Dennis-- I'm currently building and RCR GT40, but that's not why I'm writing you. A number of years ago I was involved in an accident that resulted in the amputation of my left leg below the knee. I had a rock crusher collapse on me and you couldn't come any closer to dying than I did. For me it was a wake-up call in my life. I spent the better part of a year in the hospital reflect on my life both here and eternally. When I come that close to dying I asked myself the question. What is this life all about? Am I just going to drop in a hole in the ground or is there more? I started reading the Bible with the encouragement of some good friends and I found out that God wants me not only to experience His peace and love in my life now but eternally. I read verses like Romans 5:1 "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." And John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." I had asked myself why don't most people have this piece and abundant life that God planned for us to have? The problem is our separation from God. God created us in his own image to have an abundant life. He didn't make us like robots to automatically love and obey Him. He gave us a will and freedom of choice. The choices is ours we choose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today Dennis. This choice results in separation from God. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 " For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 says " For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." To put it very plainly Dennis I found that this choice that God gives us can result in separation from God. It's like standing on the canyon wall with sinful people on one side and a holy God on the other side. We have this deep chasm that separates us from God called sin. People have tried in many ways myself included to bridge this gap between myself and God. But the Bible says in Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death." In Isaiah 59:2 it says "Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins had hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." I want to make it clear here Dennis that when these verses here talk about death, it's referring to eternal separation from God. I personally tried to bridge this gap to God with what I thought were good things and they are. Good works, I thought by doing good things for people that would get me in to good standing with God and into heaven. I even tried religion, you can have a 35 pound King James Bible and be wearing out the carpet coming and going to church, but that wont get you there either. How about philosophy? Won't work. How about morality? I don't smoke drink or chew or run with the girls that do, surely that will get me there. Doesn't work either. The only bridge that will get us across to God is his son Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for my sin and yours and the people of this world. You see Dennis it's not about us but it's about what Christ did for us. He gave it all so that we could have it all and what I'm talking about here is eternal life. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:5 " For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ." And 1 Peter 3:13 says "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God." Romans 5:8 also tells us " But God demonstrates his own love for us in this : While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Yiu see Dennis God has provided the only way and each of us must make a choice. How do we respond to all of this? All I can tell you is how I responded and my wife also who died of cancer 10 years ago. It's simple we must trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and received Him by personal invitation. The Bible says " Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20 it also tells us in John 1:12 " Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." It also says in Romans 10:9 " That if we confess with our mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Dennis, here is how you can receive Christ: 1. Admit your need. (I am a sinner.) 2. Be willing to turn from your sins. (repent). 3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave. 4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.) Dennis, I know That haveing cancer is a hard thing to deal with not only for you but for your wife and family as well. I had a pastor tell me one time don't tell people you know where they're at unless you know where they're at. I do know what you're going through as my wife Donna had cancer and I was her caregiver. I have the security of knowing that she is in heaven because of her personal relationship with Christ. I would like to share with you a prayer that Donna and I both prayed at one point in our life. It went like this " Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I need your forgiveness. I believe that you died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust you and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus name. Amen. My prayer for you Dennis is that you will pray this prayer. I want you to know that my new wife Debbie and I will be praying for you and your family as you go through this time in your life.
Your friend
Vaughn