December 2012 Newlstter

November 26, 2012

Re: December 2012 Newsletter

Dear Friend,

I pray that you had a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends, reflecting on the blessings that the Lord has granted you. My Thanksgiving was a day of reflection over the past seven years; thankful for where the Lord has taken us and for the souls with which He has allowed us to share the Gospel. There are no words to express how thankful I am for the opportunity the Lord has provided to share the Gospel all over the world. Today, we have ongoing prayer relationships with Christian ministries all over the world. Our website is viewed regularly in 130 countries throughout the world. In the seven years, which The Forgiveness Foundation is about to complete, I’ve learned that evangelism is about obedience to the Lord more than anything else. As I reflected over where TFF has been and where it is going, I thanked the Lord for you, for your prayers and financial support knowing that you not only helped make the mission the Lord gave us possible, knowing that you partnered in sharing the Gospel with thousands. Merely saying thank you is totally inadequate.

Thanksgiving has passed, and Christmas is a mere twenty-nine days from today. The Christmas Card outreach took a slight detour this year; however, is back on course and needs your help to pay for postage to mail the Christmas cards. I encourage you to prayerfully consider a gift of any size to help pay for postage. You may make your gift online by going to our website, www.theforgivenessfoundation.org, clicking onto the PayPal logo and following the instructions. If you prefer you may mail your gift to:

The Forgiveness Foundation

P. O. Box 2634

Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

Please write “Christmas card” on the memo line of your check.

For the past six years The Forgiveness Foundation has had a hand drawn, drawn out of colored pencil, Christmas card sent to every inmate on death row. The card has a handwritten, in red or green ink, Bible verse, a personal note to each inmate and an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Every envelope is hand addressed. Our goal is to share the love of Jesus Christ with people who the world, for the most part, has forgotten or rejected. The Forgiveness Foundation takes the great commission seriously, “And then He [Jesus} told them, “(15) Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. (16) Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16, NLT)

On November 13, 2012 the State of Ohio executed Brett Hartman. Brett had been writing to The Forgiveness Foundation since the beginning. Brett was a unique individual. Brett had always maintained that he was innocent of the murder for which he had been convicted and did not waiver through his execution. Over the years that we corresponded with each other he asked me to write to various member of his family because he was concerned about their salvation. His mother died last year and Brett was thankful for the kindness the Ohio prison system extended him during his time of mourning. Brett didn’t believe he would be executed even though he saw and knew men who were being regularly executed in Ohio. He believed being innocent was enough. The State of Ohio was certain Brett was the person who murdered Winda Snipes. Ultimately, the State of Ohio executed Brett. Brett’s third execution date was the final one. No stay came to spare his life once more. Please pray for Brett’s sister, as she lost her mother and her brother in the past year.

Forty men have been executed to date this year. Four men are currently scheduled for the month of December. The Forgiveness Foundation believes that three of these four will be executed. A total of 43 men were executed last year and it appears that 43 men will be executed this year as well.

Executions Scheduled for December 2012

• December 04 - George Ochoa, Oklahoma
• December 05 – Richard Stokley, Arizona
• December 11 – Manuel Pardo, Florida
• December 11 – Roy Lee Ward, Indiana – Stay Likely for Federal Appeals

Please pray for George, Richard, Manuel, and Roy. Pray for salvation if unsaved, peace if saved, and if any of these men are innocent that it be discovered before they are executed. Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of George, Richard, Manuel, and Roy’s sin at Calvary. All that remains is for them to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior, to receive the free gift of salvation and eternal life. Please pray earnestly for these men, keeping in mind that in God’s eyes, murder is a sin and in the eyes of Oklahoma, Arizona, Florida, and Indiana, murder is a crime that, in these cases, is punishable by death. At Calvary, over 2,000 years ago, Jesus accepted the punishment for the sin of the murders these men are convicted of committing and now they need to accept the salvation and forgiveness Jesus desires to give them.

Please check our website, www.theforgivenessfoundation.org, for current information regarding stays of execution and additional people being scheduled for execution during the course of the month.

This year The Forgiveness Foundation is asking you to join us in a fast beginning January 3 and ending January 12. During the fast we ask that you pray for God’s direction and provision for the ministry of The Forgiveness Foundation. I will have more details regarding fasting and scripture for you regarding fasting in our January 2013 Newsletter. Prayerfully consider joining us in a ten day fast.

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)

Black Friday, traditionally the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has now been moved up to Thanksgiving Day, and tells the world a great deal about us as Americans and more importantly as Christians. For some time now the true meaning of Christmas has been tarnished materialistic idolatry. People franticly looking for the perfect deal on the perfect gift: the perfect gift is Jesus Christ! Over two thousand years ago His Father, our Heavenly Father, sent, His only Son, Jesus the Christ, to redeem us from our sins. I encourage you to contemplate the importance of the gift of the Christ Child in your life – it will reveal who you are.

If I could draw - my drawing representing my impression of “Black Friday” wouldn’t be pleasing to most - it would be a cartoon of ravenous dogs vying for the last morsel of food. Not a pleasant site – but one I sincerely believe fairly represents “Black Friday.”

In closing we, at The Forgiveness Foundation wish you a Blesses Christmas and New Year, thanking you for prayer and financial support throughout 2012.

Godspeace!

Rodney Rexrode, The Forgiveness Foundation