First off, I’m not better than you, and I don’t think that I am. My thoughts on other people are simple, I will be nice to you and befriend you if you do the same to me and others. I’ll try my best to like and befriend you even if you don’t. I don’t think that I am too good for you. I’m misunderstood quite often because sometimes I’m quiet and I have been told sometimes that I look like I really don’t want anything to do with anyone (not the case usually). So the rest of this tiny little book thing-a-majig is simply my thoughts on just about everything. Matt Heltzel isn’t exactly one to spill out his innermost feelings to even his best of friends, so… Yeah… I suppose that the most logical place to start would be with my faith. Whenever you see something like this, (John 3:16), that would be a verse in the Christian Bible I am referring to. Speaking of John 3:16,I believe that the Bible is the Word of God. I believe that God created earth, sent his Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for the salvation of a cursed world. Therefore, I am pardoned from hell through the shedding of blood on the cross. I would explain this all in complete full detail, but for reasons of laziness on my part, just read the Bible. I believe that God is three spiritual beings in one; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 8:6). I believe that aside from the saving grace from Jesus Christ, all humans are completely and utterly helpless and by themselves are destined for a horrific doom in hell. My Passion/Dream: Since around my sophomore year in high school I have thought that I would probably want to pursue a career as a pastor. Much of my inspiration for this can be accredited to my incredible youth pastor, Ryan Franchuk (who you will read about later), and also Crystal Springs Baptist Camp. After finishing my sophomore year of high school I went to camp, like every other summer since 3rd grade. This year (summer after junior year), somehow, was much much different. The emphasis was on risking it all for Christ (or at least that’s what was emphasized for me)… and I had never, not EVEN ONCE thought about being a missionary up until that week. It was brought up that some people in that chapel were being called by God Himself to go to places where the gospel has never been heard. After that week I was so amazingly struck by a want to get into missions that I wanted to go NOW. I wanted nothing more than to get on a plane and go to any country in the world and scream the gospel to them. Language barriers, money barriers, none of it mattered because I knew Jesus Christ worked miracles and would most assuredly work a miracle if I was willing to risk my life for the furthering of His kingdom. (Might I add, my feelings for this have not changed… How much would the glory of God shine in this?) This feeling went on and on for a while, but sort of died out here and there, but the fire was never fully extinguished. Unlike most feelings I’ve felt in my life, it has stuck out until now, and at this moment I can see myself doing NOTHING else other than giving up my being for Jesus. I can’t understand how America lives in comfort when there are cannibals from far off tribes in the darkest corners of the earth that haven’t even heard of the gospel. THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTS. And during the time that it took me to write this thing, an unthinkable amount of people have perished into an eternal fire pit, hell. So what are we waiting for? What’s the purpose of our lives here on earth? Our call from Jesus Christ as humans is not to live as we want and to do what is “cool”. Our calling in life is to accept God’s free and insanely awesome gift of grace and repent of our old ways. We are to give everything, in whatever way that applies to you, and sacrifice our bodies, our egos, or “hotness”, our lives in order to bring glory to Christ. I can’t scream this loud enough from a mountaintop; WE AREN’T CALLED TO LIVE IN COMFORT! WE ARE CALLED AS GOD’S PEOPLE TO SUFFER IMMENSELY FOR CHRIST. CAN’T WE SEE THE GLORY? Sure we can say that we love God and we go to church and yeah we accepted Jesus into our hearts if life’s just fine and dandy. But what about when we step up to the plate and really start evangelizing and start taking blows from our friends and others. This isn’t OPTIONAL. How doesn’t it bring is all to sobbing tears of thoughts of Jesus Christ on the cross with our backs turned against him? Because that’s exactly how it happened! (verse while we were still sinners) Don’t we realize that what we are doing now IS IN FACT NOT ENOUGH! If I could call you people reading this to one thing it’s this; PLEASE, for the sake of Jesus Christ, think upon his sacrifice on the Cross where he gave his life for SINNERS (you and me), and think about how much you have given for Christ? We owe to him our lives and nothing less. If this was to be called “a call” then I call you right now to give up everything you love… Family, friends, kids, brothers, sisters.. because Christ is more important, infinitely more important, and sacrifice it to spread the Gospel to sinners who have never heard. Give your possessions to the poor and follow Christ for the rest of your life. Do you owe Him anything less? Matt- I read your message and it has hit me with much force. I have been to foreign lands and know exactly what your message is talking about. I agree with it fully and support you fully. Not only do I support you in that, but I also pray for your support in me to be a missionary anywhere I go. I don't yet know where it is someday but for now for me it is in my school. There are many lost souls that need Jesus. I will be praying for you and I ask the same from you. "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for all of us -- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" {Rom 8:31b-32 NIV} Thank you for your inspiration.