begin to explain all the pain that your addictions
will cause. They will lead to homelessness and
even cause you to contract a deadly virus at the
age of 18. Your addictions will also lead to many
arrests, incarcerations, and treatment centers.
Between the ages of 18 and 29, you will spend
just two years and nine months outside of an
institution.
Behind bars, you will question your existence,
your behavior, and your purpose in life. You will
believe that you are one of the worst human
beings on the planet. You will develop a fear
that you are nothing but a vessel of destruction
to bring other people harm and misery.
Overwhelmed with hopelessness, you will finally
come to the end of yourself. And at the end of
yourself, you will finally find a new beginning.
While incarcerated, you will meet a man
named Bruce Carter. He will tell you about the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, and he will show you
the unconditional love of this Gospel. For some
reason, you will open up to him and express all
your doubts, fears, and concerns.
Bruce will respond to your openness with
these words: “From the moment that you were
born, John, you have been walking away from
God and His love. He’s waiting for you to turn
around.”
He will speak of Jesus and the blood Jesus
shed on the cross for the forgiveness of your
sin. While you listen to this man, only about 1/1
millionth of your inner being will believe what
he’s saying. But that small amount of faith will
be enough. You will finally turn, John, toward the
love of God. And with this turn, everything you
thought you knew will change. Your entire world
will be flipped upside down.
On July 4, 2013, you will receive the Holy Spirit,
who will begin to guide, shape, and redirect
the course of your life. Trust Him, John. He will
14 kojministries.org Issue 4 2017
provide you with an undeniable sense of peace,
comfort, and love. This is the love I was telling
you about in the beginning of this letter. This love
will satisfy you and make you whole.
Because of the Holy Spirit, you will understand
the Gospel, and this knowledge will fuel your
life. You must know, John, that the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Peace, love, joy,
patience, self-control, gentleness, and other fruit
of the Spirit will begin to manifest inside of you.
You will finally feel complete—drugs, sex, and the
world’s offerings will no longer appeal to you.
At times, you’ll still experience doubt and
trust issues, even with God. You will feel He has
abandoned you. In those times, plant yourself
under the waterfall of God’s grace and wait on
Him. He will help you overcome your doubts and
reassure you that you are His child and that He is
your Father. Your heavenly Father will never give
up on you, even when you are prideful, arrogant,
self-sufficient, or try to create your own path.
In His mercy, God will break you down and
rebuild you. But it won’t be a quick restoration
process. Remember, John, you spent 28 years
destroying your life, so be patient and don’t be
too hard on yourself. Change will come, but it
will take time.
God will do an amazing work inside your
heart and mind. He will also do an amazing
work in your life. How? Rather than being
sentenced to 20 years in prison for your most
recent offense, the sovereignty of God will
Photography by Timothy Smith/Honor Photography
overcome the judge, and you will receive only
a seven-month sentence. The issue of you being
a habitual offender will not even be brought up!
And remember that deadly virus you contracted
at the age of 18? Well, God will completely heal
you of it and even make a way for the massive
medical bills you accrued because of this virus
to be covered. Listen to this—of the $100,000
in medical bills you owe, God will miraculously
cover $99,995 of it! You will be responsible only
for the five-dollar copay!
God will also connect you with a church called
First Baptist Leesburg that has a Christian care
center for men. You will spend nine months
there being taught and trained by men God has
called to lead you. Listen to them and take it all
in. You will learn much.
Shortly after this, God will provide an
opportunity for you to work and reestablish
yourself as a man. He will give you new desires,
dreams, and goals. Serving others will bring you
great joy. There will be many opportunities to
share your story of restoration. And one day,
you will stand before the local Chamber of
Commerce and will have been without drugs
and alcohol for over three years!
Oh, and it just gets better, John. You will
obtain a college degree in biblical studies and
will help others understand God’s love for them.
God will surround you with a loving family and
a multitude of godly mothers and fathers. He will
place you among families with children who have
Overwhelmed with
hopelessness, you
And at the end of
yourself, you will
DEAR YOUNGER ME | from page 13 _________
continued on page 33
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