Dear Friends,
This week two men prayed with me according to the pattern of Luke 18:13 & Romans 10:9.
The first was a Jewish man, an electronics engineer, mid-60s, battling cancer. Here is part of what he wrote to me:
Looking for inspiration, I started to listen to your bible studies on YouTube. I went back as far as I could go to start at the beginning. I think it was in the 2nd oldest audio clip that you described a Jewish man in his 90s who had survived and healed from many health challenges. I think you said that he was aware of God, prayed every day and was filled with gratitude. I think you also said that his heart was open and that the door was open, and to me the implication was that although the door was open he had not yet passed through it. I think I am in a similar position. Moving ahead two audio clips, I think you said that the key to Christian faith (the walking through the door) was the acceptance of the resurrection. This is the clip where you talked about the different forms of hydrogen and about how our bodies are constantly remaking themselves. At the end, you led the class in a prayer, which I repeated aloud with the class. I am pretty much on my knees right now with another health crisis, and maybe I needed to get to this point to write to you to ask for help. As I know you have offered these things, I need a little chat with you to clear up, and set up my theology, in order for it, as you say it must, be based on the acceptance of the resurrection. To me, God is infinite love and power, raised to the infinite power, so, in theory I don’t have any problem with it, but I need to understand the larger context. I have some questions. Could you please tell me how we might be able to chat in order for you to get me through that door to accept Christ? Thank-you and God Bless you! You are an amazing man to do science at the level that you do, while also being a biblical scholar and evangelist.
We met and this old Jewish man just collapsed into the arms of Yeshua. Not a breath of resistance. He was ready to receive. He is with Burt Brink now in Bible study, and also talking with Mitch Glaser, President of Chosen People Ministry.
The next is a man 30 years old living in Norway. He wrote:
Dear Dr. Tour, I hope this message finds you well. I find myself in need of your words about Jesus. I have tried to piece together the puzzle of faith, yet the pull of naturalism holds me firmly still. I want to believe – not for the sake of comfort, but for the responsibility it brings, and the freedom that accompanies it. Your insights would be of great help as I continue this journey of thought and spirit. Thank you for your time and for sharing your perspective.
Warm regards.
It turns out that the man is a story writer who then translates and publishes in four languages by himself. He is also studying psychology to work as a therapist. He was open and ready to receive the word of the faith and the resurrection with joy. He kept thanking me. When we were all finished, he revealed to me that when he was 13 years old, he had been a believer. But then he started listening to the atheists like Hitchens and Dawkins, and he fell into unbelief and even disbelief. He was so glad to have returned home.
Luke 15: 24 “for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” And they began to celebrate.
Two sons were dead but returned home and came to life this week, both lost and now found, one old and the other young, one a Jew and the other a Gentile. Our Father ran to receive them both because of the blood of Jesus.
God bless,
Jim Tour
