisible to us, we can see through the creation of the world very clearly, that He is.

“Audrey, the more you talk, the clearer it’s becoming to me.” He whispers.

“That’s excellent Marlon, and that tells me that you truly would want to get to know and understand about our Father. Take that sincerety to our Father in prayer.”

“Start looking out at the world around you Marlon, observe every little detail, and for every single one of those details that you know within you could not have happened simply by chance. Tell God thanks for that detail, let Him know that you can see His great works.

And when you begin to observe His greatness, your appreciation for our Heavenly Father will undoubtedly grow. You will gradually begin to see Him through His greatness. Not a perception of Him, not an image of Him, but the greatness and wonders of the invisible Him.

Marlon, as you begin to learn to appreciate our Heavenly Father, you will grow in confidence of Him. So you will begin to feel free to approach Him at any time, in any place.

You will begin to ask Him questions that you have doubts about, you will start asking Him for directions before you make decisions, and before you know it, you will be embarking on a relationship with Him. A relationship in which you will seek His guidance in all aspects of your life.

Payers to God Almighty, having faith in God even though you have never seen Him, confessing your sins to Him, trusting in God, accepting His Son Jesus Christ as your personal savior, and hoping in His mercies, are some of the ways to living a truly satisfying life. A life that at judgment day you will be rewarded for, as opposed to being punished for.”

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in Heaven, His eyes observe, His eyelids try, the children of men. Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest. This shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalm Ch 11 Vs 4 & 16)

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil.” (Proverb Ch 16 V 6)

“For whoever does wrong shall receive for the wrong which they have done, and there is no respect of persons.” (Colossians Ch 3 V 25)

“Marlon, life is not as simple as chanting some words repeatedly, in order to make something happen, or prevent something from happening. Everything will fall into place when we make the choice to seek and follow God Almighty’s laws and commandments.”

“I don’t own a Bible Audrey, I have never even opened one. I grew up in a household where the idea of a God never came up. We were taught to love ourselves and strive to be successful students in order to become successful adults. So my childhood upbringing was that we have total control over our lives and destiny, if we just put our minds to it.”

“Um” I groan.

“Audrey, I’ve heard fellow students and co-workers talk about God, but I always distant myself from engaging in any conversations that pertained to the subject of God.”

“Um….so what made you entertain the conversation this time?” I ask him.

“I guess because you challenged me on my belief in the secret, and allowed me to give you my perspective without being judgmental. And I asked you about your belief, so I felt compelled to be courteous and listen to your response.” He says with a wide grin.

(I smile also.)  

“Audrey,” he continues, “What if you were to find out that there is really no God, no being that created anything, and it turns out that this theory of evolution that is widely speculated, turns out to be the only fact that exists. What effect would that have on your psychic?”

“Great question Marlon, I love it. I truly believe it is completely impossible to disprove the existence of my Father.

In my mind Marlon, there is just no way the human brain - that which is so distinctly different than any other specie’s, and intricately designed - could have evolved from one single atom, as evolutionists theorize.

Something as complex and astounding as the brain, had to be the design of an extremely intelligent source, intelligence that is clearly not of this world.”

“Audrey, to me, that point disproves the existence of a God, because if a God supposedly created existence, then who created Him, did He just appear out of nothing, or did He somehow create Himself?”

“For by Him were all things created that are in Heaven and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions, principalities or powers. All things were created by Him, and for Him.” (Colossians Ch 1 V 16)

“Marlon, God in His infinite greatness, manifested Himself through words, by speaking things into existence in order that we would be able to recognize Him and His greatness. God did not need to be created, He is God, and He is the Creator. Through His works we can see Him.

We also go over, (Genesis Ch 1 Vs 1 thru 31)

God Almighty in His greatness spoke everything into existence.

If one were to take a good look at all species that exist, of them all, mankind is the only one with the ability to express words. The power to speak was given to mankind by God, as a way to differentiate us from all His other creations, and in so doing, we in turn, mimic Him in His image, and His greatness, with our natural ability to express words.”

“No Audrey, humans are not unique when it comes to the ability to speak words, what about Parrots, they can speak words too?”

“Marlon, have you ever seen one parrot teaching another parrot to speak words?”

“No Audrey, and why do you ask that?”

“I ask that in order to point out to you that the expression of words is not an innate make up of any other specie besides humans. God creates us with the ability to speak, that is His way of separating us from all the other species of His creation, and we are a manifestation of Him in the form of flesh, by way of our unique ability to speak.”

“Marlon, through the power of words, our Father created the Heavens, the earth, and all existence, so our ability to express words is His way of highlighting that distinction.

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” (John Ch 1 V 1)

“And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creep upon the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them.” (Genesis Ch 1 Vs 26 and 27)

Please understand that God is not obligated to show Himself to anyone, and this is where our faith in Him comes in. After revealing Himself to us through His greatness by simply speaking all things into existence, creating the elements in the sky, placing all manner of beautiful creatures on land and under the sea, etc, etc. How much more proof of His existence do we need, and who are we to be requiring more proof of the Almighty God?”

“I hear that.” He says while nodding his head.

“God created mankind in His own image, are we so blind that we can’t comprehend such a simple statement?  I really don’t think so, do you Marlon?” I ask him with a smile.

“Well Audrey, I really don’t think it’s a matter of whether or not we can fathom that statement, I think it’s more about whether or not we can believe it.”

“Okay, please tell me what it is that have you baffled Marlon.”

“The idea of something or someone being in absolute control of our existence, yet everything is so out of whack, and in total disarray. And by that I mean, everyone has such freedom to do whatever they want to, with almost no worry about consequence. Okay, everyone pretty much do whatever they want to do, to whomever they want to do it, and clearly get away with it.”

(For the very first time in our conversation, I see anger in the stranger sitting next to me.)

“What was it Marlon?” I quietly ask him, “Tell me what happened.”

He bows his head, removes his glasses from his face, and starts sobbing in his hand. I place my Bible on my recliner to the left of me, walk over to him, and very gently rub his back with the palm of my hand.

“It’s okay Marlon, believe me whatever it is, it’s okay.”

“No it’s not okay Audrey, and it will never be okay.”

(He begins to sob even harder. I knelt down beside him and cuffed his left bicep in my hands.)

“Hurt and pain is a part of us as humans Marlon. Do you know that when the Son of God was here on earth in the flesh, he cried for a very close friend of His?”

(He did not respond, he just kept crying, so I kept talking.)

“Yes, a very close friend of His named Lazarus passed away, and Jesus felt grief in His heart when He saw Lazarus’ sister Mary crying for him, and He wept too. (John Ch 11 V 35) (John Ch 11 Vs 1 thru 52 – entire depiction)

“I’m sorry.” He says, as he retrieves his handkerchief from his right pocket and begins wiping his face.

“That’s okay Marlon, you don’t need to be sorry, it’s quite okay to cry sometimes.”

“Are you always this calm and in control?” He asks me with a smile.

“No Marlon, I can assure you of that.” I say with a smile.

“So the Son of God cried for His friend ahh?” He asks me.

“Yes He did.” I tell him, as I reclaim my space on my recliner.

“Audrey, I am what some of you might call an agnostic, growing up I often thought to myself that there was always a special angel watching over me. How I came to think that way I really can’t recall. I guess somehow within me, even though we were never taught about a God, I just always had this ominous feeling of someone or something, that was.

When I first got involved with some folks who believe and practice the secret, I took the opportunity to shake, if you will, this unexplained feeling I’ve had about a God. I guess I wanted to convince myself that I was just crazy to feel the way I felt. Do you want to know what’s strange Audrey?”

“Sure Marlon, I’m all ears.”

(He continues.)

“As much as I tried my entire life to shake this feeling, it has never left me. I constantly have had to face circumstances that seem to challenge this feeling. And by that I mean, whenever I was confronted with a downfall or a tragedy, to every time I was alone, it seems as though someone would always ask me, what is your angel going to do now?

I wasn’t hearing voices, don’t get me wrong I’m not crazy. It’s an internal question that seems to challenge me as to whether or not I believe that God was with me.”

“And what was your answer?” I ask him.

“Yes I’m always with me, because I’m God.”

“Do you really believe that Marlon?”

“No, it was just my way of denying what I was feeling.”

“What made you cry just now Marlon?”

“My mom was the closest person to me of anyone else on this earth, I never spent one day thinking that my mom would die. Well, one evening she was on her way over to see me, she parked her car in a gas station and went in to get some of my favorite chocolate hostess cakes, after getting the cakes and going back to her car, my mom was abducted.

I waited, and waited and waited, of course, not everyone walked around with a cell phone like they do today. At about seven o’clock that evening, I called home, and my dad answered the phone. I asked him if mom was ok, and he immediately said, “I thought she was with you, she left here more than two hours ago to come see you.”

I don’t recall what I said to him or even hanging up the phone, I immediately went into panic mode. Anyway, shortly after talking with my dad, my phone rings, I grabbed it thinking it had to be my mom.

(He hangs his head down shaking it from side to side.)

He continues, “It was the cops, they told me that the gas station owner had called them after being told that an unattended car was outside in the parking lot. The cops arrived and a trace of the plate came up with the name of an older person with the same last name as mine, so they wanted me to come down and take a look at the car to see if I recognized it.

Clearly they hadn’t touched anything in or around the car, as I drew closer to the vehicle I saw that it was my mom’s, but I was quite certain when I saw two packs of hostess chocolate cakes laying on the ground, by the driver side door that was still open after she got out. I completely lost it, because I realized that something bad must have happened to her when I saw the cakes on the ground.

Four days later, my mom’s body was found about five miles away, she was raped and strangled to death.

(Tears begin to roll down his face again.)

From that point on, I refused to answer that question seem to always haunt me in adverse times. I even refuse to continue hiding behind the idea that I was God, and choose to relinquish every thought of a God. So when I was first introduced to the secret, it didn’t take much for me to embrace the philosophy, and from then on, I took solace in the idea of the secret.”

“Did they ever capture the person responsible for the crime?”

“No, and they never will, that’s a very cold case.” He says.

“Do you believe that the person who harmed your mom will ever have to pay for what they did?”

“No” He answers.

“They will Marlon, in the book of Deuteronomy chapter five verses six thru twenty one, The Ten Commandments are outlined, and verse seventeen in that chapter specifically states that, ‘Thou shall not kill.’

“The wicked shall not be unpunished.” (Proverb Ch 11 V 21)

“Audrey, how will I know if he will ever pay for what he did to my mom?”

“Marlon, you know what you feel each time you are confronted with a tragedy or a challenging situation. Now all you have to do is acknowledge that presence you spoke of earlier for what it is, and accept it.

You then go to your Father privately and have a conversation with Him, and in that conversation you let Him know that you acknowledge that you have sinned and fall short of His glory, ask for His forgiveness and invite Him into your heart and life.

The Bible, which is one of our Father’s way of conveying His message and purpose to us, need to become a part of your daily life. When you read the word of God, you will gain the ability to understand so many things about God’s laws and punishments.”

“Marlon, you will also fully understand that the person who harmed your mom will in fact someday pay for his sins, unless of course, he takes the opportunity before he leaves this earth, to come to terms with our Father God, and asks for his forgiveness.”

“Audrey, I get a very warm reassuring feeling from talking with you, a feeling I can’t recall having, at least not since I was with my mom.”

“Wow, I’m honored to hear that Marlon, and I’m glad to know you feel that way, and I in turn get a very hopeful feeling from you.”

“The Bible is a very big book,” he says with a smile, “Can you recommend a particular section in there that I could start out reading?”

“Definitely Marlon,” I reach over and pick up my Bible, “One of my most favorite book in the Bible, is the book of Matthew. The first four books of the New Testament, Matthew; Mark; Luke and John, give a descriptive account of Jesus’ life while He was on earth in the flesh, and Matthew happens to be my favorite of the four.

You will find either of those books pretty straightforward and very easy to understand. The reason I recommend the book of Matthew, or any of those four books from the New Testament, is mainly because there are a lot of direct quotes from Jesus Christ Himself, and also, the fact that a person is able to get a very clear understanding about the life and struggles of the Son of God whilst He was here in the flesh.”

“Can you recommend where I could go pick up a Bible, or what kind I should get?” He asks me.

“You may stop in at any book store, or even order one online. My favorite edition of the Bible is the King James Version, so that’s the one I would recommend to you.”

“Let me write that down, so I won’t forget.”

(He reaches into his top left shirt pocket for his pen, and I offer him a piece of paper I had nestled between the pages of my Bible.)

“Audrey, give me the name of those books in the Bible again, the ones you suggest that I start with.”

“They are Matthew,” he writes as I tell him, “Mark, Luke or John, they are the first four books of the New Testament section in the Bible, and the New Testament is the second portion of the Bible.”

“The second portion?” He asks.

“Yes Marlon, the first part of the Bible is called the Old Testament, and that’s from Genesis to Malachi, then you have the second section of the Bible that’s called the New Testament, and it begins at Matthew and ends at Revelation.”

“So what’s the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament?” He innocently asks me.

“You see Marlon, everything that happened in the Old Testament, all took place before Jesus Christ came on earth. And the New Testament is a compilation of fulfillments of prophets from the Old Testament. The New Testament also gives us on outline of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ on earth in the flesh, and also foretells and warns us of the end times.”

“Now I see why you prefer the New Testament. So do you find the things about the end times frightening or comforting? Before you answer me Audrey, I will tell you now that I think I’ll be more interested in reading about the prophecies of the end times, so please tell me also where I would find the part that specifically speaks about the end times.” He says with a broad smile on his face.

“Okay, I see,” I say with a smile, “To answer your question, I’d say that I find the prophecies of the end times both frightening and comforting.”

“Really, how could that be?’ He asks quite surprisingly.”

“I’ll explain that to you in a second, but first,” I tell him while pointing to his pen and paper, “You may want to note that the prophecies of the end times can be found in the book of Revelation, and that’s the very last book of the Bible.”

“Okay, let me jot that down, end time prophecies, book of Revelation, last book in the Bible.” He murmurs to himself while making his notation.

“Okay Ms. Audrey, go on and explain to me how you find the prophecies about the end times both frightening and comforting at the same time.”

“Okay, first of Marlon, the book of Revelation does outline the scenarios that will take place in the end times. But bear in mind that in the book of Matthew, Christ also warned of the signs that we should look for when the end is getting close.”

“Okay, let me hear that.” He says.

(So with a very broad smile I begin to read from the book of Matthew.)

And as He sat on Mount Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?”

And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying, I am the Christ, and shall deceive many. And you shall hear of wars, and rumors of war. See that you be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famine, and pestilence, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated by all nations, for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall exist abundantly, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.” (Matthew Ch 24 Vs 3 thru 14)

“Pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall there be great tribulations, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall there be.” (Matthew Ch 24 Vs 20 & 21)

“Wow, interesting Audrey, I have to admit, very interesting. And the most interesting thing about what you are sharing here with me, is, the fact that I had no clue, that things as explicit as these, could be found in the Bible, wow, I have to get me one.”

“Great Marlon, and the more you read the Bible and learn from it, is the more attached you will find yourself getting to it, because you can’t help wanting to learn more and more.”

“I hear that, and I believe it, because the more I learnt about physics, the more my love of it grew, so I can imagine it would be the same in getting to learn and know about God.”

“Now Marlon, what I find frightening in the prophecies of the book of Revelations, are the scenarios outlined, and the comforting aspect is in knowing that after all the pain and suffering, there will finally be everlasting peace and happiness.”

“Now you have me all intrigued, Audrey, I have to admit that I have never been as curious or interested in hearing about the Bible, and God, as I am right now.”

“That’s wonderful to know Marlon, just wonderful. I also suggest that you approach your Bible with an open heart, complete humility, and make sure to say a prayer to God asking Him for guidance each time, before you start reading.”

(At this time, he outstretches himself on his recliner with both hands overlapping each other and laying on his chest. I realize that he needs a moment to himself, so I simply sit back in my recliner, close my eyes, and say a prayer in my mind to God, thanking Him for this meeting and the joyous feeling I’m having.)

Still outstretched on his recliner, he suddenly asks me, “Audrey, what religion are you associated with?”

“I am not affiliated with any religion Marlon.”

“No?” He asks rather surprisingly.

“No, none.” I affirm to him.

“So can one believe in the existence of a God and not be associated with any particular religion?” He asks, as he sat up on his recliner and hugs his knees.

“You sure can Marlon.”

“How so?”

“For me it’s a personal choice, and I make that choice for two reasons. Reason number one, is based on experiences I’ve had with different religions. One night my mom took me to a particular church, I won’t name the denomination because I’d hate to skew your opinion on any particular denomination.

Anyway, I couldn’t have been more than ten years old, maybe younger, but certainly not older. As I stood there, I was bewildered when I saw the ladies throwing themselves all over the floor, rolling and making weird noises.

And while they were rolling all over the floor, their underwear was exposed for the entire congregation to see. Marlon, I remember quite vividly thinking to myself, this is not what God wants us to be doing.

I cannot forget the feeling of sadness that came over me, and from that night, I made up every excuse in the world to tell my mom, so I wouldn’t have to go back there, and I have never ever been back to another one of those gatherings.”

“But what about other churches that don’t engage in those type of behaviors Audrey, I’ve never been to a church gathering, but I’m sure they all can’t be the same.”

“You’re right Marlon, but I, like every other human, get older and begin to experience the world. Reading, learning, exploring, and I have become even more despondent about the religious aspect of human existence.

Whenever I read about so-called pastors and heads of churches who use their positions in these organizations to their personal advantages, whether it be financial and/or sexual, I am even more drawn to the words of our Father, than I am to any building. So my personal decision is to be affiliated with God, not an organization.

Marlon, as time pass, it seems to me that some people who are associated with religion, have worsened their behaviors. It seems to me as though they operate under the guise of being religious, and so they avail themselves to some sort of immunity as an entitlement.  

How some have leapt from what I’ve read about in the bible, to the concepts that are portrayed on a religious basis today? I will never understand, and frankly, I don’t think I’d want to. Marlon, I’ve learnt some basic fundamental principles from the bible that even a child can follow.

Love one another; don’t kill; don’t envy; share; pray; reproduce; have one God; respect yourself and others; don’t worship idols and material wealth; and many others. Yet, most of these very basic laws commanded by God, are being dishonored by some of these very people who profess to be affiliated with many religious denominations known to mankind.”

“So Audrey, your knowledge, appreciation, respect and love of God, is based on what foundation?”

“The foundation of God Himself. Marlon, all I see among my fellow humans is greed, selfishness, envy, hate, spite, and hypocrisy, so I have chosen to live my life in this flesh concentrating on the God who created every existence, including me. I vow that my soul eternally belongs to Him in this world and the one thereafter, and with that, I made the decision to have no affiliation with any particular religious denomination, and I never will.”

“Fear them not therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and nothing hidden that shall not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, that you should speak in the light, and what you hear in the ear, that you should preach on the housetop. And fear them not which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.” (Matthew Ch 10 Vs 26 thru 28)

“Ok Audrey, so my understanding from what you are saying, is that you are more concerned about your personal relationship with God, than you are about a particular religious group?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“So what choice should I as an outsider make?” He asks rather confusingly.

With a gentle smile I say to him, “Marlon you are not an outsider, don’t think that, and even better, please don’t say that.”

“Ok, but I do fell like an outsider though, I have never been to church, and I’ve never read the bible. So I can’t relate to how you feel, or how a person who attends church feels.”

“Marlon, you are first and foremost a child of God, nothing more, and nothing less. It would be highly hypocritical of me or anyone, to view you as an outsider, simply based on the fact that you have never read a bible or attended a church gathering. And frankly, anyone who perceives his or herself as greater or better than another person, for any reason whatsoever, is a hypocritical fool.

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination unto him; A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. An heart that devise wicked imagination, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who speaks lies, and those who sew discord among brethren.” (Proverb Ch 6 Vs 16 thru 19)

Now having said that, your choices are primarily yours, I would suggest that you do it all. This is your life Marlon, and your only opportunity to get to know our Father.”

“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.” (Matthew Ch 7 V 15)

“So, you’ve never been in a church setting before, go, check it out! Marlon, if you truly want to know our Heavenly Father, go out there and explore, read, and learn for yourself, my main suggestion to you, is, that you use the words of our Father as your guide.”

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm Ch 119 – NUN – 105)

“For the word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in truth.” (Psalm Ch 33 V 4)

“My church experiences have not been good, but you may end up loving it! I never made my decision based on anyone else’s experience Marlon, and neither should you.”

“I truly love and appreciate your honesty Audrey, I really do. Some people would be trying to influence me with their feeling of disappointment with the church, so I respect your honesty.”

“Oh you’re welcome Marlon. We meet today as strangers, and if we should allow this meeting to develop into a friendship, you will get only sincerity from me, I endeavor everyday, to genuinely love my brother as myself.”

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly are His delight.” (Proverb Ch 12 V 22)

“Alright Audrey, so your negative experiences with different denominations were one of the reasons you decided to remain unaffiliated, what’s your second reason?”

My second reason is, whenever I read the words of our Father, at no time is He ever classified as being anything other than God. So I made the personal choice to not in any way label myself as anything but a child of God. Now I criticize no one for their personal stance either, again, it’s all about choice.”

After a brief silence, he turns and asks me, “Can I ask you a personal question Audrey?”

“Sure Marlon.”

“Have you ever been married?”

“I am in my second and last marriage.” I respond.

“Why do you call it your last?” He asks.

 With a chuckle I say to him, “Oh Marlon, at the rate at which we as mankind are going, I doubt that I’ll have enough time for a third, our Father will be back here real soon.”

“I have been married once, and certainly will never be again.” He says with a chuckle. “So what do you think about marriage, do you enjoy it?” He asks me.

“Certainly” I tell him.

“Do you agree that marriage was made for a man and a woman?” He asks.

“Yes, I do.” I reply

“Earlier you said that God gives us the freedom of choice, so what if a person choose to be with someone of the same sex, and even decide to marry that person?” He asks me.

“And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.” (Genesis Ch 2 V 18)

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. And He took one rib of his ribs then closed up his flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from Adam, he used to make a woman, and brought her unto Adam. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of a man. Therefore, a man should leave his mother and father, and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis Ch 2 Vs 21 thru 24)

“Marlon, when our Father created us, he gave us the inalienable right to freedom of choice. Again, if He wanted things that He could move around like markers on a chest board, He would have created robots, but in His fairness, He gave us the freedom to choose.

A person can do whatever they choose to, and live the life they choose to. However, that person just have to be aware of the fact that at the end of that life choice, s/he will have to give account to God Almighty.”

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man shall come.” (Matthew Ch 25 V 13)

“Okay, I think that’s fair enough.” He says with a smile.

“Audrey, I’m a little hungry, how about we walk over to the food shack and get something to eat?” 

“Sure, I’m kinda hungry myself.”

So we both walk over to the shack, sit down, make our order, then start eating.

“Audrey, if you could select the ideal world, what would that world be like?” He asks me, while sipping on his drink.

“Marlon, imagine a world where each person think about the need of another person. A world where the word selfishness is no longer used, or even known by mankind. This is something that can easily be attained by us if we simply make the choice to do so.

Humans choose to be greedy, it’s about self-satisfaction and desires. Think about this Marlon, A person certainly isn’t hungry anymore after having one plate of food at the buffet, yet we’ll go back for refills. Consider the rich, no matter how much s/he may have, they are always conspiring to gain more, enough is simply never enough for mankind.

It is not impossible for an individual to take a total stranger in that buffet with them. There are a lot of people who we see on the street everyday, and we know they are hungry and have nothing to eat.”

“How great it would be Marlon, if those of us who can afford that buffet would take one hungry stranger in with us, what a wonderful difference that would make in the world, and how many Angels would we cause to rejoice in Heaven?

“He who oppress the poor reproaches his maker. But he who honors Him, have mercy on the poor.” (Proverb Ch 14 V 31)

Selfishness leads to greed in the human nature, and they’re fueled by desires, so if we make the choice to diminish self-loathing, they both will undoubtedly subside.

Marlon, stop for a moment and think about how many houses there are that are empty and just sitting there everyday; houses that are owned by people who has more than one; even some buildings that are empty and fully furnished?

Now think about the humans who are sleeping on the street, and ask yourself the question, is this how God our Father would want it to be? My ideal world would be one in which we all live our lives loving one another as God expects us to.

“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Leviticus Ch 19 V 18)

“A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” (St. John Ch 13 Vs 34 & 35)

“Do you have any children Audrey?”

“Yes, I have one daughter, do you?”

“No, none.” He answers.

“Are you a strict mother, being as spiritual as you are, do you demand that your daughter lead a spiritual life?”

“I don’t believe in demanding anyone to do anything. God Almighty our Father and Creator, never compels any of us, He gave us the freedom of choice, so I find it condescending and presumptuous of anyone to force another person into anything.”

“Okay,” he says “let me ask you the question another way, do you require your daughter to be spiritual?”

“Marlon when I became a mother, I asked my Father God to lead the way for me to introduce Him to my daughter. I was really unsure as to how I would approach her with the subject of spirituality, in a world where so many different ideologies prevail. Especially with the knowledge of evolution being a part of school curriculums.

As usual, like I’ve told you before, whatever you ask our Father in Heaven, believing, you will receive, you just have to trust in Him. God Almighty answered my prayer unequivocally, as my daughter was the one who approached me with the subject.”

“Get out!” He says quite surprisingly.

“I kid you not Marlon,” I respond with a smile, “my daughter went to school one day, and one of the subject matter was on evolution. Now growing up and hearing her grandmother and myself talk openly about God and the things He does, and our reaction to things that would happen in our lives, she was obviously confused when she heard at school that day that people and the world weren’t created by a God.

So she came to me and asked me, “Mommy, what do you think about evolution?”

“How old was she then Audrey?” He asks me.

“Ahh, she must have been around nine or ten years old, as it wasn’t too long after she came to live here in the states.”

“Okay, so what was your answer?”

“I first asked her if she was taught about evolution at school that day, and she told me yes. Then I asked her what she was taught. She then told me that her teacher told them that people were monkeys, and after a period of time they evolved into human beings.

I remember that day quite vividly, I was standing by the stove in the kitchen when the conversation began, and she turned away from me and went into the refrigerator for something to drink, at that precise moment, I looked up to the ceiling and with a broad smile, I told my Father, “Thank you.”

Here was the moment I’d hoped would happen, yet I was fearful of being the instigator, it came right in my kitchen and I didn’t have to initiate the conversation, my daughter freely did. What a God I serve?!

So she poured herself some of her favorite drink, Sunny Delight orange juice, and sat down at the table. I covered my pot, turned the flame to low, and sat at the table with her.”

“It’s on now you’re thinking.” He says with a broad grin.

“Oh yeah” I respond with an equally broad grin.

“Marlon, it is safe to conclude that my daughter was indeed listening to the conversations her grandmother and I would have, over all those years when we would talk about God Almighty, and our Savior Jesus Christ, because my daughter’s personal feelings and beliefs were steadfast and solid, in the existence of a God, versus the theory of evolution.

She told me that she believes in a God because she doesn’t see the possibility of monkeys turning into humans, and if an evolution took place, how come there are still monkeys around, only some monkeys evolved? If there was no God, she also wants to know, where did everything else in the universe that man did not make, come from?

Ever since that day, my daughter and I have praised and worshiped God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ, without a doubt. I take absolutely no credit for my daughter’s spirituality, I give God the glory!”

“Audrey, I would love to get to know and trust God like you do, and I mean that sincerely.”

“Marlon, God Almighty is the King of kings, He is the Lord of lords, He is the conquering lion of the tribe of Judah, He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Moses, the God of Isaac, the God of David, the God of Jacob, He is your God, He is my God, and He is God of the world.”  

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah Ch 9 V 6)

“Which in His time He shall show, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,” (1^st Timothy Ch 6 V 15)

“God Almighty is most importantly, your God, and you have every access to your God that you want. You don’t have to know and trust Him like anyone else does, you just have to know Him and trust Him.”

At this point, tears roll down both of us faces. I know that what we both felt at that moment in time, neither of us will ever be able to describe nor forget.

After wiping the tears from our faces, we continue.

“Have you ever been deceived by anyone Audrey?”

“Oh yeah, what I have found with fellow humans, both family and friends, is that one can’t trust anyone. I have had people pretend to be with me and for me, for many, many years, and it turned out that they only had ulterior motives. Those deceits have caused me heartache, but I take solace in the fact that one of our Father’s instructions is for us to trust in Him, versus mankind.”

“Audrey, how about trusting in only yourself? This is what I’ve done pretty much my entire life.”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs Ch 3 V 5)

“Marlon, we need to trust in the Lord our God with all our heart, we need to depend on Him for guidance, strength, wisdom and understanding, in every aspect of our daily lives. We don’t have the ability to see tomorrow so how possible is it for us to depend on ourselves? God holds the key to our tomorrow, so He is the one we need to rely on.”

“Audrey, you spoke earlier about one of God’s expectation of us, and that’s being our brother’s keeper. Do you believe that we, mankind are in fact living up to that expectation?” 

“Absolutely not, somehow, somewhere, I really don’t know exactly when, mankind has convinced each other that competition amongst each other is the way to live. We are sadly living in a world today where sharing and caring is minimized, and the very few among us who has and owns virtually the majority of wealth, are being magnified and glorified.

“Put them in fear O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be just men.” (Psalm Ch 9 V 20)

In my opinion Marlon, world poverty is purposely allowed on the majority, in order that a few can be compensated, and in essence, made richer.

“You really think that Audrey?” He asks.

“Certainly, mankind has proven that they have the capability to destroy the world by way of nuclear bombs, do you think it is impossible for them to spread the food supply on a global level? Of course not, the selfishness and greed of mankind has led to a general ‘every man for himself’ concept, which is entirely wrong.”

“Love one another as I have loved you, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” (St. John Ch 13 Vs 34 & 35)

“Audrey, if you had the power to change the world, what would you change, and how would you do it?”

“Wow Marlon, there are so many things that go against the will of our Father that I hate to see and would love to change. Let me start by addressing the issue of brotherhood. We were created in part, to be our brother’s keeper, and also to worship and adore our Creator.

Our Creator, God, requires us to care for each other, to share with each other, and above all, love one another. I would change the unfairness that exists where so few have so much, and so many have so little, or none at all.

Everything that the world has, I would share equally among everyone, by setting up certain locations all over the world, a place that everyone had access to everything that they needed.

For example, the idea of a few families going to bed fully satisfied, and a majority going hungry, could not be, as everyone would have access to exactly the same things that they all needed. Not only some people would be living in a home, while others lived on the streets, but everyone would have to be living in a home.

I would have the world set up in a way where we humans would turn to each other for existence to prevail. And by that I mean, a trained dentist would be able to go see a trained podiatrist whenever that person needed to, without having to trade money for these services, and this would apply to all our human exchanges.

Marlon, we have essentially carved out a world existence that stifles the majority of our fellow humans, and this is in complete contrast to God’s plan.”

“I hear you there, but I think it would be almost impossible to get the haves to give up and share what they have with the have-nots, don’t you Audrey?”

“The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.” (Ecclesiastes Ch 5 V 12)

“Maybe Marlon, but before we give in to our selfishness, I would implore my fellow humans to pay attention to this interaction that took place with Jesus Christ and a certain young man.”

“One came and said unto Him, ‘Good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ Jesus said unto him, ‘Why call me good? There is none good but one, and that’s God. If you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.’ He then asks Jesus ‘Which?’ ‘You must not commit murder; you must not commit adultery; you must not steal; you must not bear false witness; honor you mother and your father; and love your neighbor as yourself” The young man says to Jesus, “All these things I’ve kept from my youth, so what do I lack?” Jesus said to him, “Go and sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come and follow me.’ When the young man heard the last part, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. Jesus then said to His disciples. ‘Verily I say unto you, a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.’” (Matthew Ch 19 Vs 16 thru 24)

“What?” He says surprisingly, “Let me write that one down, I’ve got to read that one when I get my bible. Audrey, my understanding of what you are saying here, is that if we follow the commandments of God, and do His will, at the end of our earthly existence, we will be compensated with an everlasting and wonderful life with God, right?’ He asks me.

“Right” I respond.

“Okay Audrey, so far I have lived my life believing and living a certain ideology that is not religious or Godly, however you may want to phrase it. I have been sitting and talking with you for hours now, not even a full day, and what you have shared with me thus far seem to be pretty straightforward. If you believe in God, you commit your life to His way and keep His commandments. Why then is this philosophy so hard for mankind to adhere to?”

“Simple answer Marlon, pretty simple, sin.”

“Sin?” He asks.

“Yeah sin.”

“People choose sin over committing to God?”

“Yeah, everyday.”

“You don’t think it’s more complicated than that Audrey?’

“Absolutely not, casual sex, killing, stealing, lying, greed, selfishness, infidelity, disobedience to parents, are all things that give us personal gratification, and separate us from moral obligations, yet, these are what we choose over adhering to our Father’s laws”.

Marlon, what I want you to take away from that interaction with Christ and the rich man, is not so much about the fact that he is rich, but all about his refusal to let go of his possessions and follow Christ. What our Father expects of us, is for us to be willing at any moment to sacrifice anyone and anything in order to do His will.”

“For the love of money is the root of all evil, for while some craved after it, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, and meekness.” (First Timothy Ch 6 Vs 10 & 11)

“O you sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love vanity and seek after temporary possessions?” (Psalm Ch 4 V 2)

“Marlon, doesn’t it blow your mind, the rate at which people kill their loved ones in order to be compensated with money?”

“Yeah I find it very shocking, and it happens way more often than we know.” He says.

“Unbelievable.” I remark while shaking my head.

“So how about you Audrey, would you give away all your money, or would you only be willing to share it?”

“I have absolutely no love for money, I appreciate its purpose here on earth, but it means absolutely nothing to me, I could be without a dime tomorrow, and I’d be just fine. I think that humans allow money to control them to such an extent, that they have lost cognitive abilities.

Think about this Marlon, money, in whatever form, is lifeless, can’t move on its own, can’t think, can’t feel, yet, mankind has given it the power to control them. They place money in a position that puts it above all other being which have life within them. All I can say is, may God have mercy on their souls.

Marlon, while Christ was in Jerusalem, an incident took place between Him and the scribes. They asked Him,

“Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?” Jesus asked them, “Why do you tempt me?” Then He said, “Show me a penny, whose image and subscription is on it?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” Jesus then said to them, “Give unto Caesar the things which are for Caesar, and unto God the things which are God’s.” (St. Luke Ch 20 Vs 22 thru 25)

“It’s all about the choices we make Marlon, all about our choices.”

“So you think money separate some people from God?” He asks me.

“No, I know that some people allow money to separate them from God, tragic.” I hang my head down in sorrow.

“What’s your take on divorce Audrey?  Now go easy, seeing I had one myself.”

“Personally, I don’t believe in anyone being miserable with another person for any reason whatsoever. If two people can’t find love, respect and happiness together, neither of them deserves to be in that marriage. Keep in mind though, these people ought to first make every attempt at fixing the problems, one of which should be praying to God Almighty about it.”

“Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews Ch 13 V 4)

“And what if they don’t believe in God, Audrey? We know that there are in fact some people who don’t.”

“Well, in that case, I would strongly suggest that they read a copy of this conversation between you and I.”

“You are too funny.” He says with a chuckle.

“Marlon.”

“Yes Ms. Audrey” He says with a wide grin on his face.

“We all get to a point in life when it seems like there is no way out of a situation, you know that right?”

“Well, I wouldn’t think that about people such as yourself, as you seem to know where to find all the answers.”

“No, we don’t have the answers Marlon, that’s God’s position and there is simply no comparison to Him.”

“So tell me, at what point have you found yourself in a ‘no way out’ position?” He asks, while gesturing the quotation signs with his fingers.

“Oh I’ve had many of those Marlon. Being unemployed, unable to pay the bills or put food on my table for my child and I. Facing eviction and not knowing where we’d be going. Yeah, I’ve had many of those.”

“Wow, and what was the outcome of those circumstances?”

“That was for me to find out Marlon?”

“The outcome was for you to find out?” He asks, with a puzzled look on his face.

“Oh yeah, but not just for me to find out though, it’s what we all need to find out when facing unbearable circumstances.”

“I’m listening Audrey, go on.”

“Christ is constant Marlon, He never changes.”

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews Ch 13 V 8)

“And because He is the same always, we can rest assured that no matter what the situation may be, His arms are always outstretched to us. We just need to find the strength to pull ourselves up and place our hands in His. Once we’re able to do that, He will safely guide us through it all. So what we need to find out Marlon, is where our faith truly resides.

“Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah Ch 26 V 4)

Do we really know God and trust Him, or are we just saying it with our lips? Do we really know God and trust Him, or do we only brag about Him when things are good with us? Do we really know God and trust Him, or do we only see Him as the one to blame when ciaos knocks on our door? Do we really know God and trust Him, or do we only seek Him out when things are bad with us? Do we really know God and trust Him, so we are able to praise Him, honor Him, and glorify Him in both our good times and bad?”

“Audrey, are you saying that even while you were facing those tragedies in life, you were still praising God at those times, you never ask Him why you and got mad with Him?’

“Marlon, if we could humble ourselves enough and acknowledge that tomorrow is but a mystery to us, if we recognize that the love we have for ourselves is nothing in comparison to the love God has for us, then when times get rough, our humility and appreciation for God will serve as reminders that there is nothing He will allow us to go through on our own, as He is always with us in spirit.”