Promises of Hope: One Motherýs Journey of Hope for Her Son, and Faith in a God of Promises.

By C. Denise Knox

When Matthew was thrown in jail on July 21, 2001, I had mountains of feelings. I knew his life was coming to a boiling point. With drugs, alcohol, stealing and living the wild life he had chosen to live, it couldn't and wouldn't last long. Not with the promise God had given me for his life.

This was a promise I was soon going to question. I would even question the very existence of a loving, kind God whom I had believed in all my life, and had raised my children to believe in.

Soon, way too soon, my faith would be put to the ultimate test. Do I truly believe? Is He really a God of love and mercy? How could He be so cruel to those He's supposed to love so much?

Today, I know the answer to these questions, without any doubt. This is my journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 12, 2007
• ISBN: 9780595890378

C. Denise Knox

I have been a follower of Jesus Christ since the age of 9. I am a mother of two children and a grandmother of 1, so far. The Lord has blessed me through the years to be a surrogate mother to many teens, lost and unwanted souls or those who simply had no one else. I have a degree in Biblical Studies and I am the office manager at Lael College and Graduate School. I am a volunteer in the lighting department of my home church and in our T.V. ministry, Principles for Life. I live in the country on eight beautiful acres with my husband of 29 years. Our home is our place of peace and security and in these walls abide the Holy Spirit. I look out my windows and I am inspired every day by the beauty and blessings of heavenly Father.

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Copyright © 2007 by C. Denise Knox

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Special thanks to Christina Vogel for English and grammar expertise. [e-mail]

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Printed in the United States of America

When Matthew was thrown in jail on July 21, 2001, I had mountains of mixed feelings. I knew his life was coming to a boiling point. With drugs, alcohol, stealing and living the wild life he had chosen to live, it couldn’t and wouldn’t last long. Not with the promise God had given me for his life.

This was a promise I was soon going to question. I would even question the very existence of a loving, kind God whom I had believed in all of my life, and had raised my children to believe in.

Soon, way too soon, my faith would be put to the ultimate test. Do I truly believe? Is He really a God of love and mercy? How could He be so cruel to those He’s supposed to love so much?

Today, I know the answer to these questions, without any doubt. This is my journey.

Denise Knox

I want to dedicate this book to my family and friends who have shared this journey with us. Without them, it would have been a very lonely road to walk. I want to thank my sister Stacy and my dear friend Tobi for being there for me, even during their own pain and grief. There were days when I just needed a breathing person at the other end of the phone line and they were there. Sometimes all I would do was cry and they would cry with me. No words, no attempts at trying to make it better; just sharing the pain and loss together. What a blessing from God they have been.

I especially want to thank my cousin-in-law, Kathy. In November of 2003, my father-in-law passed away after a lengthy hospital stay. As the family was gathered together in my mother-in-law’s kitchen after the funeral, I had the opportunity to share with them what God was doing in my life to ease my pain, and I shared some of the miracles He had performed. I testified of how the Lord was bringing so much together to make sense now what I couldn’t see before. I know the Holy Spirit was there with us and many of them listened intently. I had no idea the full affect of this conversation until about a week later when I received a card from Kathy.

She thanked me for sharing my testimony and told me how she could feel Matthew’s presence in her life. She too was struggling with a teenager, but through this testimony, she now felt she could control her fears and renew her faith. She felt God had sent a message through me to Matthew and then back to her. She felt God had her at that place at that moment so she could be reassured of how strong His presence was in our lives.

It was then that the Holy Spirit told me that this testimony was to be shared with every one. That was the defining moment when I realized that Matthew’s life was to shine for the glory of God and as a testimony of the goodness of our Creator. At that moment, Matthew Dean had become a mighty man of valor for God.

Contents

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

1 GIFTS OF GOD

2 THE PROPHECY SPOKEN

3 SEARCHING FOR LOVE

4 PAIN AND SORROW

5 A MIND UNRENEWED

6 THE WOOD PILE

7 A PROFESSION OF FAITH

8 THE KNOCKON THE DOOR

9 THE MIRACLES BEGIN

10 DID YOU KNOW MATT?

11| ONE SET OF FOOTPRINTS

12 A CALL TO PARENTS

EPILOGUE

FOREWORD

The moral bankruptcy of our society and families is deteriorating rapidly and is well-documented. A close scrutiny of the nucleus of society through the eyes of scripture and today’s statistics reveals some frightening facts. Children are watching violence on television and at the movies at a rate like no other generation in history. Violence has increased over 700% since 1983. The cultural values that many TV, Movies and Books are spreading—is that nothing is off-limits or out-of-bounds. Further proof is found in the Harry Potter phenomenon. Today, over 250 million Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide and printed in 42 languages. The latest book, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince is the fastest selling book in history and more than 8.9 million copies were purchased in the first 24 hours of its release. The main character—Harry Potter is only 11 years old in the Harry Potter series.

Satan has always been after our children, even the unborn, but never in history has the enemy gone after a generation with such cunning and deceptive tactics.

Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, educators, presidents, pastors, evangelists, fathers and mothers of subsequent generations. The degree of quality that flows through that child once adult, and in their various roles of society, depends upon how closely they have followed the teaching of scripture; and more importantly, the example they saw and mimicked in the home and even society as a whole, where such Godly representatives were visible.

God’s plan was to redeem mankind from the fall; he would do that through a Son, who was willing to die for all mankind who He knew would be in the grip of the devil’s devices. God’s Son was sent to not only die for our sins, but lead our sons and daughters into their God-ordained destinies. Unlike the character in the last Harry Porter book, Jesus is NOT a Half-Prince, but The Prince of Peace, Gods only begotten Son. Satan, knowing the power that just one child of God would have, if left unchecked, tried to kill God’s Son, because he knew the eternal significance of what He would accomplish throughout man’s existence on this earth. Namely, through our children and grandchildren. Unlike the fictional character in The Half-Blood Prince, Jesus shed His blood for all of us that we might live a life free from the harmful trappings of the world.

This book that you are about to read, is extremely relevant to what is taking place in every level of society as a whole in the day in which we live; but especially in the homes of Christian parents with children whom they long to see serve God and fulfill their God-appointed assignments. This book is a call to arms and a clarion trumpet sound to all parents, educators and leaders in the church today—to do all we can to reach today’s generation of children by example in conduct and Godly living.

Destiny fulfilled is a term that I don’t use loosely. I’ve learned throughout my 35 years of ministry that only God-inspired prophesies are ever fulfilled. That day in the Church in California, God spoke to me about the little boy I’d noticed laying hands on the men at the altar. I obediently spoke the words most parents would dread: he will know much pain and sorrow. I then followed with a more promising: "but he will be a mighty man of valor for God." Our Heavenly Fathers deepest desire is that all of our children (along with us) live a blessed and favored life. God the Father understands parenting better than any of us. He had one son, and He was willing to let Him become the sacrifice that could save all of mankind from going astray. Likewise, we as parents or leaders, have choices to make each day as it relates to being the example we need to be in order to reach those around us. Many kids today are very angry and extremely defiant, and at times act impulsively, seeking only immediate gratification. They have no understanding of self-control, nor do they understand the significance of Godly morals. Often, they value nothing, even life. As our Abba God watched over His Son, we too must all as God’s big-family watch over our sons and daughters, along with those God would bring into our care. Like our Chief Shepherd, let us look for those among today’s younger generation who needs the guidance of a loving, caring Shepherd. This job is not just for the Youth Pastor or Camp Counselor, but rather for anyone who desires to make an eternal difference in the life of a child. Let’s reach them at the altar today, so we don’t visit them at the grave site tomorrow. Jesus stands at the door of each heart and life, desirous to bring to all his children … Promises of Hope.

Alan Bullock, Evangelist

INTRODUCTION

The pages of this book began in a note pad. I had felt an urgency to jot down these revelation words and all the acts of love that the Lord was raining on me as time began to pass after that tragic day.

I knew I was closer to Him than ever before, even though my heart did not feel Him. But these gifts of love were entirely too important to miss or to forget. I had to keep them close to me.

As I felt the love of God become more and more evident in this situation, I knew that this journey was something that had to be shared. Soon the jotted down notes became a journal and then, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, the journal became this book.

Way too often we