(Bruce had cancer, and died a year
later)
Dear Bruce,
Myrna was sad she could not see you before
you left. We actually arrived at our cabin only minutes before you
departed. She told me to tell you that she loves you and will continue to
pray for you.
I so much appreciated our time together,
and will continue to pray that the next few days won’t be so painful or
discouraging to you.
Along with my prayers for all the pain you
are suffering are prayers for a commitment you might make to Christ before
you pass from this earth.
As I explained in my own testimony to you,
I came to know Christ as Lord and Savior when I was very young. I have not
regretted that decision; I know He has been with me ever since. And should
I die tomorrow, I know I would be with Him forever.
Of course this is all a matter of faith as
we discussed, but I would rather believe that Christ is awaiting me in
heaven, then to believe nothing is there when I die or that I no longer
serve any purpose. I would rather believe in Christ, and have His
assurance that I will be with my loved ones forever (those who likewise, put
their trust in Him as Lord and Savior), then to never see them again.
So such a decision based on faith is a big
one, Bruce, because it not only determines the right now in your life, it
determines your eternity. . So why not believe, Bruce? Why not take
this step of faith and put your trust in Him? What can you lose? If He
is not there, then He is not there, and you lose nothing. But if He is
there…and His salvation is real…. and you refuse to believe…. then you have
lost everything. You lose salvation, you lose a heavenly reward, you lose
His continuing purpose in your life, and you lose being reunited with all
those you love (those who have likewise put their faith in Him).
If you are not sure about what to do
now, then take these 3 following steps.
1. Ask Christ to forgive you of your
sins. Sin is what keeps you from Him and out of heaven. We have all
sinned in one way or another. The Bible teaches that if we sin just once,
if we break His laws just once, then we are lost. But He sent Jesus
Christ, His Son, to die for all of our sins, and that means every sin you
have committed, Bruce. In other words He took the rap for all you sins
and mine, for all of our sins. When you ask His forgiveness this is called
repentance. All you have to do is say, “Lord, forgive me.” That’s
it! That is all there is to being forgiven. The minute you asked
forgiveness; He forgives.
2. Ask Christ into your life. Since
there is nothing separating you from God now (your sin is forgiven by your
repentance), ask Him to come into your life. Say, “Lord come into my
life.” That’s it, that’s all you have to say.
3. Thank Him for what He has done for
you. This last step is a step of gratitude. Just say, “Lord, thank you
for dying on the cross for my sins, for coming into my life.” That’s it,
that is all there is to it.
Last thoughts
If you do these steps, Bruce,
you will find peace as never before. I know, I have experienced it. You
will have peace because your sins are forgiven, you have Christ in your
heart, and you have heaven as a reward.
If you make this decision I
would love to know. So please write or call me. Many are praying that
you will make this decision. Even though you do not know them right now,
you will later on when you meet them in heaven.
Lastly, Bruce, I am sending
you a little booklet written by Rick Warren. It is called
“What on Earth Am I Here
For?” It is
a great follow up to all that I have shared. I have also listed some
Scriptures below which validate what I have shared today.
May God be with you Bruce, both
Myrna and I will be praying for your during these last days.
Kent
7408 Huntington Court
Bakersfield, California 93308
1 661 587-3504
Applicable chapter highlights
from
“What on Earth Am I here For?”
You are not here by accident.
What drives your life?
Made to last forever.
Seeing life from God’s point of
view.
Life is a temporary assignment.
The reason for everything.
Validating Scriptures
We have all sinned!
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.
The result of sin; the
result of Christ!
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
He paid the price for your
sin.
John 3:16-18
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. 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.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
What you need to do now!
Matthew 4: 17
From that time Jesus began to
preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Revelation 3:20
‘Behold, I stand at the door
and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to
him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Romans 10:9-11
If you confess with your
mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For
the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
What do you receive in
return?
John 11 25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe
this?”
Galatians 2 20
“I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I, who live, but Christ lives in me; and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Post Script
Dear Kent and Myrna
(Edited summary)
“It occurred to me that perhaps you have
not received news of Bruce’s passing. He is in God’s hands now; I know
this in my heart. He died here at home with all of us on October 1st.
It was only today that I found the letter you sent to Bruce after the time
you spent together this past summer. Thank you for keeping him in your
prayers.”
I hope you are well, from the heart,
Carol
I don’t know what Bruce’s final commitment to
the Lord was before he died, but he certainly had time to receive Christ as
Lord and Savior. Perhaps he did, and if so, I will look forward to seeing
him in heaven when my time comes to depart this earth.
