A Letter To My Readers
Dear Readers,
I’m so happy that you have joined me on my adventures. We’ve traveled through time and space, visited fantasy worlds and retold ancient legends. I absolutely love writing stories, and hope to write many, many more.
I’m writing this letter for a different purpose. I want to tell you that I believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God and that he came to earth so that we might know our creator. He came to save us from our sins. I know that isn’t a popular message these days, and I sincerely hope that you will stick with me and read the rest of this letter.
Jesus wasn’t sent to condemn us. Many people know John 3:16, but the next verse says “God did not send his son to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” This isn’t about judgement. If you don’t agree with me that’s your right. I’m not pushing my beliefs on anyone, but I need to share a message that I believe is urgent. If you aren’t familiar with Christianity, or the bible, you should know that like a good writer, God began the story of life on this planet with the end in mind. That end is very near. I’m not advocating for politics, nor am I trying to force people to do anything. This isn’t about religion, or rules, but a relationship with our creator. I want to tell you what I believe and share with you the way that you can know God personally, to find purpose and hope in this life, and the one to come.
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord when I was a boy. Since then I’ve studied the Bible, taken classes in Seminary (master’s level religious graduate school), and worked in churches before devoting my career to writing. I’ve always been fascinated with Bible prophecy, and the end times. And in the last couple of years I’ve seen many things coming to fruition that point to us reaching the climax of God’s story. Here’s what I believe you need to know.
First, Jesus will soon call away his church (that is all persons who have put their hope for salvation into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ). Theologians call this event the rapture. Essentially, Christians will simply disappear from the earth. We’ll be lifted into heaven to meet Jesus and begin the eternal side of our existence. I have to admit I’m pretty excited about it. For me, Jesus isn’t just a person from history. He is real, his love is powerful, and he has given me purpose in life. I love to write stories about characters who discover what they were created to do because Jesus helped me to see that I was created to be a storyteller and has blessed my efforts at producing books for all of you.
For people who have never admitted their need for a savior, and accepted God’s free gift of salvation through his son, what follows the rapture is the darkest period of human history. After the shock of thousands of people simply disappearing, a charismatic leader will arise. The world governance will be reorganized. Promises of peace will be made, but it is all an illusion. The Bible calls this period of time the days of God’s wrath. Many people will die. There will be war, natural disasters, and acts of violence we can barely comprehend. At the end of this letter I’ll give you some references, and recommend some books to read. Suffice it to say, this is going to be a bad, bad time to be alive, and I don’t want any of you to have to endure it. Know this, once the charismatic leader brokers a seven year peace accord between the nation of Israel and the surrounding Islamic countries, there are only seven tumultuous years remaining in this world. At the end of that time Jesus will return to the earth and set up an eternal kingdom. If you don’t accept him prior to that time, you will face judgement for your life completely on your own.
My point in sharing all of this isn’t to scare you, because I believe there is hope for all of us. Let me tell you how you can know God personally, and saved from the final days of judgement that are just around the corner. Remember, God loves you. He doesn’t want you to be cut off from him, and that is why he sent Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins. The Bible teaches us that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard. None of us, not even mother Teresa was good enough to earn a place in God’s kingdom. That’s why Jesus came. He paid the debt for all our sins, and all we have to do is accept the free gift he offers by admitting our need and placing our trust in him to make us right with God. Allow me to explain it this way: Imagine that the earth was going to be destroyed (perhaps a giant meteor was headed straight for us, or the sun was about to go super nova). Mankind’s only chance for survival is a planet in the Paradise system, but it’s a thousand light years away. There’s simply no way for people to reach that planet, the distance is too great. But what if God created a starship that could travel faster than the speed of light and He offered passage to anyone who was willing to go with Him. Some of us would jump at the chance, but others would have doubts. They might say that traveling faster than the speed of light is impossible. And unfortunately, some wouldn’t want to accept God’s help no matter what. But to those who did accept the free ride offered by our creator, they were taken safely across the cosmos to a verdant planet unscarred by pollution or disease, where they could live knowing God personally.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not. That’s just an illustration that I hope helps you understand what God did for you and me. What he offers is the chance to have our sins removed from us so that we can have a relationship with God himself. Our sins create a chasm that we can never cross without the help of Jesus. And all it takes is belief in His death for our sins, and his resurrection from the dead. Let me give you some scriptures from the Bible:
Romans 3:10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous, not even one;”
Like I said, we’re all sinners. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. That doesn’t mean we’re bad people. It just means we’re not up to God’s standard.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and Fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Put simply, we’ve all sinned. Sin leads to death. But God has given us a gift that leads to eternal life. So how do we get this gift?
Romans 10:9&10 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
It’s easy. There’s nothing to sign-up for. You don’t need to buy anything. It’s all about what you believe. Jesus was crucified almost two thousand years ago. He was innocent, but gave himself freely to be the sacrifice for our sins. While on the cross God poured out the sins of the entire world, all through time, onto Jesus. He paid the wages of our sin in his death. But God’s story doesn’t end there. Through His power He raised his son back to life so that we could have confidence that our sins were dealt with completely, and to show us that we have the hope of everlasting life. Just as God raised Jesus from the dead, he will also raise us.
Romans 8:1&2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Here is a sample prayer that you can pray to accept this free gift from God.
“God, I know I’m a sinner. And I believe that Jesus paid the debt for my sins. I want to put my trust in Jesus and live for you.”
That’s it! It’s not a magic formula, just an earnest prayer that will connect you with God. I also encourage you to tell people about your decision. There’s no need to shout on a street corner. You can find other believers at a church near you. Or, if you like, you can send me a message and tell me about your decision. It would be my honor to encourage you in your new relationship with God.
Resources to help you:
First, get a bible. You can download the Bible app free on your phone. It has devotionals, study guides, and various translations. It’s all free, so you can begin to learn about God through the Bible, which is really a letter from Him to you.
Next, there a lot of books about living for God in these tumultuous times. I’m going to start by recommending two, although I may share more down the road.
The Non-Prophet’s Guide To The End Times by Todd Hampson
This is an easy, informative read. It’s not preachy, or churchy, just good info with solid biblical references.
The Handwriting On The Wall: Secrets From The Prophecies Of Daniel by Dr. David Jeremiah
This one is on Kindle Unlimited. It’s a little more traditional, but is a great read about living for God, as well as information on the final days of this world.
I also want to recommend some videos:
Check out The Chosen. It’s a television series that was completely crowd funded and is very, very well done. It tells the story of Jesus from the point of view of his followers. You can get The Chosen app, or watch season one on the Peacock streaming service.
If you want more information strictly on the end times, take a look at The Coming Convergence on Amazon Prime. It’s a little on the dramatic side, but the information is on point.
Thank you so much for reading this letter. I hope you find it encouraging. There are exciting days ahead, and if Jesus doesn’t return soon I’ll have more books for you. In fact, I’m working on the SSG Vanhorn Series, and I’ve got an idea for another book, perhaps a stand alone. Time will tell.
If you have questions about this letter, please feel free to use the contact me form and send them to me. I always have time for my readers.
Many happy adventures!
Toby Neighbors
