I was in this bible class one day (like maybe 4 years ago) when we started to talk about the Left Behind books (fiction books based on the coming of Christ and the days that follow). During the class for some reason a whole group of kids decided to write a letter that they would want other people to see if they were taken in the Rapture with God's church. For some reason that day I just couldn't write down anything... at the time I didn't consider myself a christian and I knew that if I wrote the letter; it would mean that I believed that there was a God and He had a son named Jesus who was coming back one day, and people would be left behind; possible people I know.
Well I recently wrote that letter; it's not even close to being finished and I know that I'm not a pastor or anything but I wanted to share it:
If I have disappeared I want you to know that I am in a better place. I am with God. Every story you ever heard about God coming back was true, every person that tried to convince you that you need to be closer to God was right. Jesus has come on this earth for a second time and He has taken His church up in heaven to be with Him. You are now living in what many people call the last days.
Every person that has disappeared believed that Jesus died over 2,000 years ago to save them from the sins that they committed on earth or they were to young to accept or deny God into their life. I want you to know Jesus died so that we might have a chance to be with God. If you believe what I tell you then you shall be with us too. Jesus will come again; I don’t know when and I don’t know where but He will come one more time for you. Don’t miss Him. He loves you. I know that this sounds totally crazy and I know that it is hard to believe. Faith is a very confusing thing, sometimes we have it and sometimes we don’t. When you question your faith I want you to know that it is because God is working in your life. Don’t let Him slip away trust that voice that is inside you for it is the Holy Spirit of the Lord. It will never steer you wrong.
I know that your life is hard and there were many times when you wondered where God was. Why didn’t He come? Why didn’t He save you from this or why didn‘t He protect me from that? I can’t answer that for you. I do know that God never gives us more than we can handle. There were many hard times in my life when I thought that I was all alone and no one loved me. When those times come look up and see that God loves you more than anyone else ever can or will. God has always loved you but you have to accept Him into your life in order to feel that love. You have to open up. I know that that is probably that last thing you want to do. What if you get hurt? What if everything you are reading right now isn’t true? That’s were faith comes in.
You can’t believe something unless you understand it. Here’s what I know. God is separated into three forms, God himself, Jesus the human form, and the Holy Spirit. Before this world, before the first animal was born and before man was even thought of , there was God. God is the spirit that created us all. He knew us before we were born. He knew our hearts and He knows our troubles. The love that you have searched for all of your life dwells in God. He is the one that will make you whole.
Over 2,000 years ago God called on Mary, the mother of Jesus who was a virgin to have a child. God took a piece of himself and put it inside Mary. Nine months later she had Jesus. Jesus is God in human form. He came on this earth to save our souls. If you have ever lied, or stolen something, been jealous or fornicated with someone you have sinned. No one can come in the presence of God with a sinful heart. Jesus lived a life with no sin, he never lied, he never stole, and he never fornicated with anyone. He spent his whole life preaching the word of God. When Jesus was in Rome He was killed because people were jealous of Him and did not believe that He was truly the Son of God. When Jesus died He took responsibility for all of our sins and died for us. Jesus was put on this earth so that we might still have a chance to know God and a chance for God to know us. If we believe that Jesus came to save our souls, if we believe that God is and will forever be that almighty power than we shall be saved. If you believe then one day you will be with God.
The Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost is the spirit of God that will live in you once you accept God into your life and confess that Jesus died for your sins. I can’t explain it well but I can tell you how I feel since I have let the Holy Spirit come into my life. I feel hopeful and I have joy; an unspeakable joy inside of me. I don’t really worry about the little things in life anymore because I know that God is looking out for me and if I put my trust in Him I will be okay. The thing I find most interesting about the Holy Spirit is that once it comes into your life you have this urge to do better and find out more about God. You now listen to this voice inside of you who you know is right and you start to see what God has set out for you in your life.
Yes, there are days and times when I feel discouraged and times where I feel that it would be much better to just give up. There were times in my life after I was saved when I wanted to kill myself. I thought that it would be much better to end my life early and just go and be with God. Of course that would be the easy route but in addition to God knowing everything about us, He also knows when it is time for us to join Him again in Heaven. You are on this earth because God is going to use you, you are an instrument of the Lord.
One thing that I want you to be aware of is the antichrist. Have you ever had a friend that wasn’t really a friend? A person that claimed that they wanted the best for you but didn’t really help you or support you at all? In many ways this will be what the antichrist is like. Stay away from him. The antichrist is everything that God is not. The antichrist will appear to be a person that you can trust, he may appear to be a person that wants to change the world and make the world a better place. Pay attention and don’t be deceived for he is the most wicked and terrible creature to walk the earth. He is a work of the devil and everything he touches will eventually crumble and fall. He might appear to have everything and want the best for you but he doesn’t. You know when someone loves and when they are just lying. I hope you will be able to tell the real love that God shows you from the imposter known as the antichrist.
If you believe in the Lord the antichrist will not be able to hurt you, no one can hurt you if you believe in the Lord. Do not accept the mark of the antichrist, also known as the mark of the beast. Do not listen to the antichrist and his right hand man, also known as the false prophet.
You might ask why you have to go through all of this? Why is God allowing so many bad things to happen? Why is He allowing the antichrist to draw souls to the devil? I can’t answer that but I do know that every person can act of their own free will and nobody can make you chose to follow God or follow the devil except you. You have to trust in the Lord and have faith that He will work for your good. Trust your heart and the Holy Spirit that is inside you.
I don’t know how much time you may have left on this earth but I want you , right know to accept the Lord into your life. If you are ready I want you to say this prayer :
God, I know that there were times in my life when I denied you
But right now I am ready to accept you
I know that Jesus died for me
His blood was shed so that I could have a chance right now to say that I love you
I want to be saved and I want to live through you
Please, come into my life and guide me on the path that you have set for me
Show me your way
Thank you for giving me this chance
Amen
There are several verses in the bible that might help you understand what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen better than my letter has; most of those verses are in the book of Revelation. I’m not going to tell you not to be scared; I’m scared as I’m writing this letter. But try to be brave and listen to the words in the bible. Believe in His word. Don’t wait too long to accept the gift of life that God is trying to give you. I know that such a decision is a big one and it takes a lot of thought. I want you to know that there are people in heaven that are praying for you and that there is a God in heaven who wants to meet you. I hope that one day I will see you and see the spirit of the Lord shining through you. Until we meet again.
Your sister in Christ,
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Due to the contents of your letter, I will take it that your are preaching to those who read it and will respond as I see fit in that situation.
Beleive in ME! Sacrifice for ME! Accept ME with no proof! If you don't BURN IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY YOU LITTLE INGRATES!!!!!
When it comes down to it, this is what the message of your letter is. I have only one thing to say to that. God obviously needs a lot of help. He seems to have severe emotional problems. He demands attention although he offers no proof of his existence and if you don't beleive in him in just the right way, you will suffer for all eternity.
Seems like a nice guy to me.
Clearly you have a twisted version of the gospel. And that whole thing about sacrifice and burning in hell was just cruel. I'm not trying to twist anybody's arm or syke them out or scare them. I'm simply stating what I believe and how I feel since God has come into my life. Yes I know that there are christians out there who do try to scare people into religion but that's not the route I was aiming for at all.
If you don't like what I say fine...you go your way and I will go mine. But don't try to twist my words and say what God needs and what He does.
Love, Peace, Jesus and Hair Grease
I am not twisting your words. The message was clearly a fear based conversion attempt. That may not have been your intent, but that is what was said.
All I did was to restate what you actually did say without all the nice words.
According to your vision of God, if you don't beleive in him in a specific way (The Christian way), and worship him, you will go to hell. As far as I'm concerned this makes God into a cruel minded narcissist. Not only is beleif a requirement of reward, regardless of how you lived your life, but it is a beleif based on nothing. There is no nonbiblical evidence that God exists and there is a lot of evidence that at the very least contradict the biblical depiction of god and the events in the bible. So, in order to be accepted into heavan, you have to beleive in something that requires you to disregard logic in order for you to beleive.
Jsaj is right.
Most religions use fear and threat of punishment and eternal damnation to keep and recruit followers. There are thousands of different religions, but they all understand that they must scare people to keep their control and power.
It is pretty crazy that people believe in a god who will condemn you to hell for eternity if you do not believe in them even when they do not give signs of their existence and even if you live a good life.
The rapture would make a pretty good movie, but that's about it. Good vs. evil, black and white understandings of the world. Pretty standard.
"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
It is an emotional post, but fear? I say not, I personally would given a better or clearer view of the Trinity, God, reveled in three persons, all sharing the same devine nature, co-eternal, etc etc... But other than that I would say I agree with the rest of it, as you both know I am a Christian... so there is no debate where I stand.
I agree with the lady that you don't understand the Gospel, the Gospel simply means good news, that good news is, we can have our sins forgiven by the Creator of the Universe (one speach, kinda funny) and have closeness with him, he loves us yes, but his purity cannot allow for a sinful person to basically be friends with him without some thing that takes care of that sin we all have in ourselves. You can argue that if God created us and we are sinful, well isn't it his fault we are this way? You very well could, but he still provides a way out through his Son dying for you on the Cross nearly 2000 years ago. So the choice is up to the individual and you choose to accept what he did for you, or you choose to reject what he did for you.
You can argue religion until you are blue in the face, Jesus isn't about religion, religion is man trying is best to impress God and do everything in his (or her) own power to save himself, God through Jesus Christ performed that saving work on our behalf that we can live this life with out guilt and shame as well as have life after this life with him. He did all the work so we don't have to, but I'm sure you've heard all this before.
j.