CHRISTMAS GIFT
11/20/2009 12:37 amHave you ever found that time is running out, and Christmas is fast approaching and you still don't have that "perfect gift." Well, I have a good suggestion for you this year. Why don't you offer, to all those you love, a gift that is so great... it is called "unspeakable."
At sundry times throughout the years we have mailed to family and friends alike, a letter that is sent with only one intention: to be a witness for the Lord. This year, instead of just sending an average letter that catches family up on events of the past year, why don't you use this as an opportunity to be a witness for God.
Why is it that for most people you can talk to family and friends about everything that is of no importance, yet, you hardly ever talk about the only thing that is of the utmost importance: the plight of their soul after the death of their body?
We have already mailed out several dozen letters for this year and the last ten is now addressed and on my desk waiting for me to mail them later today. So, I thought I would reproduce what we are mailing to family in the hopes that it might spur any who read this to do the same thing; write a letter of your own and reach out with a clear Gospel message to those people whom you love. (Now, our letter.)
October 23, 2009
4:38 am.
Dear Family and Friends,
As before, when last we wrote about this subject, we are sending this letter to all of our immediate family. This means, of course, that I am mailing (or emailing) a copy even to those family members, who, by their own testimony, are known to be born-again.
We do this so that it does not seem as if we are trying to single out any individuals within the family: because, in the end, only you and God know if you are saved or not. Even when we pray for the right words to type, it is never with a particular individual in mind: rather, it is to try and send as clear a message as possible (according to the Bible) on the most important question ever asked by anyone of any era; “... what must I do to be saved”? (Acts 16:30b)
As you well know, in an extended family as large and diverse as ours it would be impossible to hope that each of us would all believe the same thing as it relates to possessing eternal life. Yet, I think you would all agree that there has to be a correct answer to this question. If you concede that point, then does it not stand to reason that if there is “a” correct answer, then all other answers to this most important subject would be incorrect?
Imagine for just a minute what one day we all will face: death. Suppose that you are lying in a hospital bed and your body, by tubes, cords, and needles, is attached to a dozen different beeping and chirping machines. As you drift in-and-out of a state of consciousness you hear your doctor talking to loved ones who are gathered nearby and he says that your death is imminent, perhaps moments away? Now imagine that were you in the bed and the time is now, right this very second: wouldn't you want to know the answer to the above question: “What must I do to be saved?”
If that was you in the bed, what if it were too late to ask the question because so many drugs are coursing through your veins that your thoughts are jumbled, and you know there is something that you are supposed to do in order to be saved... but it's no longer clear to you what it is?
Maybe your death will not come that way: perhaps you will face God from behind the wheel of a speeding car, or a sudden heart-attack, or any of a thousand other ways that death is so quick you haven't any time left to act on the matter of salvation. Doesn't it just make sense to consider the plight of your soul now, as you read this and you are not facing a life-and-death situation at this present time: though of course, that is what our future holds for all of us. Do you really want to put off knowing the answer to the question that was posed by the Philippian jailor and asked of Paul; “What must I do to be saved?”
If you believe that you are just too busy to consider this at this time, then I ask you to please reconsider. Sometimes in the pursuit of what has little or no importance, we neglect the only thing that is of the utmost importance; where will your soul spend eternity? Jesus asked a question for all ages and for all of mankind. Mark 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Imagine you are at point “A” and you want to get to point “B.” Let us say that point “A” represents you now, that is in your lost (separated from God) condition: point “B” represents salvation and God extending forgiveness to you. There is a separation between points A and B and it takes three “steps” to get there and you can not bypass any of the three. Neither, regardless what you might have heard or presently believe is there any other way to receive forgiveness and be eternally saved apart from Jesus; the Christ sent from God.
The verses that follow are part of Peter's oratory to the Sanhedrin: this religious, but eternally lost group of men had called some of Christ's disciples to answer the charge of how they were able to heal a man who was lame from birth. Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Please read carefully that last verse. “NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER: FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED.”
That was the apostle Peter's witness about Jesus, now read what Jesus, as God in the flesh said about Himself. John 14:6b “... I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Again, read carefully the last nine words of His statement: “NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.”
In answering a question asked by Nicodemus, who was a religious but lost leader of the Jewish people, the Lord said, John 3:3b “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Plainly said it is no harder to understand than this: if you have not placed your trust in Jesus, the Chosen of God, then upon your physical death your soul will be eternally separated from God and cast into the “lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-12 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
If you don't accept Christ, then God will (with open Testaments–Old and New) judge your deeds in light of revealed Scripture. Imagine being judged according to all of the Bible commands. Wouldn't you agree that everyone, including yourself, would fall short of sinless perfection in light of what God teaches as truth in the Bible.
That is the “high mark” which God is going to compare your life's deeds against, and as long as He can show that you have sinned, even if it were only once, then you owe a debt which must be paid. Romans 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death.”
Revelation 20:13 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” Can you imagine having to stand before a righteous Judge (God) who detests sin, and then having all of your sinful thoughts and acts revealed, and then seeing your life fall so very short of the ideal that the Bible taught.
Again, read carefully the last ten words of that verse. “AND THEY WERE JUDGED EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS.”
There is only one escape. In order to not be cast into the lake of fire (then) your name must be written in a particular book; this book is the “Lamb's Book of Life.” It is called that because Jesus came to Earth as the sacrificial Lamb of God. Upon seeing Jesus, John, who had been baptizing in the river Jordan, cried with a loud voice: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29b)
The first part of Romans 6:23 states: “For the wages of sin is death...” but the good news is that the verse finishes with: “... but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
In the Old Testament when God was judging the Egyptians for pantheism and their worship of many false gods, the last plague He brought upon them was the death of their firstborn. There was only one escape: they had to kill an innocent lamb and apply its blood to the top and side-posts of the door-frames on their houses. God had told Moses to tell all those who would do this that they would be spared. Exodus 12:12-13 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. (13) And the blood shall be to you a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” Read again that key-phrase from God... “WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD. I WILL PASS OVER YOU!”
Hebrews 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood: and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Read again the last eight words: “AND WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION!” Hebrews 9:28a “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many...”
That of course is why Christ had to die and shed His blood on a wooden cross (altar). This was done in place of a sacrificial lamb from the Old Testament; Christ became the sinless Lamb of God who died for fallen mankind.
Simply stated, you and I owe a sin-debt to God, and someone is going to pay it: either you, or another. I chose to have Christ pay it for me and that is why I prayed and asked for His forgiveness. Now to the three steps that I earlier said were required to go from point “A” to point “B.”
Step one: Admit that you are a sinner. Romans 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Again: THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE. You, the one who is reading this falls into that group: unrighteous! Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Simply confess to God what He already knows, that you are lost and need to be saved!
Step two: Believe in your heart that Jesus paid your sin-debt for you. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In speaking of mankind and Christ it has been well-said... “I owed a debt I could not pay, He (speaking of Jesus) paid a debt He did not owe.”
Step three: Ask Jesus to save you. Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Now, put your own name in place of the word “whosoever” in the next verse I am going to quote. Romans 10:13 “ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Do it like this: “For whosoever (Robin / Debbie) shall call upon the name of the Lord (Robin / Debbie) shall be saved.”
If you take those three necessary steps, then your name is written in the book that passes you from death unto life and you will never see the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Of course that means then that those names which are recorded there (book of life) are spared that awful judgment!
If you have done this then you can be guaranteed eternal life and a place in Heaven one day. It is because you have ceased from your own works and are trusting in what Jesus has already done, and not in what you have done or might hope to do in the future. I John 5:13 God is inspiring His prophet John to write words of encouragement to those who have fully trusted in Christ for their salvation. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Salvation is not a want or think or hope salvation: it is a “KNOW” salvation: that is as long as you are not trusting in yourself or some outward work you have done or are trying to do. If you have believed on Christ and HIS FINISHED WORK (death, burial and resurrection) and have ceased from trusting in yourselves, then take comfort in these words: “These things have I written unto you that BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD; THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” “That ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life!” How can we KNOW this? Simple... by believing in only Him: the Lord Jesus the Christ! In that way, to Him only be the glory and honor forever and ever... amen and amen!
Deb and I, and from all of our family to all of you are praying that if you have not asked Christ to save you that you will. I suppose, because it is a subject that interests me, I have read many dying declarations from people as they were on their death-beds. I have read scores of them from lost men and women who lamented their deplorable condition and the lives they led. However, I have never yet read–nor do I suppose there will ever be upon the lips of a dying man his final words that he was sorry for ever having trusted Christ for his soul's safety.
For those who receive this letter and are assured of eternal life by already having placed your trust in Christ alone: plus-nothing–minus-nothing; please pray for all those who receive this missive and are presently lost; pray that God will work within their hearts and minds and they also will trust Him. He, the only one who can save... Jesus!!!!!!!
In Christ,
Robin and Debbie Johnson
PS We are sending this letter to those we love because of Acts 1:8 … “ye shall be witnesses unto me ...” We believe in that verse that the witness in “Jerusalem” is meant first to our immediate family and friends. “Judaea” would be our neighbors and those we come into contact with daily: i.e., people at work, grocery store, gas stations, etc. “Samaria” is those who we go out looking for on soul-winning visitation and outreach programs like radio, television, Gospel tracts, etc. And finally, “the uttermost part of the earth” is why we would only unite with a local body-of-believers (church) which has a strong foreign missionary vision and actively supports these most faithful people of God.
I wrote the above paragraph to only state that we believe we are on solid ground, Biblically speaking, to send out unsolicited letters which tells men and women how to be saved. (ye shall be witnesses unto me) However, I also have something else I will send to you, but only if you ask for it. Several weeks ago I made a tape for a radio-station back home. It is on end-time events. If you would like a copy I will send one to you, just let me know.
I will tell you ahead of time though that it ran rather long (80 minutes) and at times is a little tedious. That part aside, there is some useful information in it that might cause you to believe, like I do, that His return might be soon.
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
posted by Robin Johnson @ 12:36 AM
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