Well, … tonight I received yet another interesting gospel message mass e-mailing.
Don’t you just love email sent to you from friends and relatives with titles that are something like this:
Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Jesus Loves YOU!!!
C’mon … seriously? You think this is a form of communication? Christians that never even say hello to me forward these mails all day long. I notice that most of the people they send them to already believe exactly what they do.
I am in no way angry about receiving these mails however, I just believe there is a better way to communicate that Jesus loves you.
As for people I have known for years that I never see or hear anything from other than their forwarded emails, ... I guess I would rather that they simply wrote: Hey, Steve! Are you still as fat as you used to be? Burp! See ya!
Perhaps they think I am not getting enough junk mail on my own so I need copies of theirs too. Or perhaps, they simply think I am not receiving the real “quality” of junk mail they get.
Well, … If an email tells me that you need to read it to the very end of the last part at the very very bottom of the last page of the 14 page document so that I see that I have to forward this to everybody I know or I am somehow totally ashamed of the gospel and that I must not really believe in Jesus after all cause if I did I would surely know that I have to forward a mail written by someone who I never met to people I probably won’t meet. Ever!
So … here’s how I usually handle it. Delete! End of story. I do exactly what they say I better not do. In fact, I admit I live to do exactly the opposite of what people tell me I have to do in these mails. Man is rebellious … and uh, so am I!
When did telling someone about the good news of the saving gospel message become something that is forwarded from somebody else? Go ye into all the world and forward email?
Folks, let me tell you something. I believe in Christ. I think you should too. In fact, I believe it is the most important decision you could ever make. Sorry, I have no buts to add. Jesus is coming again. I believe the Bible and I believe that we are close to Christ’s return. Maybe not. But either way, I am not ashamed of Christ and I still won’t forward your email.
Again, I am not in any way trying to offend anyone who reads this blog. I am not trying to offend you even if you do not believe in Jesus at all. In fact I have many close friends that don't believe in Him. I cannot convince you that what I just said is fact. Convincing you of this truth is the job of the Holy Spirit. I can only report and tell you what I have discovered in MY life only. Folks, our job is to tell others what our experience has been. They need to search on their own in order to find Christ. There is no special bonus for you when someone believes in Him. Only God can make a seed grow. It has nothing to do with us. Our job is to simply tell our story. Doesn't that take the pressure off?
The real issue I have here is this: Why should you believe me … if all I do is forward a message to you that someone else wrote? Someone writes a cleverly worded little “diddy” and says, “If you love Jesus, you better send this here message I wrote to everyone you know”. Folks, don’t ya think it would be better to copy the Gospel of John into an email and send that instead of a poem you wrote? John knew Jesus and spoke to Him audibly ... and saw the miracles ... and saw the death and resurrection ... and refused to deny that He rose all the way to his persecuted grave! So, I might add … that the poem you wrote (though nice) doesn’t have the power to convince anyone as much as Scripture itself. So please chill on the “you better send this” guilt trips. It isn't productive!
The fact is … those who do not believe in Christ won’t care what you might know … until they know that you do care for them ... regardless of what they believe. Blasting mass emails does not necessarily communicate that you really care in any way. I don’t expect someone I have only vaguely known to be impacted by the story of someone who knows someone who wrote a poem to someone that another someone thought would be good in an email about Jesus.
Folks, I know God can use absolutely anything that someone is willing to do for His kingdom. However, the Bible says (Matthew 28:19, 20) to go and preach of the good news of Christ. Jesus died, rose and lives today offering you payment for your sin. Will you accept His payment? See Acts 4:12 and John 14:6.
I believe this is a very different message than what we see in many forwarded so-called gospel mails. I also know that some people are housebound and have little to no way to reach the outside world with the saving message of Jesus. I would just appeal to them not to make the reader somehow ashamed of Christ (Romans 1:16) if they don't forward their email. Can we agree that when something truly good is written ... there is a very good chance the reader or some readers will forward it anyway? I just think that constant email blasts make readers immune to the message of good news.
Jesus changes lives today! I want you to know that Jesus has done that for me. I don’t want to tell you about what He did for someone else because I can’t speak with personal authority on another man’s experience with Christ. I am telling you Jesus did it for ME. I won’t bore you with my junk mail. I only wish I could communicate my sincere heart and concern for you a whole lot better than this website writing. I guess I wish I could sit by a fire with all of you one at a time and tell you how he has changed and is changing my life today. I would want to hear your story too because hundreds of you have also seen Christ change your lives. And some of you are still searching for something real and just need to be heard without judgement or being blasted with instant remedy.
I pray that God will move in all of your hearts to accept His free payment of sin offered through His Son, Jesus. May God reveal to you what I can’t. May God cause you to seek Jesus. If you even wonder if Jesus is really there, earnestly pray this, “Jesus if you are really there, help me to find you.” Keep praying that … and let Him show you.
As for the thing I am supposed to forward to you. DELETE.
God bless you all.
NikonSniper Steve
