Dear Father, I listened to Apostle Iren's message where he responded to the question, "Would people who have never heard of You be condemned to hell?" The Scripture says, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves." The idea is that there is an instinctive moral law, that at a certain age, a person is no longer without the knowledge of good and evil, and judgment will be based on the choices they made in relation to the level of knowledge made available to them. This has me wondering: if the level of exposure to knowledge and its application can be a basis for judgment, what about situations where we stumble and fall despite the unlimited body of knowledge made available to us, simply because we have refused to pay the price for its acquisition and application? We may fail to take cognizance of the fact that transgressions caused by deliberate ignorance may not go unpunished. In reserving depth for ministers of the gospel, we have refused to take intentional steps toward ours. Concerned about those who do not yet know You, yet for us, the question remains: what have we done with our knowledge of You? If knowledge can be a basis for judgment, would deliberate ignorance be overlooked? The ignorance of a few can be overcome by the heightened knowledge of the majority. Perhaps ignorance persists because those entrusted with the knowledge of You have not faithfully lived it or shared it. The question lingers: what have I done with my knowledge of You? #LettertoGod #Thelaw #hell #knowledge #condemnation Translations French Bengali Hindi Urdu

Dear Father, When You sent Ezekiel to give a message to the children of Israel, You commanded him, saying, "When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin..." What concerns me the most is that our harmless reluctance may be the very thing that costs someone else their life. But it gets difficult sometimes. The Scripture points not only to disobedience in carrying out the assignment but also to the possibility that there may be reasons that seem valid behind that disobedience. There may be situations where silence feels safer, for fear that we may be deprived of certain privileges or be seen as the enemy. Some remain silent because they do not want to seem too religious. It gets worse; some are ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I do not write to condemn them. I have my own faults too. But the problem lies in the fact that our silence or hesitation after being sent can be the reason behind someone else's downfall. I've weighed many of the possible reasons for reluctance, and truly, none is as costly as the soul of a man. So, sometimes it is a difficult assignment or a difficult person; sometimes it is fear or shame of being involved in religious activity. But what would we be willing to forgo in order to save a soul from hell? Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #assignment #gospel #reluctance #preachthegospel

Dear Father, Before Noah built the ark, You gave him precise instructions about its dimensions, materials, compartments, window, door, and covering. The Scripture records, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” So I thought: If Noah, for some reason, had not followed the exact specifications You gave him in building the ark and missed something very important, when faced with the tempestuous storm, would it have sunk? Perhaps if that had happened, there would be no humans in existence to discuss the disobedience that led to the destruction of humanity. Maybe describing it as disobedience is a stretch; perhaps partial obedience would be a better description. I am grateful that he did exactly as he was commanded, but what if he had not? Doesn’t this illustration reveal that how we go about an assignment is equally as important as completing it? When I ponder this, I become afraid of the inconsistency in our dealings with destiny. We may not be faced with dire consequences like where the survival of humanity hangs on the thread of one man’s obedience, but what would be the result if we consistently imposed our excuses and inconsistencies on destiny’s requirements? Like situations where we study, but not as we should; pray, but sometimes cease; do church, but without commitment; and strive to do just enough to water down the guilt of doing nothing, yet never apply ourselves to meeting the required standard. I do not write to You about grace, but about responsibility. To build an ark that would withstand a grievous storm, our obedience must perhaps, first, be complete. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu Slide 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #Noah #theark #obedience #destiny

Dear Father, Apostle Iren read a scripture in church yesterday, and I realized how rarely we even discuss it. It says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” After reading it, the first thing that may cross our minds is the desire that we prosper, but we do not often pay attention to the conjunction “even as,” translated from the Greek word kathōs, to mean “in the same way.” It does more than join the two ideas; it introduces a comparison between them and relates it to the prayer. Sadly, there seems to be any balance in the life of an average man that reflects the message of this scripture. If our approach and commitment to increasing our financial wealth and maintaining our physical health were equal, or nearly equal, to our commitment to spiritual growth, I wonder how balanced our prosperity would be. Perhaps this scripture admonishes us against the imbalance that exists when we prosper financially while lacking spiritually, because really, what is the gain if, in the end, we lose our soul? Herein lies the subtlety of humanity and prosperity: the pursuit is naturally geared towards the visible aspects of life, as though mortality is all there is to our composition. And although the prosperity of the soul may not be as visible, the prosperity of the whole largely depends on the prosperity of the soul. So I pondered the question: as much as I desire prosperity, at what rate is my soul itself prospering? Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu Slide 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #prosperity #thesoul #health #wealth

Dear Father, In several places throughout Scripture that narrate the story of Samuel, Scripture recounts, “And the LORD said unto Samuel.” You spoke very often to him, and there was no question as to whether or not it was Your voice he heard. Except for his very first experience, when he went to Eli, thinking it was he who had called him. But Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. He had to go back, lie still, and listen again for Your voice. Would I, then, be correct to assume that everyone we look up to as spiritual giants today once walked in ignorance? The prophets whose words never fall to the ground, writers whose articles are both Kingdom related and globally recognized, teachers who rightly divide the word of truth, Kingdom financiers who once could not afford a meal, the list goes on. And like Samuel, perhaps one notable point that helps us build mastery from ignorance is the willingness to go back, lie still, and listen for Your voice. Perhaps one of mankind’s greatest challenges is stillness. The world is moving, and so are we. Who wants to remain in an atmosphere of prevailing silence, darkness, and what seems like nothingness? Yet, isn’t this often the very place where we find You? Isn't this where we are first taught how to build mastery? The world is moving, and so are we. But perhaps the greatest movement does not begin when we move, but when we lie still and listen for Your voice. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu Side 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #mastery #voiceofGod #stillness #fellowship

Dear Father, Whenever I come across the Scripture where Jacob wrestled with a divine being and prevailed, I am amazed, and I leave thinking that he must have possessed some supernatural strength. There have been many interpretations as to whether it was Jesus incarnate or an angel whom he wrestled with, but the Scripture says, “Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’” This clarifies it for me. Although this is not the reason I write to You, I write because I have gained some clarity from this Scripture: wrestling with You does not necessarily imply that Jacob possessed supernatural power, and wrestling is not unique to Jacob’s life. The passage may seem far-fetched until we consider what it actually means to wrestle. The Scripture recounts, “Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me.’” I would therefore like to infer that, wrestling with You can involve insisting on something different from Your will. And so, I think about the various ways we wrestle with You: through the choices we make that are misaligned with Your plan for us, our manner of living, our resistance to the assignment You have placed in our hands, or even our reluctance to develop the talents You have entrusted to us. The appalling difference is that Jacob wrestled with You for a good cause, and it resulted in a transformation. But what do we wrestle for? And what implications or transformation does our wrestling produce? Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu Slide 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #transformation #wrestlewithGod #willofGod #obedience

Dear Father, Sometimes I wonder about the ordeal with Potiphar’s wife, where Joseph experienced a quick transition from being trusted by his master to becoming the offender, with evidence that seemed impossible to deny, even though the accusation was false. The Scripture says, “She said unto her husband, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in to mock me: as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment with me, and fled out.” How would he defend himself to a man against his own wife? How strange would it feel to say, “I am the servant, but you can trust me, not your wife”? And so, Joseph was thrown into prison. Innocent, yet factually guilty. I wonder how many have found themselves in such situations, where there seems to be more evidence to prove their guilt than there is to prove their innocence. Sometimes, it may not be something as grave as an accusation of sexual assault or prison sentence, but something else with just as much tension: a wrong judgment or perception of us, false accusations, with evidence in our defense that does not stand a chance of being presented. To be considered innocent a person must prove himself not guilty. And so, we strive with intention to correct the perceptions of loved ones: “There is more to this than you realize,” yet without sufficient evidence. But Joseph walked right into prison. Perhaps he knew that some perceptions are not ours to correct, but Yours. And some accusations are not nullified by immediate evidence that contradicts them, but evidence that is solidified through process and time. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindi Slide 5: Urdu Slide 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #Josephsstory #guilt #perception #evidence

Dear Father, Today, I discovered that there is more to this Scripture than the natural occurrence of Joseph being sold to Potiphar and the jealousy of his brothers. It reveals a known pattern the enemy operates to destroy a man. The Scripture says: “And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit; and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” The pattern is, “Afflict the man, and he will lose sight of his dreams.” Strangely, afflictions may arise in various ways: frustration from the cosmos, discouragement from loved ones, betrayal and unreasonable offences, lack, distractions, losses, or even death. The point is, if it would make him lose sight of his destiny, let us bring it before him. With this, we are naturally ushered into the responsibility of discerning and prayerfully engaging with circumstances that bear natural patterns but may be inspired by demonic forces. Because how do we explain the inspiration behind the thought, “Kill the man, and his dreams will fade”? So, the wrestle does not really seem to be against the man, but against his divine destiny. Through this story, I have learned that we should not go wrestling with a person over their obvious displays of envy, or be discouraged by the hostility of the people we love. If destiny is the plan, its fulfilment must remain the focus, because there will be no fulfilment of destiny without spiritual warfare. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindi Slide 5: Urdu Slide 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #destiny #afflictions #Josephstory #patterns

Dear Father, In discussing the life of Jesus, I am first occupied with His purpose on earth and then with the miracles He performed. It is so easy to sum up His entire life in redemption and the working of miracles while not paying attention to His heart. Jesus was perhaps the Man who experienced the greatest disappointment in His dealings with people, yet because of His divinity, we often pay less attention to His humanity. Perhaps the deepest hurt is borne by the strongest hearts and still goes unnoticed. After all, no one goes seeking the weakness in strength. When Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, went with the high priest and soldiers to betray Jesus, the Scripture says, “Judas came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.” Jesus knew He was being betrayed, yet He called him “friend.” If it were not Jesus, I would assume it was a sarcastic word. But it wasn’t. In one word, Jesus revealed the state of His own heart, creating a new pattern for friendship: "Your act of betrayal may have changed you, but it hasn’t changed me." This is very profound because I respond to changing times in my relationships, not just outwardly, but also inwardly. I get hurt, I withdraw myself, I experience disgust, and one thing I would never do is call a betrayer a friend! But perhaps Jesus teaches us to guard our hearts. Perhaps because disappointments may change a man faster than resolutions. Perhaps this is His way of saying, “You can be hurt and still not be changed.” But how many of us bear so much hurt that we do not even recognize ourselves anymore? Father, what is the state of our hearts? Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindi Slide 5: Urdu Slide 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #friendship #hurts #weakness #disciplesofJesus

Dear Father, Edmund Gettier, a philosopher, proposed an addition to the concept of epistemology-- the study of knowledge, when he argued that a person can believe something without knowing it, but no one can claim to know something without believing it. How true is this of humanity? There is also a branch of epistemology called empiricism, which supports the idea that the most reliable source of human knowledge is experience or sensory perceptions. My problem with this view is that it limits the truth of humanity’s existence to what is attainable in his lifetime. I was reminded of Thomas, who, when the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” responded, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” The issue, however, lies not in the limitations that exist in obtaining the experience needed for an unwavering belief in You, but in how willing we are to pay the price to know what we have always believed. It is true that many of us are like Thomas, with certain doubts and confusions, believing in Jesus but not all that He purports to represent. Perhaps this is what Edmund communicates: that there is a risk in believing when sufficient knowledge is lacking. Isn’t this one of the reasons we struggle with our faith? Isn’t this the reason we doubt-- asking questions without necessarily seeking answers? Today, I took it upon myself to reflect on how much I have put into knowing all that I believe about You. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindi Slide 5: Urdu Slide 6: Portuguese #LettertoGod #believe #knowledge #doubt #Thomasstory