James122
June 26th, 2005, 03:08 PM
Please give me your advice/opinions on the following e-mail exchange. I did not open and will not read the referenced attachment. This is from two female homosexual neighbors, the primary I have known for six years and exchanged babysitting and food with.
Her "friend" recently moved in with her two daughters, aged 14 and 12, who reached out to neighbors two weeks ago for help with emotional abuse in the home, were given Bibles, the youngest received Christ, and then the Bibles were returned with notes of "we don't view the world as you do" but nothing worse.
The author of the reply is a National Security Agency employee with a very high clearance in counter-terrorism. Her "friend" works there also on active military duty. I am very, very upset.
From: Betsy
To: Kim
CC: Rox
Subject: Re: Hope your vacation was relaxing . . .
Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 02:54:03 +0000
kim,
I an not interested in your views or your world view. You are an extremist and out of control emotionally. To my family, you are no different from the people that drove the planes into the trade center. You need to avoid all contact with me, with my son, and with roxanne and her children. Back Off. You are a menace. We do not want you involved in our lives.
Attached is a note from Rox making explicit her personal views on the matter.
------------- Original message --------------
. . . and that you all made it home safely.
Hi, Betsy
Some weeks ago we discussed having an e-mail dialogue about the authenticity of Scripture. There are hundreds of readily available resources which detail the history of the Canon. If you are truly open to proof of the reliability of the 66 books of the Bible, availing yourself of some scholarly works will educate you quite thoroughly. Many are authored by people seeking to disprove Scriptural reliability, but whose research convinced them against their own presuppositions.
I am convinced of a more pressing matter, however, which I must bring to light. Over the years of our friendship you have referred to yourself as a Christian on multiple occasions, and I have listened respectfully to you. But because of my own timidity I have declined to pursue with you the question of, "To you, who is Jesus?"
You have shared with me a little of your Catholic upbringing, and I know even less of your adult exposure to the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is possible you may never have encountered an accurate exposition of what the Bible declares essential in order to be saved from condemnation and be with God in heaven after physical death. My own faith compels me to share the truth with you and be assured you have had an opportunity to receive eternal life.
With reciprocal respect, please take a few minutes to read this e-mail which I composed with you specifically in my mind. Motivated by obedience to Jesus’ command to share His message as well as love for both Him and you, my sincere desire for your life, Betsy, is encompassed by the following prayer:
"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you" -- Betsy -- "being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge . . ." (Ephesians 3:16-19)
We must either discard Jesus entirely, or accept His claim to be Lord. We cannot consider Him a prophet with a moral message, nor a good man with ideas we should consider for better living, because if He was not who He said He was, then He was a either liar or a lunatic. To try to claim any middle ground is an argument which defeats itself.
In Romans 10:9 we learn, "That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." When you are asked, "To you, who is Jesus," the only saving, truly Christian response is acknowledgment that He is God Almighty.
But prior to arriving at the heart-felt belief and confession that Jesus is Lord, people must appreciate the following truths:
Everyone is destined to die, but life does not end with death: "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12) When God created Adam and Eve in His own image, He gave them an abundant life, and the freedom to choose between good and evil. They chose to disobey God, and consequently death was introduced into the world -- not only physical death but spiritual death as well. Because of a choice to sin, all human beings are separated from a sinless, Holy God. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
People have tried to overcome this separation in many ways: by doing good, through religion or philosophy, or by attempting to live morally. However, none of these things is enough to cross the barrier of separation between God and humanity, again because God is holy and human beings are sinful. Spiritual separation has become the natural and normal condition of mankind, and because of this all people are condemned: "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." (John 3:18)
There is only one solution to the problem, just one: "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) That is, it is necessary to be born again in the spiritual sense. God Himself has provided the means that makes it possible for anyone to be born again, and His plan is born of love: "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." (John 3:16)
There are not many ways to God as is the popular belief in today’s culture. According to God in the flesh of Christ Jesus Himself: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
God incarnated Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, fully God and fully man by way of conception by a virgin through the Holy Spirit. Because He was fully divine, Jesus was empowered to never sin. Because he was fully human, Jesus could atone for the original sin of Adam which has been passed on to all his descendants.
Jesus willingly died on the cross to establish the bridge that unites God and humanity:
". . . just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) Every person who is born again by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice can have true fellowship with God.
After Jesus Christ received the punishment that we deserved and died on the cross, He was buried in a tomb. But death did not receive victory over Him. Jesus did not remain in the tomb: He was resurrected. Through faith in Christ, Christians too are granted victory over death.
Each of the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life plus the Book of the Acts of the apostles testify to the truth of the resurrection as eyewitnessed by hundreds of Jerusalem’s citizens, specifically reported in Matthew chapter 28, Mark chapter 16, Luke chapter 24, John chapters 20 and 21, and Acts chapter 1.
In His mercy, God has determined that freedom from condemnation and eternal life with God in heaven, summed up by the word "salvation," is available to all who are willing to humble themselves before God and receive it. You need to do only four things:
1 - acknowledge the problem of separation from God because of sin;
2 - admit to being a sinner, and that you need salvation;
3 - recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins; and
4 - receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.
Heart-felt belief in Jesus Christ leads to the required obedience to Him as Lord: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
It is important that we not deceive ourselves and refer to ourselves as Christians unless we have submitted to the whole counsel of God regarding salvation, and not a picking and choosing of what we find appealing to us. Many who claim the name of Christ selectively choose which parts of Jesus’ teachings suit them and leave the rest behind.
Betsy, I did not come to a saving knowledge of Jesus until recently. Daily I struggle with sin and the allures of this decaying world. But also each day I draw closer to Jesus and right living through immersion in His Word and teachings. When I am tested and shown where I do not meet His standard, I ask for His Holy Spirit’s power to enable me to walk in a manner more worthy the name of Jesus, that I may never bring shame to the name of Christ.
While very far from perfect, I am trying to follow Jesus Word closely and am willing to conform myself to Truth; thus I have assurance of my salvation and the right to be called Christian. "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
In Revelation 21:8 God reveals just as in many, many other places throughout His inspired Word that: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."
In his first letter to the Christians of Corinth, in chapter 5, verses 11 through 13, the apostle Paul instructs Christians to discern between true followers of Christ and false followers: "But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you."
Betsy, it is my duty to inform you that a life lived in willing sinfulness and disobedience to the lordship of Jesus will not see the kingdom of heaven, nor will a person who does not confess with their mouth and believe that Christ Jesus is the Lord. One may refer to herself as a Christian, but neither God nor true Christians are fooled.
Just as I have been timid in the past, hoping for "the right time" in our friendship to speak up, many Christians will not meet their duty to stand firmly for Jesus’ standards. I have recently purposed to leave the ranks of timid Christianity (an oxymoron at best), and speak up for Truth regardless of the personal cost. After all, Jesus did not save Himself at the cost of the lives of others.
I am not willing to debate with you these truths. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)
God’s requirement is that I reach out in love for the lost, that in my heart I set apart Christ as Lord, and that I "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience." (1 Peter 3:15)
While I will not broach these subjects again with you in person or in writing, I do invite you to reach out to me when you have a spirit of seeking change in your life. It would be my privilege to direct you toward the abundance of Scriptures available for people truly wanting to become part of Jesus’ kingdom of believers, those who will spend eternity in heaven with God.
I greatly appreciate that you have read this e-mail, and I hope that if you are not receptive at this time to Jesus’ message, you will at least archive this letter. Until we step through physical death and into eternity -- often an unexpected moment which finds many unprepared -- it is never too late to understand the love and receive the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Regards,
.
Her "friend" recently moved in with her two daughters, aged 14 and 12, who reached out to neighbors two weeks ago for help with emotional abuse in the home, were given Bibles, the youngest received Christ, and then the Bibles were returned with notes of "we don't view the world as you do" but nothing worse.
The author of the reply is a National Security Agency employee with a very high clearance in counter-terrorism. Her "friend" works there also on active military duty. I am very, very upset.
From: Betsy
To: Kim
CC: Rox
Subject: Re: Hope your vacation was relaxing . . .
Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 02:54:03 +0000
kim,
I an not interested in your views or your world view. You are an extremist and out of control emotionally. To my family, you are no different from the people that drove the planes into the trade center. You need to avoid all contact with me, with my son, and with roxanne and her children. Back Off. You are a menace. We do not want you involved in our lives.
Attached is a note from Rox making explicit her personal views on the matter.
------------- Original message --------------
. . . and that you all made it home safely.
Hi, Betsy
Some weeks ago we discussed having an e-mail dialogue about the authenticity of Scripture. There are hundreds of readily available resources which detail the history of the Canon. If you are truly open to proof of the reliability of the 66 books of the Bible, availing yourself of some scholarly works will educate you quite thoroughly. Many are authored by people seeking to disprove Scriptural reliability, but whose research convinced them against their own presuppositions.
I am convinced of a more pressing matter, however, which I must bring to light. Over the years of our friendship you have referred to yourself as a Christian on multiple occasions, and I have listened respectfully to you. But because of my own timidity I have declined to pursue with you the question of, "To you, who is Jesus?"
You have shared with me a little of your Catholic upbringing, and I know even less of your adult exposure to the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is possible you may never have encountered an accurate exposition of what the Bible declares essential in order to be saved from condemnation and be with God in heaven after physical death. My own faith compels me to share the truth with you and be assured you have had an opportunity to receive eternal life.
With reciprocal respect, please take a few minutes to read this e-mail which I composed with you specifically in my mind. Motivated by obedience to Jesus’ command to share His message as well as love for both Him and you, my sincere desire for your life, Betsy, is encompassed by the following prayer:
"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you" -- Betsy -- "being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge . . ." (Ephesians 3:16-19)
We must either discard Jesus entirely, or accept His claim to be Lord. We cannot consider Him a prophet with a moral message, nor a good man with ideas we should consider for better living, because if He was not who He said He was, then He was a either liar or a lunatic. To try to claim any middle ground is an argument which defeats itself.
In Romans 10:9 we learn, "That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." When you are asked, "To you, who is Jesus," the only saving, truly Christian response is acknowledgment that He is God Almighty.
But prior to arriving at the heart-felt belief and confession that Jesus is Lord, people must appreciate the following truths:
Everyone is destined to die, but life does not end with death: "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12) When God created Adam and Eve in His own image, He gave them an abundant life, and the freedom to choose between good and evil. They chose to disobey God, and consequently death was introduced into the world -- not only physical death but spiritual death as well. Because of a choice to sin, all human beings are separated from a sinless, Holy God. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
People have tried to overcome this separation in many ways: by doing good, through religion or philosophy, or by attempting to live morally. However, none of these things is enough to cross the barrier of separation between God and humanity, again because God is holy and human beings are sinful. Spiritual separation has become the natural and normal condition of mankind, and because of this all people are condemned: "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." (John 3:18)
There is only one solution to the problem, just one: "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) That is, it is necessary to be born again in the spiritual sense. God Himself has provided the means that makes it possible for anyone to be born again, and His plan is born of love: "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." (John 3:16)
There are not many ways to God as is the popular belief in today’s culture. According to God in the flesh of Christ Jesus Himself: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
God incarnated Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, fully God and fully man by way of conception by a virgin through the Holy Spirit. Because He was fully divine, Jesus was empowered to never sin. Because he was fully human, Jesus could atone for the original sin of Adam which has been passed on to all his descendants.
Jesus willingly died on the cross to establish the bridge that unites God and humanity:
". . . just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) Every person who is born again by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice can have true fellowship with God.
After Jesus Christ received the punishment that we deserved and died on the cross, He was buried in a tomb. But death did not receive victory over Him. Jesus did not remain in the tomb: He was resurrected. Through faith in Christ, Christians too are granted victory over death.
Each of the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life plus the Book of the Acts of the apostles testify to the truth of the resurrection as eyewitnessed by hundreds of Jerusalem’s citizens, specifically reported in Matthew chapter 28, Mark chapter 16, Luke chapter 24, John chapters 20 and 21, and Acts chapter 1.
In His mercy, God has determined that freedom from condemnation and eternal life with God in heaven, summed up by the word "salvation," is available to all who are willing to humble themselves before God and receive it. You need to do only four things:
1 - acknowledge the problem of separation from God because of sin;
2 - admit to being a sinner, and that you need salvation;
3 - recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins; and
4 - receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.
Heart-felt belief in Jesus Christ leads to the required obedience to Him as Lord: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
It is important that we not deceive ourselves and refer to ourselves as Christians unless we have submitted to the whole counsel of God regarding salvation, and not a picking and choosing of what we find appealing to us. Many who claim the name of Christ selectively choose which parts of Jesus’ teachings suit them and leave the rest behind.
Betsy, I did not come to a saving knowledge of Jesus until recently. Daily I struggle with sin and the allures of this decaying world. But also each day I draw closer to Jesus and right living through immersion in His Word and teachings. When I am tested and shown where I do not meet His standard, I ask for His Holy Spirit’s power to enable me to walk in a manner more worthy the name of Jesus, that I may never bring shame to the name of Christ.
While very far from perfect, I am trying to follow Jesus Word closely and am willing to conform myself to Truth; thus I have assurance of my salvation and the right to be called Christian. "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
In Revelation 21:8 God reveals just as in many, many other places throughout His inspired Word that: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."
In his first letter to the Christians of Corinth, in chapter 5, verses 11 through 13, the apostle Paul instructs Christians to discern between true followers of Christ and false followers: "But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you."
Betsy, it is my duty to inform you that a life lived in willing sinfulness and disobedience to the lordship of Jesus will not see the kingdom of heaven, nor will a person who does not confess with their mouth and believe that Christ Jesus is the Lord. One may refer to herself as a Christian, but neither God nor true Christians are fooled.
Just as I have been timid in the past, hoping for "the right time" in our friendship to speak up, many Christians will not meet their duty to stand firmly for Jesus’ standards. I have recently purposed to leave the ranks of timid Christianity (an oxymoron at best), and speak up for Truth regardless of the personal cost. After all, Jesus did not save Himself at the cost of the lives of others.
I am not willing to debate with you these truths. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)
God’s requirement is that I reach out in love for the lost, that in my heart I set apart Christ as Lord, and that I "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience." (1 Peter 3:15)
While I will not broach these subjects again with you in person or in writing, I do invite you to reach out to me when you have a spirit of seeking change in your life. It would be my privilege to direct you toward the abundance of Scriptures available for people truly wanting to become part of Jesus’ kingdom of believers, those who will spend eternity in heaven with God.
I greatly appreciate that you have read this e-mail, and I hope that if you are not receptive at this time to Jesus’ message, you will at least archive this letter. Until we step through physical death and into eternity -- often an unexpected moment which finds many unprepared -- it is never too late to understand the love and receive the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Regards,
.