I want to dedicate this book to Dwane and Anton in heaven. God helped me to find your parents. I will see you again in heaven.
Love
Aldo
TO
M Y HEAVENLY F ATHER FOR H IS LOVE AND GRACE IN MY LIFE ; J ESUS FOR H IS PRECIOUS BLOOD ; T HE HOLY SPIRIT, MY BEST F RIEND, FOR PICKING ME UP .
TO
T INUS FOR YOUR DETERMINATION AND FOR BEING PATIENT WITH A LDO . T HANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO TO HELP ME . K NOW THAT I SEE EACH LITTLE THING AND I APPRECIATE IT . W EVE BEEN LEANING ON YOU A LOT AND I M GRATEFUL, NOW MORE THAN EVER, THAT YOUR F OUNDATION IS STRONG . T HANKS AGAIN !
J OSH, YOU ARE THE SMILE IN OUR LIVES; THE SUNSHINE AMIDST THE RAIN . I LOVE YOU DEARLY ! A LDO, MY CHAMP !
Copyright 2007 Retha Mc Pherson
All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing house. All rights reserved. Please note that Destiny Images publishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may differ from some publishers styles. Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. We choose not to acknowledge him, even to the point of violating grammatical rules.
Consulting Publisher: Corals Publishers
Translator and editor: Henriette Visser
Cover design and Layout: Tanya Lonbard
DESTINY IMAGE PUBLISHERS, INC.
P.O. Box 310, Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310
Speaking to the Purposes of God for this Generation and for the Generations to Come.
This book and all other Destiny Image, Revival Press, Mercy Place, Fresh Bread, Destiny Image Fiction, and Treasure House books are available at Christian bookstores and distributors worldwide.
For a U.S. bookstore nearest you, call 1-800-722-6774.
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Or reach us on the Internet: www.destinyimage.com
ISBN 10: 0-7684-3051-8
ISBN 13: 978-0-7684-3051-6
Previously published as ISBN 978-0-620-38441-4 by Retha Mc Pherson
For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 / 13 12 11 10 09
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PREFACE
Ive always confessed that Im a Christian. Ive always known God. I believed in the Holy Trinity and I even served God.
Yet, when I look back now I realize that I was merely living a good life filled with good deeds. I didnt really know Gods character and I had no idea what it meant to be completely sold out to Him which is the only sacrifice that is ever acceptable in His sight! I had to live through a terrible tragedy and huge suffering, before I was finally willing to sacrifice everything, including my son, to God. Only after all that, did I hand over control of my life to Him and did I get to know Him personally. All this pain was so unnecessary! Jesus had already paid the price in full. After I had given my life to Him as a living sacrifice, I could get in line with Gods perfect plan for my life, i.e. to live in a love relationship with the living God. Only then could I say that it didnt matter whether I lived or died, as long as I glorified God.
The first part of this book tells the story of how a picture-perfect family became an utterly broken one, desperately clinging to God and His promises. In the second section you will find both the messages (insights) that the Holy Spirit has imparted to my son Aldo, as well as my own reflections on these issues. God, who works in mysterious ways, has done so again, speaking simultaneously to both Aldo and I about the same issues. I believe that what weve written is in line with Scripture and I invite you to test our thoughts to the Word of God.
Our main purpose with this book is to tell people that Jesus lives! He is a great and awesome God who wants your life, not only your heart, and He is coming back for a spotless bride: those who will lay down their lives as a living sacrifice to Him. Aldo and I want you to know that God still performs miracles in our day and age and that He wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit and have a love relationship with you.
You are not holding a mere book in your hands today. You are looking at a message straight from the Fathers heart to everyone who reads it. Let he who has an ear, listen to what the Spirit is saying.
I pray that the Spirit of God within you will awaken and that youll feel it burning inside of you as you read this book. If you are looking for God, I know you will find Him, for He promises, those who look for Me, shall find Me.
For a long time I thought it was my husbands responsibility to make me happy, but the truth is no human being can make you completely happy. Only Jesus can do that for you. He is the ANSWER to all questions; the SOLUTION to all problems; the FULFILMENT of all your needs and desires. He is ALL things to ALL men! I tried to quench my thirst with all sorts of things like perfectionism, fame, wealth and achievement. But, now that the fire of the Holy Spirit has purified me from the inside out, I know Jesus is the fountain of living water. He is the only One who can quench my thirst forever.
Jesus wants to baptise us with the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 3:13 teaches us that the works of each person will be tested by fire and the fire will reveal the character and worth of the work each one has done. When you are baptised in the Holy Spirit, and receive its fire, youll experience the fullness of God. Only then can you become a light to the dark world.
God works in the lives of people so that they may become pure of heart and fully comitted to Him.
Nowadays I just cant get enough of God. I want to spend every possible minute in prayer, praising and honoring Him. One must be reborn of the Spirit, because only once youve been filled by the Spirit, will you be able to live a life of abundance that Jesus talks about in Jn. 10:10.
This life of abundance has little to do with your bank balance, or material wealth. Simply put it means living a life utterly saturated with God. I believe that the principles I have penned down in the second part of the book not only elaborates on what Aldo has written, but also serve as guidelines for every believer who desires a closer walk with our Lord Jesus.
Know one thing for sure: Jesus is alive!