Greetings and Blessings to all...
As some of you are aware, I am new to this site, but over the last few days I have been 'clicking' through trying to get an idea as to what it is all about. Actually, I have never been a member to any discussion site, so needless to say, I am finding this one...interesting.
As I mentioned in my introductary post, I am 30 years old and have only been a Christian for a few years, after receiving a message five years ago. This has taken me through many trials, where I have and will continue to have many sufferings, along with blessings.
Presently, I am in South Korea, working as an English teacher, but attending morning church, each and every day (5am!) and two to three times on Sundays. I have thrown out and left all of my old ways (on the cross) behind and have been continually growing in Christ.
Last year, I went to Turkey and Greece to study Apostle Paul, but was too caught up in my emotional self to truly appreciate where I was. Over the past year, I have noticed, along with many others, a complete change in myself (Thank God!). This is not to boast or brag, just to show that I am willing to do all that I can to learn more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I remember that about three short years ago, all that I knew was that the Bible started with G(enesis) and ended with R(evelation). I know that I still understand very little, but the Holy Spirit has taught me a lot (at least, as much as I can handle). With growing wisdom and knowledge, my understanding has also increased, leading me to be more faithful in my belief.
Five years ago, I talked about what I knew from my experience (the message I received), but now I am able to back it up with the Bible and other teachings. Lately, I have been sending mass emails, to over 200 people on my email list, trying to, in my own way, encourage and bring people to Christ.
I understand that I have much to learn and that my lack of experience will undoubtably get me into some trouble, especially with non-Christians. My problem is not that non-Christians will try to rebuke me, but that I want to learn how to best address these people.
As Jesus, had great difficulty in his own hometown, I too am having difficulty 'preaching' to old friends and even family. The thing is, of the three or four mass emails I have sent, only four people replied negatively.
The first, was my high school friend, university roomate, and over all 'good' guy that I knew growing up. The second, was a co-worker where I presently work. The third, was a university 'friend' who actually hangs out with my 'good' friend. The fourth, was a co-worker that I worked with last year at another English school here in Korea.
At first, my 'good' friend kind of 'hurt' my feelings and emotions, but then I remembered Jesus. The second, made me pray for for those that do not understand. The third, made me more comfortable with what I was saying. The fourth, made me happy, because I was suffering with 'friendships' for Christ Jesus.
Then I realized what connected these four. They are all males between the ages of 25-30. I know there lifestyles and that they feel comfortable about the way they are living. One stated he was very intelligent, while another said he will never need God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit.
My question is, besides general advice; what should I and should I not be doing concerning preaching and teaching? I had a dream the other day that I was in the presence of the devil, but rather than being scared or worried about the death that he was presenting to me and my fiancee, I asked him,"Do you know Jesus?" I will talk to whomever the Lord leads me to and I will die for Jesus. However, I do want to first, help bring more souls to the cross.
Help me, so that I can help others. If you like, I can add some of the writings that I sent. I want and need advice, so that I can be the best that God has planned for me.
I will cut and paste somethings that I wrote. Please feel free to be critical and correct me where you so see fit...
God Bless and Enjoy...or not...
Brian
#1
As I start to write this letter and think about what I could possibly say to express the reason why I am sending you all this mass-email, I realize that I must express this in the only way that makes sense to me. As you may have noticed, there are 5 Is in the first sentence and 1 me. This is not how I hope to express this message. As some of you may or may not have noticed, I have gone through a lot of changes over my short time here on earth. I intend to express this message through what changed me and what continues to change me more each day.
God is real. Jesus is real. The Holy Spirit is real. These three things have become the foundation of which my life is based. Although, my life has always been known, it was my lack of understanding and interpretation that led me to believe otherwise. After years of searching for my purpose and the reason for my uninspired existence, I have come to the unflappable, undefeatable, and undeniable truth; without God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, we would not exist.
For those of you who are still reading, I appreciate and thank you for your time. Some of you that are on my emailing list already know of Gods grace and the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins. The Holy Spirit does live and for those true worshipers, the Spirit leads them in paths of righteousness. For the people on my list that are unaware or uncertain of what I am talking about, please give me a moment and know that I cannot lie about this matter.
God is Love. We are able to Love only because of God, through His son, Jesus. Without God, we would not have Love and without Jesus, we would not have access to the everlasting life that is Heaven. The way to know God is through his Word. His word is the Bible. The Father allowed His only Son, Jesus, who was perfect, to be sacrificed for the sins of those who were yet to be born. The road to Heaven is narrow, but the road to Hell is wide and certain. My question to you is; are you walking in the flesh or in the spirit?
Even though I am relatively young and am not fully educated in theology, I have, however, experienced many trials and tribulations in my life to understand that my way was and always will be the wrong way. On the other hand, actually, in the right hands, Gods way is always good and evermore the better. Each day presents new challenges, but each day God is willing to be there for you and me both. All that we have to do is acknowledge that Jesus is our savior. Once we accept this fact, we will grow and begin to live like Jesus. The Holy Spirit will fill you with joy, wisdom, and understanding. All of this is because of Gods everlasting love, grace, and mercy.
I, being a child of God and a brother in Jesus, pray that you too come to appreciate the only meaningful truth in this life. For you true worshipers, I seek assistance and guidance in my journeys. For you unbelievers; read the Bible, go to church (search and you will find
one for you), fellowship (talk) with other believers (Christians), get baptized, and most importantly
PRAY. As for me, because I am being led more and more by the Holy Spirit, I now attend church 8 times a week, pray at least an hour a day, and am seeking Gods guidance on if or when I should attend Acadias Divinity College next fall to help spread the Good News by becoming a pastor and working for the big guy upstairs.
Lets pray for each other and live like Jesus. Forgive others always. You will be forgiven for all of your sins and you too will be washed clean by the blood of Jesus. Stay true to the Word and He will always bless you abundantly, to the full, until it overflows.
Join the Heavenly Family
Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Brian K. Vacheresse
Ephesians 6:18
1 Peter 5:
P.S. Sorry for any mistakes
PBPGINFWMY
Please Be Patient God Is Not Finished With Me Yet
#2
Merry Christmas and Season Greetings to ALL;
I hope and pray that you are all well and living the life you were given. Now that the year is winding down and some of us are getting a last little push of energy by the spirit of the season, I trust that each of you are keeping things in perspective. If you are reading this email, I am confident that you would have been able to read it last year. This leads me to assume that you are not a child and that you have been a grown-up for a number of years.
We, as grown-ups, have been doing a great job. We make schedules, plans, meetings, and appointments. We can organize, strengthen, maximize, solve, and fix. We are fast, quick, poignant, and sometimes consistent. The thing is, that we, as grown-ups, can do a lot of things. We can accomplish our goals, visions, aspirations, and dreams. We can have families, fame, and fortune. We as grown-ups have all the ability to make the decisions necessary to survive our lifetime.
The question you may be wondering is; what is he talking about? Well, I have a question for some of you. What are you talking about? What are you talking about each day? What are you talking about with your family? What are you talking about with your friends? What are you talking about with your co-workers? What are you talking about when you meet someone at the checkout? What are you talking about when you meet someone for the first and last time? What are you talking about during the sunny days? What are you talking about during the rainy days? What are you talking about during the snowy days? What are you talking about each season? What are you talking about during your birthday? What are you talking about during Christmas? What are you talking about during Easter? What are you talking about today? What were you talking about yesterday? What will you talk about tomorrow? What are you talking about?!
We as grown-ups have become great talkers, too. We can talk about any subject, fact, opinion, stat, and poll. We can do all these things, because we have become grown-ups and, as grown-ups know, we know and children do not. It is understood that not all people think the same and not all people believe the same things, but it is also understood that although some people who know and understand what is good, either forget or fail to act properly. Whether you know or do not know how to act properly, let us consider some facts.
We can live our life, acting alone. Well, some will say that family and friends will never leave, so they are never alone, although, in ones own mind, alone, would be the absence of anyone else beside you, so being alone is a very real option. That is a sad thought in itself, especially, since the four basic needs to humans; besides water, food and clothing are: acceptance, identity, security, and purpose. This can be argued and since grown-ups are great talkers, complainers, winners, and fighters, there will be a few who will. It is possible to live and act alone in the world, even with family and friends by our side, but this leads us be substandard, because we are limited in our individual abilities, talents, and attributes. For some reason or another, one may like this option.
On the other hand, we can live together and connected to life. This is where grown-ups get confused. We are in such a hurry to get-up, grow-up, and most times give-up, that we miss the truth about life. Life is a beautiful gift that has been given to us. Some grown-ups knew that, at one time in their life, but for one or several reasons, they have put those pleasant thoughts and memories far back and deep in their mind and heart. In order to live life and enjoy the gift of life, we must plug into the joy that is awaiting us all. There is only one possible way to live in truth and enjoy all the promises that come with that truth.
Christmas is a great time of year. Grown-ups spend time, money, and energy trying to buy their happiness. Even though, grown-ups do this throughout the year, Christmas is the time when it is seen to the fullest. Since, we are grown-ups, we ought to know why we do the things we do. The funny thing is that most of us have no idea what we are doing, let alone why were are doing it. We continue to do things that may not be proper, because we are grown-ups and grown-ups can do what we want, because we are grown-ups and grown-ups always have done whats grown-ups want.
Confused? Actually, some of you are. The thing is that there is only one reason for why we are here. There is only one reason for the holiday season. There is only one way to get the truth and joy that is accompanied by this precious gift that we are all given. Most of you either knew I would get to this point, or you did not have a clue as to what I was alluding to. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. This, that, these, and those are the truth. Lick it, stick it, stamp it; whatever you want to do with it, you may! My words are the truth. They will not go away. You have the choice to believe or not. That is Gods gift of free will.
As I mentioned in the beginning, we are all grown-ups that have been given a gift and that we should keep everything into perspective. Actually, what I would like you to do, rather than grow-up, is to slow-down. First, get the right perspective. Realize that God is real. Realize Jesus Christ is the reason, not only for the season, but our ability to have eternal life. Realize that the Holy Spirit is our comforter. When you begin to realize, you will understand more about the truth of life and growing-up will not be as important to you anymore.
Second, be like children. Children do not do near the horrible, horrid, and harmful things that grown-ups do. We learn from children, unfortunately, many children learn from grown-ups. Once we begin living like children, we will get the joy, happiness, and fullness back into our heart, mind, and soul. Last, I also mentioned that grown-ups have the great ability to survive this world. I have a news flash for some of you; we were not made to survive! We were made to live forever. This is a test. This is not our intended home. This is not the end.
In the Bible, we are promised many things. One thing that you should realize is Heaven. Heaven is real. Heaven is our home. Do you want to go to Heaven? Hopefully, you said yes. If you did not, well, you probably wont
For those of you whom said, YES!!!, then I have a few suggestions: 1) Read the Bible 2) Go to Church 3) Pray 4) Talk to Christians. Maybe some of you are tired of me talking about God, but I say, SO!!!, while others fully understand my point. Either way, I hope and pray that you all have a Merry CHRISTmas and many Happy New Years.
I know that without God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, lifes joys and pleasures are only temporary, so, I am confident that you grown-ups will be open to change and allow Jesus into your heart. Let go of your worldly ways and start living for eternal life. Everyone is welcome, because God is not only good, but also He is Love.
Alone we will melt. In Him we are strong.
Love and Blessings,
Brian K. Vacheresse
P.S. If you read more below, you will find something that was forwarded to me that I feel holds some weight
enjoy, or dont.
If they know of him at all, many folks think Ben Stein is just a quirky actor/comedian who talks in a monotone.
He's also a very intelligent attorney who knows how to put ideas and words together in such a way as to sway juries
and make people think clearly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary
Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart:
I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the
cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty
litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who
Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who
they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important?
>
I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.
>
Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive?
Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.
>
If this is what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.
>
Next confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does
not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up,
bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don' t feel
discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
>
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I
don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In
fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters
celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is
a manger scene on display at a key
intersection near my beach house in Malibu .
If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
>
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think
Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who
believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no
idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country.
I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
>
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we
should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?
>
I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.
>
But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came
from and where the America we knew went to.
>
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a
little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
>
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson
asked her "How could God let something like this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)
>
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said,
"I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've
been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to
get out of our
lives.
>
And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can
we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave
us alone?"
>
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I
think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found
recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
>
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says
thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
>
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they
misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might
damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide).
We said an expert should know what he's talking about and we said OK.
>
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they
don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers,
their classmates, and themselves.
>
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.
I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
>
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.
>
Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
>
Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like
wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think
twice about
sharing.
>
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through
cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
>
Are you laughing?
>
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list
because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
>
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
>
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did.
But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
#3
Dear Friends,
May all of you be sharing in the happiness of your lives. I hope that each and every one of you had a happy, warm, and safe holiday season. As fast as it had approached, it has just as quickly vanished. Hopefully, some of you took my advice from the last email and kept everything in perspective. Many of you have been receiving my emails over the last couple of years and I would like to thank those of you whom have shared your encouraging words with me...Thank You!
Know that my words are not to boast or brag about my progress in life, rather to share with you the joy that I am now experiencing, so that you, too, will have similar or even better experiences. Also, know that my words are not meant to be preachy or teachy, but I know that there is no way that I am able to witness to you by keeping my words just peachy. Some would like to live life and believe that everything is ok and happy in their lives, even though they are only living for themselves, or the small circle of family and friends that they may have around them.
Well, friends, like many of the clichés in life; life is not a basket of soft and delicious peaches. Life is rotten for many. Life is rotten for most. Maybe life is rotten for you. I know one thing for certain; life was rotten for me. Sometimes it starts to rot from the outside and then progresses inward, although, many times it starts on the inside and works outward.
This email will not be the same as my Christmas one. Life is funny, well, I guess if you have a warped sense of humor. Last month I sent most of you the email about what you talk about each day of your life. Admittedly, it was more preachy than peachy; however, I believe it had to be said. Out of all of the responses that I have ever received over the years, one was from a close friend (and you know who you are) who refuted what I said on the basis that he/she was happy with the way things were in his/her life and that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are not for him/her. That was weeks ago and I was not sure how to respond, so I left it on the backburner and prayed about it, and then today, I received a forward from a coach that I once had. Although I only played for the coach for a year, I knew that there was something about him I admired. He seemed to have integrity, strength, understanding, and wisdom; however, I knew nothing about his personal life. He has been on my email list, so he knows that I am a Christian.
This is what he sent
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. " The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell." They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew, which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand." " It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."
When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you! If you are one of the 7% who will stand up for him
forward this w/ the title 7%. 93% of people won't forward this.
When I read this my heart started to beat faster and I started to well up. The reason that I did that was not because of the message. Actually, as I read about the hell part, my heart said, fools, feed each other!!!, but they never do! The reason was that I never knew my coach was a Christian. He will be reading this email and I want him to know that
well, words cannot not truly express my delight, surprise, and relief
May God Bless You and Your Family.
That email recharged my joy to maximum power, but that got me thinking about my friend who sent me the refuting email a month ago. I spent the day thinking about how I could show that he/she was wrong, but at the same time keep it peachy. Therefore, I will write this in the hopes of adding some fuzziness and juiciness, so that you will know that I do have a heart and that my intentions are good.
From my experiences I have learned that there is evil in the world. There is evil far away. There is evil close to home. There is evil across the street. There is evil in our homes. Wherever we turn we will find evil or evil will find us first. This cannot be denied or refuted. From my experiences, I have also learned that there is good in the world. There is good far away. There is good close to home. There is good across the street. There is good in our homes. Wherever we turn we will find good or good will find us. This cannot be denied or refuted. Many people choose to live in the evil ways of the world. Many people choose to live in the good ways of the world. This cannot be denied or refuted, either.
When I was younger, I chose to live in the evil of the world and finding evil things do to, even though my heart wanted good. Although, at first I did not fully understand what evil was, but when I was shown goodness, the light overshadowed the darkness and then I knew the difference. Then I began to do more of the things that were good and I found that the light provided many more benefits than the darkness. Once in the light, it is easy to distinguish from the dark.
However, having experienced the dark, I understand that it is harder to distinguish shades of black to light, because all you have known is darkness, although, not knowing the difference is not and will not be an excuse as to why you chose the dark rather than the light. This being said, I want you to know that there is a difference. If you choose to live in darkness, that is your choice. If you choose to live in light, that is your choice. I am not here to tell you how to live the life you were given. I am here to suggest that the light offers more advantages to the dark than I would ever be able to express in words.
My experiences have proved to be the greatest asset and the continued pursuit of an even brighter light has also proved beneficial. The light does get brighter and the dark does get darker. My hopes are that you, who are living in darkness, come to the light, because there is a greater power here that is waiting and willing to show you everything that you have ever wanted to know and more. Everyone has one basic need: love. Love only comes from one source.
Humans are like light bulbs. We are brought to the world, dead in darkness. We have the inner capabilities to be a shining light for anyone or anything. The problem is that most choose not to connect to the power source or screw into the socket. There is a socket and connection to power each light bulb, like there is a place and purpose for each and every one of us. When a light bulb is screwed into a socket, we get light. When we join to Jesus, we get life. God is the only source of love and power and Jesus is the only Way to receive that gracious gift. To power and light a light bulb costs money. To power and give eternal life to a human is free. You decide whether staying in your box or getting connected is better, whether light is better than the dark.
Many of us, at first, do not know any better, but then once we are told or taught, begin to make our lives better. Others will deny any truth from any source, even until they die. Unfortunately, for them, life will end and they will be discarded like a burnt out light bulb. Fortunately, for the former, we have an eternal home that has a place and purpose no matter what shape or condition we are in. This is one of many ways to look at life. Like the email from my coach, we can compare heaven and hell, life and death, good and evil, light and darkness, God and Satan to many things. The underlying truth in the comparisons is that we have the choice of what side of the coin we want to be on.
As I mentioned, pretending or acting in ignorance will not be an excuse as to why you have not chosen the foretold winning side, because no matter how many times it has been flipped, God always wins and comes up on top. My point is to share with you as if sharing my bowl of stew. Sharing is the true way of living. I am trying to share with you the truth that I have come to learn. I was blind, but now I see. If you do not trust me, research what I am saying and begin to put it into practice. It will change your life. Whether you are rich, poor, happy, or sad, it will do something that will allow you to be an even better person and child of God on earth and mark a place for you in heaven. So, if you think your basket of peaches is good, share it with others. If your basket is rotten, do not worry, God can do anything with anyone of us and He will, as long as you seek Him first.
My message may not be as peachy as I hoped, but that is something that I have to work on. None of us are perfect and we will never, while on earth, be guaranteed harmony or life without suffering. Let us work together and help each other so that we all share in the riches that God has for each and every one of us.
Anyway, these are just words from someone who has been in darkness and now lives in the light: who was blind and now sees. Take care of yourself and each other.
God Bless You and Yours,
Brian K. Vacheresse
****If you read all three emails...thank you... I look forward to your...words****God Bless.
|
