Dear Loved Ones,
I'm writing to share something that God has laid on my heart. As you are aware, our lives have
taken an unexpected turn since my diagnosis of ALS. It has certainly caused us to focus on the
most important things in life and rearrange our priorities. To think I used to get irritated if
someone pulled out in front of me! We are totally depending on God to get us through each
day. He has generously provided faithful and loving caregivers, prayer warriors, meal preparers,
errand runners, etc. His greatest gift is my incredible loving and supportive family! They mean
everything to me! Their sacrifices have been unparalleled.
The main reason for this letter is that I want to share the Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. I
know that many of you receiving this letter are already Christians so feel free to share with
someone else.
There are only two types of people in the world, the saved and the unsaved. The decision that
you make regarding Jesus in your life will determine where you will spend eternity. There was a
time when you did not exist but there will never be a time that you will cease to exist. The
politically correct theology of today wants you to believe that all religions are basically the same
and all roads lead to Heaven. This is not true.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me"
(John 14:6). This verse is very clear that placing your faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation is the
only way to go to Heaven. He is either the ONLY way or he is no way. According to this verse, He
has to be one of three things.
• Liar—He knew He was not God's Son but said He was.
• Lunatic—He wasn't God's Son but thought He was.
• Lord—He was God's Son as He said He was.
I believe that He was who He said He was. Therefore, it begs the question, "Who do you think
Jesus Christ is?"
If you should die today, and stand before God and He asked you, "Why should I let you into My
Heaven?" How would you answer Him? Please take a moment to seriously answer this question
for yourself
Many common responses include:
• I have tried to live a good life and be kind to others.
• My good deeds have outweighed my bad.
• I haven't committed any of the really bad things—murder, theft, etc.
• I come from a good family and went to church growing up.
• I believe in God.
These answers, or others similar to them, will not gain us entrance into Heaven because we're
using our human assessment of what "good" is. God is completely sinless, totally perfect
(Romans 3:10), something that we as humans can never attain on our own. That creates a gap
that keeps us from God because our sinfulness could not fellowship with perfection. God is holy
and righteous; therefore, He cannot let sin go unpunished. He loves us so much that He sent His
Beloved Son, who was sinless, to die on the cross to take the penalty for our sins. "For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not
perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Salvation is a free gift, but as with any gift it must be accepted to become your gift. It is a
personal decision. No one else can make it for you. There is no one too bad to be saved, and no
one too good that he or she need not be saved. First, you need to recognize and admit your
sinfulness. Then, you must believe that Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection was the full
and sole payment for your sins. If you're ready to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and
Savior you can pray a prayer something like this:
Dear God,
I'm a sinner and my sin deserves judgment, but I need and want mercy. I know that You love
me. I know that You want to save me. Jesus, You died to save me and You promised to save me.
I do trust You. I open my heart and receive You today as my Lord and Savior. Forgive my sin.
Cleanse me with Your precious blood. Thank You for Your shed blood on Calvary. Thank You
that You died in my place. I don't look for a sign. I don't look for a feeling. I stand on Your Word.
Now Lord Jesus begin to make me the person You want me to be. Help me never to be
ashamed of You and give me the courage to make it public.
In His precious Name,
Amen.
Please understand it isn't just about reciting a prayer and then going on with your life as usual.
This prayer can save you from your sins, but it must be accompanied by a heart change—a deep
desire to make Christ the Lord of your life which includes living in a way pleasing to Him and not
fulfilling your own selfish desires. It will involve lifestyle changes, reading the Bible, going to a
solid Bible believing and teaching church, changing your life priorities, etc.
Your life will be different. These actions will not do anything to save you, Jesus fully
accomplished that on the cross, but they will be natural extensions of your newfound love for
and devotion to Jesus Christ. You are not saved by faith AND works, you are saved by faith THAT
works. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the
gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). I cannot work
my soul to save, that work my Lord has done, but I will work like any slave for my love of God's
own Son.
I would be grossly remiss and unfair if I didn't also share the "rest of reality." Since we will all
exist for eternity, if you do not choose Christ and spend eternity in Heaven with Him, the other
place to be for eternity is Hell. It is not a popular topic and even many churches try to downplay
it. But it is a cold, hard fact that Hell exists. It is not a place where you can "party with your
buddies" or be with your friends and do anything you want since there will be no laws. People
in Hell will experience complete darkness, isolation, and torment for eternity. After being there
for 10,000 years, they will not be one second closer to being at the end of their time there.
Eternity never ends. People have asked, "How can a loving God send people to Hell?" He
doesn't. Each person makes his or her own decision where to spend eternity. People who go to
Hell crawl over the bloody cross of Calvary to get there.
Do not make the grave error of believing that "God does not exist." Creation itself, in its
intricacies, complexities, and splendor, points directly to a Creator. To not believe in a Creator is
to believe that nothing times nobody equals everything. It would be the same probability of a
tornado going through a junkyard and leaving in its wake a perfectly crafted, fully functional
747 aircraft. Random and impersonal chance does not bring about complexity and design.
In addition, in the Bible there are more than 300 prophecies concerning Jesus written 700 years
before He came to Earth. Some of these include date and place of birth, occupation, method of
death, resurrection, etc. These writings have been historically dated which prove the time
difference between the prophecies and their fulfillment. Secular, non-Christian historians have
written about Jesus' existence corroborating the facts recorded in the Bible concerning Jesus. It
has been mathematically calculated that having only eight of those prophecies come true in
one person would be out of the realm of mathematical possibility. Yet all 300+ prophecies were
fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This could only be accomplished by a superior being—God.
Compare your entire existence to all the grains of sand from every desert and beach in the
world. The number is incalculable and let’s say all those grains of sand belonged to you.
Imagine that you chose one tiny grain and spent all your time and attention (love, wealth,
interest, thoughts, devotion) on that one grain of sand. Then one day that little grain blew
away. What was left for you were the unfathomable grains of sand which you had not even
given any thought to or had any concern for. The single grain represents the time of your life on
Earth with the remaining grains being eternity. This analogy shows the vital importance of
contemplating your eternity and not focusing only on your short time on Earth.
What will you do with Jesus? Every person ever born will stand before Jesus Christ one day. You
will face Him as either your Savior or your Judge. It is your decision.
God forgive me, but I don't know if I would have gotten around to writing this letter in the
"busyness" of my life the way it was. My deepest desire is that everyone receiving this letter
that is not already a Christian will give his or her heart to Christ. But if only one person accepts
Christ and I will see that person in Heaven some day because of this letter, having ALS will be
worth it all to me.
In Christ's Love,
Karla
For more information on God's profound truth stated in a very clear way, please visit "lwf.org"
and click on Discover Jesus. It will be the most important click you'll ever make.