Dear Friends,

My wish is that no one would ever have to read this letter.  However, it is with a secure and certain joy that I write it.  You see, my family and I are no longer here on this earth!  Do not be sad for me.  Do not be sad for the other millions of us who have disappeared.  Regardless of what explanations you hear about the world-wide disappearances, regardless of what the authorities and politicians will say, regardless of what the newspapers will write, regardless of what the religious people will preach…the reason we and millions of others have disappeared is because we all have been raptured (taken out) out of this world by Jesus Christ.  He called us from heaven and we were taken “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:51-53, 1 Thess. 4:13-17).  You have been left behind.

Jesus kept His promise to those who believed in Him (John 14:1-3).  I was taken out of this world because of God’s promise that whoever believed that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the only Son of God, would be saved (John 3:16, Acts 16:31, John 20:31).  Over two thousand years ago, Jesus was born through a virgin (Luke 2:11), He lived a sinless life, and then, as the final and ultimate payment for the sins of the world, He was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead by God the Father (Matt. 27, 28).  He then ascended to heaven and promised to return for those who had placed their trust in Him.  Jesus said in the Bible that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one could come to His Father or could enter heaven, except through Him (John 14:5-6).  He is the only way to receive eternal life in heaven (Acts 4:12).  I, and the millions of others who have disappeared, believed Him and accepted Him as Savior and Lord. 

There will undoubtedly be confusing times ahead.  You will meet good people who called themselves Christians who have been left behind.  They appeared to be Christians because they seemed “religious.”  But the Bible says God never cared much for religion.  God only looks at the heart (Acts 15:8, Luke 16:15).  He knows those “religious” people never truly accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior in their heart.  They never fully believed that Jesus was who He said He was.  They never fully placed their trust in Him; His work on the cross that would have paid the penalty for their sins.  They never fully accepted God’s free gift of eternal life. 

It is still God’s desire that you receive His gift of eternal life (1 Tim. 2:3-5).  However, now that all true believers in Jesus are gone, the final deadline for getting to heaven without suffering is over.  Please, do not loose heart.  You can still be saved, but it will likely be very hard to do.  You will hear many lies that will be told to deceive you and to keep you from believing in Jesus Christ.  For many who come to believe, salvation will not come without suffering and death.  But salvation in Jesus is still possible. 

First, you must realize that what I am writing to you is the truth and not fiction, not delusion, not conjecture.  The Bible has always been available to tell you that this terrible time would come.  Remember this in the days to come, the Bible says there will be a strong delusion in these end days (Matt. 24:11, Mark 13:22-23, 2 Thess. 2:11).  The lies that you will hear will be very believable.  Those lies will sound so truthful.  But…there is only one Truth: that Jesus Christ is who He said He was and He is now all you need.  He is and has always been the only way to be saved.  Without salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, you are doomed to eternal separation from God and hell.  In your spirit, you know what you are reading is true!  Pray this prayer from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I confess to You now with my mouth that You are the Creator, the Savior, and Lord.  I have sinned against You.  I have denied that You are the only way to heaven.  I want to be forgiven for my sins.  I accept Your free gift of eternal life through Your sacrifice and Your blood.  I want You to be my Lord and my Savior from this second until forever.  Please forgive me.  I realize now how wrong I have been and I turn away from my sins now.  Please come into my heart, forgive me, and save me now.

Now, you need to realize something very important—things are about to get really bad on the earth.  This letter does not afford me enough time or space to tell you all that is about to happen in the world.  Over the entire world, the god of this world, Satan, will be allowed to have full reign; evil will reign supreme.  The Bible tells us the anti-christ will come to power and will rule over the whole world.  He will be allowed to persecute, kill, and destroy many new believers in Jesus.  He will ultimately be able to deceive the rest of the population on earth, effectively dooming them to hell (2 Thess. 2:3-4).  In addition to the anti-christ and his persecution, God Almighty is now ready to pour out His wrath on the earth and on all of those who rejected His Son (Matt. 24, Mark 13, Revelation).  So, between the anti-christ and God judging this world, things will be very bad for a period of seven years.  It’s all in the Bible.  Read it for yourself. 

Take heart!  If you truly prayed from your heart the prayer listed above, you are now a child of God.  The Bible does not say clearly, but it is believed that God will shield some new believers from experiencing His judgments.  God may use you mightily to bring others to Himself through a saving knowledge of Jesus.  Let God use you in any way He leads.  Study the Bible.  Pray constantly (prayer is just talking to God).  Get with others who are new believers.  Strengthen each other for the trials to come. 

Several years ago, a series of fictional books were written depicting this terrible time of The Tribulation in these last days.  These books are believed to be a fairly accurate representation of what will happen on the earth now.  These books, the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye, are located in my office bookcase.  These books can provide you with some insight into what is coming upon the earth in the next seven years or so.  Please feel free to read those and to share the information with others.

Finally, feel free to eat the food, wear the clothes, use the house, drive the car, and use any of our possessions as you see fit.  We do not need them any longer. 

God be with you and have mercy on you,

Duane, Cathy, Nicholas, and Claire Carley