Today I received a letter from a dear friend and brother in Christ, Harold Kitchen. Brother Kitchen was a member of the 11th Airborne, the same unit that rescued me and many others from the Japanese at Los Banjos in the Philippines. Jesus said, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Where mountains are being moved you will find men of faith. In world war two we had men of faith fighting on the front and at home praying for the troops. We need men of faith if this country is to remain free and to win over her enemies ever again. Here is Brother Kitchen's letter in it's entirety:
Dear John, May this be a very fine Christmas for you and yours. I want to be very emphatic about the reason for this celebration. Jesus Christ. I do not want to put cold water on any ones Christmas this year so if you have received a nice present, enjoy it, there is nothing wrong with giving and receiving gifts.
I expect to get into heaven the same way, by a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some one other than myself who has done that which I cannot do. Pay my way into Heaven. Ephesians 2:8&9 says "For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." And can't you just hear the boasting if it were about things that men can do?
So how does it work? John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." then John 17;24 says "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world."
GOD wants believers. He looks for us more than we seek Him. In John 14:6 Jesus says "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Don't look for any other way there is none. First John 3:23 states: "And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment." Then first John 2:23 says "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." and first John 1:8 says "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
So we have all sinned, we know that. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, and wants us to be with Him. We need to acknowledge Jesus as the redeemer and ask Him to make it personal for each one of us, and then trust Him. He says in first John 1 verse 9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Yes, we've done wrong but He has forgiven us and we can be at peace about the whole matter.
That's what I think is important about Christmas. God has been good to us. We have been married for 66 years and we can both still walk and talk and drive the car and live a good life, what praise we owe to our God.
Now the family news, Marg. had cancer four and a half years ago, they did surgery, and put her on treatment to prevent the return of cancer, from where we stand it appears that she is going to make that magical five years without cancer. We are in anticipation of that.
We have family around us and there is still music in the family. We go places and here the family sing. Grand daughter Crystal was Marilla in the musical Anne of Avonlea. Grand daughter Cary is in music, grand daughter Abbey is in college studying, among other things music. The kids are growing up and we are getting old. Just the way things are supposed to work. Marg is making quilts, for the pregnancy center, for the fire department and for others who work for children, I am cutting wood fixing the fence, complaining about the elk that break it, and taking care of calves even when they get out. Life is good and we wish each of you the best Christmas that you have ever had.
I felt that this was the letter that I should write this year. It is my prayer that those who receive it will read the scriptures and know God's love for them as well as His plan of salvation.
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