Roadmap To Heaven international radio, tape and literature ministry

(This letter was originally written in response to the questions of a young listener in Zimbabwe who was very unfamiliar with Christianity. Also listed as "Letter To A New Friend".)

Dear Friend,

Thank you so much for your letter and for your questions about Jesus Christ. The New Testament is the part of the Bible that speaks the most clearly about Jesus. You�ll see that the first four �books� of the New Testament are named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the four different men who wrote about Jesus� life. Matthew and John actually lived with Jesus for over three years. The twenty-seven books of the New Testament, Matthew through Revelation, are the words of God himself, and were written down by men almost two thousand years ago. Two Old Testament books, Psalms and Proverbs, are included near the back cover of some New Testaments. These are also the words of God and were written about three thousand years ago.

The Bible says that God made everything. He made the sun, the moon, and the stars. He made the earth, the sea, and the sky. He made the plants, the animals, and the people. About two thousand years ago God came from his home, called Heaven, to this earth. He came in the form of a human baby, just like you and I once were. The Bible says �God was manifest in the flesh�, (1 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 16). Matthew, chapter 1 tells how he was born from the womb of a virgin. He was born in the town of Bethlehem, about five miles south of Jerusalem. When God was born into this world, his name was called Jesus. Most of the people did not recognize him or care about him. The Bible says of Jesus, �He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.� (John, chapter 1, verses 10 and 11. AV)

In your letter you asked if Jesus is the rainmaker of this area. Actually, the Bible teaches that he is the Rain Maker of the whole earth. Read Psalms, chapter 147, verses 7 and 8.

Jesus grew up in the town of Nazareth, about fifteen miles west of the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel. He went about all his country doing good and teaching people how God really wanted them to live. He healed sick people just by speaking or by touching them. He even brought dead people back to life. The Bible says Jesus was the �only begotten Son of God� (John 3:16). That means there has never been anyone else like him. He lived the only completely perfect life ever lived on earth. He never once thought, said, or did anything wrong, though he was tempted in every way that we are tempted (Hebrews 4:15).

The religious authorities in Israel did not want to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, that is, God in a human body. Yet Jesus himself declared that he was the Son of God (Mark 14:61 through 64). Sometimes they asked him to prove it. They wanted him to show a miraculous sign. Jesus said he would give them only one sign to prove that he really was the Son of God. This was the sign; that he would be killed, buried, and on the third day afterward he would rise from the dead, alive again. If he could do this, it would prove that he truly was the Son of God. You can read about this in Mat. 12:38-40, and in John 2:18-22.

Jesus knew he would one day be killed. That was really the reason he came to earth. He knew his death would be very cruel. His body would be cut and pierced, his blood would be shed, he would be spiked through his hands and hung from a wooden cross. On the night before he died, he explained to his friends the real purpose of his death. He was dying to pay for everything that you and I have ever done wrong. (Mat. 26:28).

Heaven is the beautiful home where Jesus now lives. He wants us all to live forever with him in Heaven after we die. But we cannot go there. No one who has ever done wrong can live in Heaven. The Bible calls our wrongs �sins�. It says that everyone, except Jesus, has sinned (Romans 3:23). We have all done things we knew were wrong, and we must pay for those wrongs forever. After death, we must forever remain in a place of everlasting fire and punishment. The Bible calls that place Hell. (See Luke 16: 23-26). Yet God does not want anyone to go to Hell when they die. He is �not willing that any should perish� (2 Peter 3:9).

Jesus died to take the blame for every wrong ever done by everybody. He absorbed all our sins and guilt into his own body, then paid for them completely by allowing himself to be tortured and killed. You�ll read that in 1 Peter 2:24. The time finally came when Jesus was captured, tried, condemned, and nailed to a wooden cross to die. As he hung he prayed for those who had nailed him there. He said, �Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.� (Luke 23:34). While he hung suffering the whole sky became black. The very moment he died, the earth began to quake and the rocks broke apart. The Roman soldier who was in charge of the execution was struck with fear and cried out, �Truly, this was the Son of God!�. (Mat. 27:54).

Jesus� body was buried in a cave and sealed with a large stone. On the morning of the third day he came back to life, left his grave, and showed himself alive again to many whom had known him. John, chapter 20 tells this story of Christ�s resurrection. He truly did pay for our sins with his own death, just as he said he would. And he truly did rise again from the dead, just as he said he would. He once and for all proved that he is the Son of God. Since then, many people have tried to disprove his resurrection. No one has ever been able to.

In your letter you asked if Jesus appeared and disappeared as they say Chaminuka did. Jesus often appeared and disappeared for a period of forty days after he rose from the dead. See Luke 24:30-43. After those forty days Jesus left this earth. While his friends were standing with him, he began to rise up into the air till a cloud covered him. Then he went all the way back to Heaven, where he had come from. You can read about this in Acts, chapter 1. In your letter, you asked why I said Jesus is powerful. Just before Jesus left the earth, he told his followers, �All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth� (Mat.28:18 AV). The Bible says that the name of Jesus is more powerful than any other name anywhere. Please read Philippians, chapter 2, verses 9 through 11.

You asked if Jesus lives here. Jesus has been living in Heaven since the day he left Earth nearly 2,000 years ago. Though he now lives in Heaven, he also lives inside the heart of every person who has gladly received him. Jesus said, �Behold, I stand at the door and knock� (that is, the door of your heart). �If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me.� (Revelation 3:20). Anyone can open the door of their heart to Jesus by turning away from all the things they know are wrong, and by trusting that Jesus has paid for all their sins with his own death and his shed blood. This causes a person to love Jesus very much, and to want to do whatever Jesus commands us in the Bible. Jesus said, �If you love me, keep my commandments� (John 14:15).

Jesus explained how he comes to live in a person�s life in John 14:23. He said, �If anyone loves me, he will keep my word:� (obey the Bible), �and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him�. So, while Jesus rules the whole universe from his throne in Heaven, he also lives in the hearts of every person in every country who truly loves and obeys him.

When Jesus comes into a person�s heart, he makes them into a new kind of person. John 1:12 says �But as many as received him, to them he gave the right (power, AV) to become children of God, to those who believe in his name.� There are many people who were once fearful or dishonest, selfish or angry, many who once stole things or hurt people. But when they heard about Jesus, they became very sorry for the way they had been. They received Jesus into their hearts by trusting his death for them, by believing he rose from the dead, then by loving and gladly obeying him. After that, Jesus, living in their hearts, gave them courage and made them honest, patient, giving and loving. (Please read 2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus has done this for millions of people. If you ask him to, he�ll do it for you. Do you love Jesus for dying for you? You can receive him right now. Speak to him. Jesus can hear your words very well. He can even hear your thoughts. You can say something like this:

�Lord Jesus, I believe you really are the Son of God. I believe you died to pay for every bad thing I�ve ever done. I believe you rose again from the dead. I now turn away from everything I know is wrong, and I open the door of my heart to you. Come live in me. Lord Jesus, I love you!�

Now Jesus has just entered your heart. You may feel a change, or you may feel nothing at all. Still, you know for certain that he has come in because he promised he would. Jesus has never broken any promise he�s made. He keeps his word. Now you�ll want to thank Jesus for all he�s just done for you. If you don�t know what to say, you can say something like this: �Thankyou, Lord Jesus, for forgiving my sins. Thankyou for coming into my heart. My life is now yours. Please make me more like you. In Jesus� name, Amen.�

To become a strong Christian, pray every day. Read your Bible every day. Tell others about Jesus. Ask the Lord to lead you to a church where the Bible is truly taught. Gather with those Christians each week. Please write back and tell me of your decision. God bless you!