Love Letters to the Bride: A Compilation of Great Newsletters, Testimonials and Poems

By Beverly Denise Thomas

The Lord, through His holy Word, has written many,
many love letters to His bride. The Bride of Christ, what
love the Master has for her. She is adored by her groom,
Jesus. He has spent so much time writing to the Bride,
leaving sweet little nothings of love to encourage her, to
keep her pressing on until the day they both shall meet
face to face.
Love Letters to the Bride, is a wonderful compilation
of some of those letters which have been written, down
through the years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462023202

Beverly Denise Thomas

Reverend Beverly Denise Thomas, pastor and founder of A Passion For Christ Ministries in Chicago, Illinois, is on the brink of a marvelous work. The Gospel is spread through tapes, music and literature all over the city and abroad. Reverend Thomas as has taken three missionary journeys through South Africa, spreading the redemptive message of Jesus Christ. "The Light Still Shines," broadcast, now in its 2nd year (airs the first 3 Saturdays of the month) WJYS-62 at 5:00 a.m. Check you local listing for times in your area. Through such ministries as cater-the-word, we are reaching those who are unable to come out to our church. One of our greatest emphases is on the youth, through such programs as the Teen Forum. Here, our youth are able to come and receive strength from our leaders within the church as well as outside leaders who are invited to come and encourage our youth. Feel free to view our telecast, and visit www.apassionforchrist.net, where you can listen to sermons, view our recent telecast, read newsletters, and much, much more. We have a passion for souls. Visit our website at: www.apassionforchrist.net.

Book preview

Contents

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Poem

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Testimony

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Testimony

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

About the Author

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

This book would not have been possible without God’s grace, love and wisdom. I thank our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for His blood which makes all things possible.

I would like to also thank my family at A Passion For Christ Ministries for their support and understanding. To my pastor, teacher and evangelist, Reverend Ernest Angley, of Ernest Angley’s Grace Cathedral, thank you for sharing your work with me and allowing me to use that work in my books.

Other Books by Reverend Beverly Thomas

A Long Way from Home

Just a Few of my Favorite Things

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Love Letters to the Bride, a Compilation of Great Newsletters, Testimonials and Poems is comprised of different documents, written at different times during our ministry.

The date(s) and name(s) mentioned here are written as they were at the time of the original writing. While some names and ages may have changed, they are mentioned in this book as they were when this work was originally completed.

There is a special prayer at the end of each chapter.

God bless you all and enjoy!

Yours with a Passion for Souls,

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Pastor, A Passion For Christ Ministries

Chapter 1:

Love Letters to the Bride

February 2005

"I love you. You are all mine and I am yours.

I chose you. I am your God."

In a love letter, you look for those special "sweet little nothings," whispered through a line or a phrase. It may be so small yet mean so much. Many miles may separate you from your special loved one. Waiting, waiting and hoping, you go to the mailbox day after day searching, with anticipation, for that love letter. You know, without a doubt, that it will contain some word or phrase to cheer you up, and something that will bring great, great joy to your life.

Sweet Little Nothings

The Lord, through His holy Word, has written many, many love letters to His bride. The Bride of Christ, what love the Master has for her. She is adored by her groom, Jesus. He has spent so much time writing to the Bride, leaving sweet little nothings of love to encourage her, to keep her pressing on until the day they both shall meet face to face.

You are Revived

During the betrothal, there may be many, many letters written in anticipation of marriage. Maybe one is away at college, while the other stays and works at home. Those precious love letters can bridge the gap of time and distance with such words full of love and hope of an expected future together. The letters will be read over and over again. Sometimes perfumed with a great fragrance, the love letters bring great joy during times of weakness, fear, frustration, sickness and weariness. Suddenly, you are revived and ready to endure until the end—until the day that there will no longer be any separation.

Our Soon Coming King

Christ, our soon coming King, has written many letters to the Bride. You must now look more closely at the Word of God which contains the greatest love letters of all time. Draw me, we will run after thee (Song of Solomon 1:4). Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners (Song of Solomon 6:10)?

You must, with much anticipation, search those letters for the promise of Jesus’ soon return. Search diligently through His holy Word and discover how much you are loved, in this last and final hour, child of God. You are greatly loved by your Lord. You are loved with an unending love. You must not turn away from those precious love letters. You must never become weary of the contents. Let those letters refresh you over and over again.

Arise and Take Your Place

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Seek to spend more and more time with those letters, holding them close to you now, desiring to follow oh so closely the instructions given to each member of the bridal company. Daily you must arise to take your place. You must not allow any darkness to turn out the light of the blood love given in the Word of God—those blood love letters.

What a Responsibility

The love letters contain such a responsibility. Such discipline and direction are outlined for each member of the bridal company. When you gave yourself to Christ—you became ALL His, answering to His beckoning any hour of the day or night—you are on call 24 hours around the clock—no matter the cost to self.

You became a part of Him, taking on the responsibility of a lost and dying world which contains over six billion people. If you are born new today, your soul has been washed in the blood of Jesus and you willingly accepted the responsibility to help evangelize the known world. You became a joint heir, no longer walking afar off. You have been made nigh through the shedding of the precious blood of Jesus.

BUT IT WILL!

There will be many discouraging days as the wedding approaches. It will seem as if the day will never arrive BUT IT WILL! The love letters encourage you to not look at the things that are coming upon the earth, to not let your heart be troubled about this hour. You won’t be defeated. The letters are full of God—full of the promises of God. You are to draw strength as you read and re-read of the glorious morning to come. Jesus, our faithful groom, will not send another for us but He will come for the Bride Himself.

John 14:1-3: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Never Alone

We will never be alone. The love letters warn us of the destruction that’s just ahead. Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet (Matthew 24:4-6).

The Days of Noe

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Matthew 24:37-39).

Those precious Love Letters tell us of the persecutions to come and remind us to stay wide awake in this hour. No power can destroy us because God, thru Christ, raised us up for this hour. We are encouraged and warned not to allow any darkness to take us from the path planted for our feet. What love!

In total obedience, we cherish the time we must spend with those Love Letters. In His presence, we unravel, study, meditate and discern the mysteries once secluded within those Love Letters. As we read and read those precious letters, we want more of them; no hour seems too late—too early to be in the presence of those letters. We are drawn with great enthusiasm to each verse, each chapter and each line. Hours pass us by while we remain engulfed and enveloped in the story of its unending love for each member of the bridal company.

Lift up Your Head

Oh, child of God, lift up your head and see how much you are loved today. You are never alone. Decide today, I am greatly loved. The love letters are for whosoever will. The compassion that pours forth, gives you a sense that they were individually written—each letter fits every situation in your life.

Demas Hath Forsaken Me

There are some who once enjoyed the love letters but now they have turned aside to do other things. They no longer hunger and thirst after the hidden treasures within the letters. For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world (2 Timothy 4:10). We won’t let the failure of others sway us. We will be given great love in abundance and that love will multiply as we journey on, doing God’s great will for our lives.

The Birth of a King

This love letter brings great news of a new born king. His arrival had been foretold down through the years—the prophecy had been kept alive through many generations. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him (Matthew 2:1-2).

Traveling to see the prophecies of God fulfilled, wise men came to behold the toddler—the Christ. The Jesus star led them all the way to where the Christ child was. Like the wise men, the star of Jesus still exists today for the true children of God. We, too, are compelled by His great star to make the journey—the journey which starts at Calvary and culminates at rapture ground.

He Hath Borne Our Griefs

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4, 5). For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17).

What Love

What love the Father has for you. He gave all that He had—Jesus Christ. What a demonstration of great love the Groom has for His bride. God used all of His love when He gave His son. Jesus Christ, in turn, gave all of Himself to over six billion people when He went to Calvary. To be crucified was the most horrific, shameful death laid upon a person.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16). And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22). Christ left us such an example of love, His blood applied to our souls. What a love token! We have access to that precious blood daily. We can tap into that source as many times as we need during each day. Not one drop of Christ’s precious blood was wasted. It will never lost its power. It is as strong now as it was when Christ allowed audacious men to pierce His side, paving the way for redemption for all mankind. What love hath the Father bestowed upon us!

Prepare me a Body

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:4-10).

The blood of bulls and goats was never God’s divine plan of redemption for man. It simply was a token of things to come—of a "better way" to come. Christ brought that better way. The spotless Lamb, Christ, is the only way to be rid of the sinful nature of man. The blood of bulls and goats could never, never free man from the shame associated with sin.

The Sons of God

But as many as received him, to them