2004/12/28

Greetings:

I am writing to ask forgiveness of my sins. Jesus has come into my life, and I’m filled with the Holy Spirit, and It is such a warm and wonderful experience. I wish to share this experience and fervently hope that you will also, once again begin to feel this wonderful feeling as well.

Last February, I received a spam bulk e-mail, from whom I don’t remember, and actually I don’t think it matters a whole lot. It was concerning the upcoming election for president. It was Pro-Democratic and asking for support because they supported these civil-unions and marriage between gay men and marriage between lesbian women. Now, this is something that I am so opposed to! I have always felt that sex between two people of the same sex is an abomination to nature. Anyway, I looked online for the Bible passages that forbade homosexuality. (I found them, the passages are there if you look. They are in both the New Testament and the Old Testament. But, this is not the reason for this letter.) Now this is not the only reason not to vote democratic, but it is the major reason for me. No matter what else the Democrats might try to do that maybe correct, this one item is wrong, and it trumps any and all other good things that they try to accomplish!

Anyway, as I looked online for these passages, I started reading, and reading, and reading. After a couple of days, I went to the local bookstore during my lunch hour and bought a Holy Bible (NIV) that was pocket sized so I could slip it into my pocket so I’d be able to read it at anytime I had a chance. (I find that reading a real book is much more enlightening than reading online!) I continued reading, and reading. I finished the New Testament; I read the history books of the Old Testament. I went in to the Poetry and now I’m in the prophets! Wow, Daniel, I’ve heard some of this, I’ve never read it word for word, Wow! I’ve read stuff I’ve never heard before, I’ve read about stories that I’ve heard of (Noah, Jonah, David and others) and I’ve been able to correct some wrong teachings from people that I trusted to tell me the truth about what was in the Bible.

I’ve learned what the very first thing that God created was. Proverbs Chapter 8, verse 22 in particular. It’s very clear in the NIV version. You could miss it (the meaning of the verse) entirely in the KJV (AV 1611) unless you did a thorough study of the chapter and all that it says. I like the NIV version, as it’s a complete revision of the complete Bible using not only the same manuscripts that the translators for the KJV (AV 1611) had, but they also had the Dead Sea Scrolls that were only rediscovered in the 20th century. The English translation is the English that we speak today, and not the “King’s English” of some four hundred years past. But, when it gets back down to it, to study … the NIV, to read to understand … the NIV. But, to simply enjoy reading… the KJV (AV 1611) is hard to beat with all the “Thee’s” and “Thou’s”, it just sounds… “divine”.

Here it is almost a whole year later, and I’ve, so far on my own, read almost the entire Bible, I only lack a few books of the profits in the Old Testament. What a God send that e-mail from the Democrats was. It has changed my life and it is such a wonderful change! I have to share it!

I don’t go anywhere anymore without at least one Bible. I have a New Testament in the wife’s vehicle. I have a KJV (AV 1611) in my car. I carry a pocket NIV, which is beginning to look a bit tattered. I carry it in my pocket absolutely everywhere, and not only read it, but study it as well. For, if you don’t study the word of God, you cannot understand its meaning. I also got a KJV (AV 1611) large print for Christmas from my daughter and a Life Study Bible (NIV) from my wife for Christmas. I now have all six volumes of Matthew Henry’s Commentary On The Entire Bible as well as several other commentaries and web research lexicons and dictionaries and other tools.

I am studying God’s word as I feel he is now calling me, for what I’m not sure of quite yet, but the other night about 2 weeks ago, I had a dream. I was standing outside, somewhere, I don’t know where. I was alone, it was foggy and I was cold, so cold. There was a lamppost and the street was damp from the light mist. Three men were walking towards me. As They reached me, they became One. He continued walking towards me, not stopping when He got to me. He went right thru me and continued on. I felt relieved inside, wonderful, and warm all over. It was as if the entire weight of my sins had just been washed away. I turned around to see Him walking away from me. He was clothed differently now. He was in a white robe and He had long white hair, and as He moved, no motion from His body could be seen. It was as if He was floating in air. As He moved a few feet further away, He split into two persons, the second person also had a white robe but long dark hair, not the white hair of His Father. They moved away and vanished in the mist, but the third stayed with me, inside me. He is still there, and it is wonderful! Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (NIV)

I’ve started to go back to Church since then. I haven’t gone to Church since I left home in the early seventies. I tried, I went to one Church, it was ok for a while, and the minister started preaching every Sunday about money, and how you’re supposed to give, give, give. While, yes you’re supposed to give to the Church of your choice, the messages are supposed to be about God and his message about Life and how to Live!

The church-going people would be such hypocrites also. I’d miss going to Church because my grandmother was in really bad health, and we lived four hundred miles away from her. The weekends were the only time that I could go up and visit her before she passed away. The weekends that I’d go up and see her, the church-goers would ask, “And, just Where were you last Sunday? I didn’t see you in Church!” They would give the implication that I was going to Hell because I missed a Sunday at Church. Later during the week, I’d drive by the XXX book store or the local strip club, and whose car(s) would I see parked out front? The very same people who condemned me for not going to Church on Sunday, that’s who. I’d go and do volunteer work for various foundations. I was giving freely of my time and effort in order to help the elderly or the sick. I would be there giving my time, and where would be the people who rebuked me for missing Church to see my ailing grandmother. They were nowhere to be found, as they were too busy telling off-color jokes and getting drunk at the local sports bar. Church-goers just became too hypocrital for me to bear, so I drifted away from organized Church meetings, knowing that I loved God on my own.

Being away from Church is not a good thing tho, for one can stray much easier without Church than with Church. I know, I did just that, and for all my sins I’m truly sorry.

If I’ve sinned against you, I now beg for your forgiveness, as I am forgiving all who’ve ever sinned against me! God has forgiven me, as in Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” 15 “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NIV)

Now I spend every spare minute that I possibly can by reading and studying. I am just beginning to understand God’s Holy, Inspired, and Devine word. I hope and pray, with all my heart that all of you either already know, or will find, Jesus as well.

May you find peace, happiness and eternal life with God.

Your brother in Jesus Christ.
Russell