Gospel e-Letter

Two men had spent their lives immersed in evil and wrongdoing. Now, at the end of their earthly journey, they faced the inevitable — in a short while, they would stand before their Creator to give an account of their deeds. Yet in these final moments, they were given a unique opportunity: to speak directly to Jesus Himself and ask of Him whatever they wished. The first man felt no sorrow for the wickedness he had committed. His heart remained hardened, and he showed no true interest in Jesus. All he desired was to be delivered from death so that he might return to his old ways and once more enjoy the fleeting pleasures of the world. Jesus did not answer him. The man died in his sin and was eternally lost. The second man, however, was different. Aware of his guilt and humbled by the fear of God, he recognized in Jesus the promised Messiah — the eternal King. Despite the scorn and mockery directed at “the King of the Jews,” he longed to be with Jesus. In faith and humility, he said, “L...

  Friend, please consider carefully what the Bible teaches about prayer, and in particular, to whom should you address your prayer. You would be wise to listen to God's Word and follow his instructions. There are scores of prayers recorded in the Holy Scriptures (the psalms and many others). You can take them as model prayers. All are addressed to God. Not one is addressed to the saints in heaven. When Mary was here on earth, she also prayed to God. Peter, James, John, the other apostles, Mary and other disciples were gathered together to pray. They prayed to the Lord (See Acts 1:14, 24). You honour Mary if you copy her godly example. The Bible tells us how to experience the communion of the saints. We are told to pray for the saints (Ephesians 6:18); i.e. to pray for one another; the Bible does not tell us to address our prayers to the departed saints. God hears the prayer of his people because he is omniscient. He hears you from heaven. He knows your heart; the saints in heaven ...