Letter To My Family and Friends

Does it surprise you to know that I include you in my prayers, mentioning you by name? Perhaps it helps you to know that you have another advocate, another voice making requests on your behalf. I know in my case, that I need all the help I can get.

My prayers are not casual or generalized blessings, I pray for specific things for you:

- That your health grows strong, and that you find healing in all your physical and spiritual difficulties.

- That you find and share peace and love in your relationships, particularly with your family members.

- That your finances and daily sustenance are are well met and blessed.

- That you come to know and love Your God with a vibrance and song that fills your life completely with the truth of His redemption and blessings.

My reasons for writing this letter have been driven by a vision that I cannot get out of my head or my heart. I'm haunted by it, I simply can't bear the thought of not telling you. I've trembled and quaked as I've imagined the consequence of saying nothing.

I keep imagining a day where we all stand together, but there is separation between us - a deep chasm that no man can cross. We recognize each other's faces and long to greet and hug each other, but then the realization comes to us all: no one can cross the chasm, the separation is eternal. I am rent in guilt and mourning, tasting my tears as I hear a resounding, accusing cry from across the deep gulf, from my friends, my family: "You Knew!!! Why didn't you ever tell us? We had no idea you were a Christian."

My brother recently said to me: "I need to hear another Christian witness like I need another hole in the head..." But even with his smirking voice resounding in my ears, I think to myself - How on Earth would anyone even know that I'm a practicing Christian? I'm not even sure that everyone in my family knows, let alone the people I meet in the world. Greater still, how could I possibly stand there at that division on that day and look into your eyes hearing those cries: "You never told us! You never said one word!" This thought makes me crash to my knees in woeful mourning and tears, wishing that I would have told just one, someone, anyone. So here I am instead, writing to you, sharing my fears, attempting to communicate my failings, offering my very heart.

Doubtless you've seen the signs behind every goalpost during every football game and at other sporting events. Or perhaps you've seen it on tshirts or bumper stickers, but what does John 3:16 actually say and why is it a significant passage?

John 3:16: "16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3 continues:

"17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Why is this passage of Scripture significant? This quotation is used so often because in one short sentence it relates the whole of the Gospel Message, the whole of God's purpose and yearning for us, His children. God is calling everyone to Himself through his Son Jesus, the only name under heaven by which we can be redeemed.

Being good can't earn eternal life. The bible says that there's is nothing we can do that will earn eternal life or work our way into heaven. It doesn't matter how good you are - you'll never be "good enough" to fulfill God's perfect standard.

There's just no way around it, we've all failed, we've all sinned. I can't imagine anyone that would not admit to their failings. I suppose that you can relate to my experience: I readily admit that in my lifetime, I've lied; stolen things; dishonored my parents; neglected to report cash earnings on my taxes; taken the Lord's name in vain; and perhaps most importantly, I've failed to worship my God appropriately.

It's obvious that I'd never be able to enter heaven based upon my actions, and there is no merit that can compensate. If I long to stand before my Creator, my Holy God with any hope of acceptance, I too must be made holy. Revelation 21:27: "and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." But how is this accomplished if I'm a complete failure?

I believe what the bible says is true. Most people will say that as a document it can't be trusted, it's not reliable, there are errors in it. I've done research on this topic and found that there is overwhelming evidence for the accuracy of the bible and there are thousands of manuscripts as well as other historical evidence to support the bible's authenticity.

More so, I've seen clear evidence of answered prayer in my life, with friends and family members being healed of illness and difficulty - deep problems answered with no other possible earthly explanation.

Some might say that the bible can only be read subjectively, with everyone interpreting the scriptures in their own way, taking their own meanings from it. On the contrary, when I read it, I find that the bible speaks the truth with great clarity, and has been easily understood by the common man for hundreds of years.

The Bad News: God's character demands justice and we're all subject to His judgement. Even though hell was created for the devil and fallen angels, unfortunately it is also the destination for those that reject God's love and Son. It has been said that the greatest feat of the Devil has been to convince people that he doesn't exist. I would assert that his greatest achievement has been in convincing people that hell doesn't exist.

The Good News: Through Adam, sin entered the world and since that time, we're all subject to this built-in sinful nature. A simple proof of this is easily seen in the fact that you don't have to teach a two year old to lie. God's plan of saving grace is the gift of His Son. Jesus was made a perfect living sacrifice that answers God's call of judgement upon mankind. As a sinless man, Jesus pays the fine for our sins - all of us, if we accept this free gift. To reiterate: "..that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

What Does Becoming A Christian Really Mean?: If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10

Popular speakers on this theme today frequently use the phrase "accepting Jesus as your Lord". In my experience, it would be more precise to say that this call is to "surrender to Jesus as your Lord". Jesus himself said that a man does not build a house without first counting the cost. (Luke 14:27-32) The term "believe" in this scriptural statement is more than just intellectual assent or mere acknowledgement of the facts of his existence and resurrection. The act of believing that "Jesus is Lord" leads to trusting in Jesus, acknowledging your sin before Him and following His teachings with all your heart. Trust Jesus to guide your life, trust Him for the payment of your sins, and have continued confidence that you have been saved through your faith and your willingness to follow Him.

We all struggle with our faith, our christian walk, often feeling like miserable wretches when we compare ourselves to the light of Christ's teachings. But throughout the bible, God's constant reassurance is that He examines the depths of our heart and that it is our desire to love Him, turn from our sin and follow Him that allows us to be called the children of God.

It is repentance that the Lord seeks. A contrite heart. All sin is ultimately the sin of pride, thinking that we know better, or that our ways are more important than His Ways. "God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble". (James 4:6) God's children express true repentance by turning from our desires and following Him.

What if God spoke his voice, his love into the void and simply wanted to hear an echo of His Love from the creation formed from His utterance. The meaning of life in simple summary.

Are You the Echo of His Love?

I wrote this letter to express the truth that eternal life certainly exists and I'd like to share that eternal life with you. For some of you the question remains, "whatcha gonna do about it?"

If You're Still Pondering: Not sure about all this heaven and hell and God stuff? My advice would be to find a quiet place and some quiet time and ask God to reveal himself to you. It's ok to be unsure and feel like you need direction, express those thoughts to Him. "If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me." Deuteronomy 4:29

If you feel like learning more, I recommend to start by reading the New Testament of the bible. The Old Testament can be a little heady and appear convoluted. One of my favorite preachers often says: "The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed." Find the bible online in a variety of versions of your choosing at: Bible Gateway.com. I find the new american standard version the easiest to read, while still being very true to the original manuscripts.

Learn more from Campus Crusade for Christ. 6 Steps to Growing in Your Knowledge and Faith will help you learn more about belief in Jesus. This site also includes a free 30 day guide that comes to you in email if you'd like to learn more in slower steps, as well as many other new believer resources.

You're also always welcome to contact me to discuss any thoughts you might have.

For the Faithful: Please keep this letter and its recipients in your prayers. (James 5:16) I also pray that your walk will be enervated and renewed in the Hope of His coming.

Not Convinced?: No offense Carrie, but I don't think hell really exists and I'm just gonna take my chances. Belief or unbelief is most certainly your choice. I would encourage you to carefully consider the reality of your eternal life. It might help you to review the testimonies of people sharing their near death experiences, both good and bad, in popular literature or on youtube, which frequently feature the testimonies of previous atheists.

Jesus tells the parable of a rich man and a man named Lazarus. The rich man cried out to Abraham from hell, across a great chasm, begging him to send Lazarus to warn the rich man's brothers of this torment:
29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31"Abraham said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' (Luke 16: 19-31)

The truth of the matter is that time is very short.

Are you like me in feeling that your time here is running out and you'd like to send a letter to everyone you know? I've obviously considered this matter very carefully and I have included some thoughts to encourage you and to help you get started.

Before you begin - Pray!: With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) It's important to realize that you are only a messenger, it is the Spirit of God that brings people to salvation. In all things, seek God in prayer to lead your readers to the truth in Him.

Consider Fasting: When we go on a fast, this curbing of our flesh and its desires brings us closer to God. In addition to enriching your walk, your fervent supplication to God communicates your sincerity and heart to Him. It was helpful to me to fast and pray while I was constructing my letter and then again before I sent it out in the mail.

Print and Mail Your Letter: Why send it in the mail versus email? Because physical paper tends to seem more important to people over an email. Like me, I'm sure you give your emails a cursory glance and then just "click out" often the next click is to send that note into the trash. Letters we receive in the mail, in contrast, often carry more 'weight' and then they stick around the house for many more days, and you're much more likely to pick them up again and re-read before dismissing them.

Say What You Feel: It's Your Testimony, there's no right or wrong answer in how to construct your letter or what to say. I really was plagued by those images that I saw, but you may have an entirely different approach or reasoning in your letter. Just try your best to communicate what's in your heart, and then offer the Gospel message to your readers. Helpful ways to get started could be:

• How you came to know Jesus as your Savior.
  
  
• What has brought you back to a living faith after many years.
  
  
• Changes in your life that you've seen since believing.
  
  
• Things you've learned in studying the bible that have changed your life.
  
  
• How you see bible prophecy being fulfilled in your lifetime.
  

Present the Gospel Message clearly: I used John 3:16-17 in my letter to my family and then developed that verse in my own words. You may have a different set of bible verses that you'd like to use. Or you may want to include a Gospel Tract if you feel nervous about making sure that you've stated the Gospel clearly. They're very inexpensive and can be purchased in volume. Here's a site that shows the Gospel can be stated in very simple terms following these points: Six Biblical Truths.

Encourage Conversation: I'll admit that the responses to my letter were few and far between. I received several replies of "Go Away" in no uncertain terms. But I wanted to be available to people for any response, including negative responses. You may consider including your email address, for many people, communicating through email is less confrontive. I spoke with many people on the phone too.

Speak in Love: It's really all about love, isn't it? For many people, the Gospel is a very hard message to hear. Try to be sensitive in your phrasing while speaking the truth. God doesn't wish for anyone to perish, but that all may come to eternal life.

Make a free Webpage like this one: Do you want to reach the world with your testimony? This webpage is on Squidoo.com and it's free to make your own webpage just like this one. There are links on this page to set up your own squidoo page - it's pretty easy too! Feel free to send me a note if you need any help (my contact information is already on this page above and below.) They do require your real email address, but they promise never to send spam, and I can attest that it's true.

The Following Youtube Video Series - A Superior Online Explanation of The Rapture:

Part of my impetus for sending this letter to my family and friends is that I believe we're all living in the end times. I might add the very last minutes. Trying to decipher the prophecies and then determining how they apply to world events can be a heady task.

The following Youtube video was just recently added to the myriad choices on this topic. But this video is unique in its presentation and scope. It is presented by Chuck Missler, of Koinonia House, an online bible study website. Chuck Missler is a former Branch Chief of Guided Missiles for the United States Military, a former CEO of 6 different corporations. He has also been a world renowned Bible Study teacher for more than 30 years.

What Sets This Video Teaching Apart:

Clarity - The 110 minute presentation is straight forward with logical and cogent explanations of fundamental and historical Christian doctrines.

Rationality - Chuck's speaking style is much like an honored University Professor. This video is akin to a whirlwind course one might take in "Prophecy and Rapture 101" rather than passionate preaching from a pulpit on Sunday morning.

Insight - Chuck gives good reason for all of the confusion surrounding this complex topic of Rapture and takes the time to discuss the development of end times doctrine and interpretation throughout the Church Age.

If you're curious, I encourage you to set aside a good hour and a half, get yourself a pop or a cup of coffee and settle in for some astounding bible teaching. Numerous scriptural references are given, so many will want to have their bible and a notepad handy for personal research.

Negotiating Youtube: This site encourages its contributors to offer vid clips in 10 minute segments. Finding the next clip can be a bit of a task and yet, if you'll simply find the exact title in numbered sequence, this shouldn't be difficult.

The initial youtube entry shown in the next module below can also be seen directly from the YouTube site as a playlist of the 12 videos:
Chuck Missler 12 Ten-Minute Vids on the Rapture.
Full web address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p20zDOjlRdc&feature=PlayList&p=51A6209C1EAE2516&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17

If you get lost along the way, the sequential videos can be found by scrolling through the "Related Videos" in the right hand column under the title "Chuck Missler: The Rapture Part __ of 12".