December 3, 2005

Dear Friends,

"Blessed is the one who heareth" may have more than one significance after the eighty-year mark.  In our town the loudspeaker truck passes through each section of town, announcing special events and advertising special offers of the stores who pay for the service.  The Funeral Home also announces deaths and funerals.  This week there has been one or two deaths announced each day.  As I listen, I say to myself, "I am blessed to hear the notice, I am still alive."  Death, however, is a terrible enemy and people ought to fear its coming.

This week I bought tires from a man who has the greatest fear of death I have ever seen.  He cannot bear to look at a corpse or even pass in front of the Funeral Home.  After talking to him and hearing his fears, my heart cried out to God, "Oh, Lord, help me to reach Amil with the Gospel and please save him!" (I ask you to pray for him).  After our conversation, I came home and read the accounts of Jesus raising the little girl from death, the raising of Lazarus from the tomb, the giving of life to the official's son, and the restoring of life to the widow's son.  Sin could not snare Jesus, Satan could not overcome, and the grave could not hold Him.  And I thought:  For the one who has Jesus, there is no fear.  Great things He has done for us.  To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ or growing old.  He proved His love by dying for us when we were yet sinners.  He has proved His power over death by His resurrection from the dead.  This is our hope.  Maybe you are thinking:  Not much of a mission letter.  Dear Friend, to take the fear out of death for the lost is our only mission.  May God help us to reach as many as we can.

Without fear in HIM,

John and Alta Hatcher