Even though the recent U.S. election has left some people wondering if every vote counts, I feel stronger than ever that every vote really does count.

But regardless of what I feel about that, there’s something of which I am totally certain: every prayer counts.

There are times when I’ve felt that God doesn’t need my prayers, that there are plenty of other people praying, that there’s no need to add mine. But I’ve realized that one vote in prayer, when added up with countless others, can tip the scales in the outcome of any situation. And unlike punch card ballots where you can vote only once, by praying we really can “vote early and vote often.”

I say this to encourage you in your own prayer life. If you think you’re prayers don’t count, think again.

In the Bible, Paul says that we should “pray continually” (1 Thessalonioans 5:17). Luke says that the disciples joined together “constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). Jesus told stories to show us that we should “always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).

God wants us to pray continually. And he gives us this promise: “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16, NLT).

Prayer Card

I also say this to encourage you to pray for us. I am confident of this: every single prayer you say for our family and for this ministry makes a difference. And when added to those of others around the world can tip the scales that mean life or death for someone who needs God.

For this reason, we’ve created a prayer card to remind you to pray for us. Click here (or click the picture below) for a printable version of the prayer card. We hope you’ll print it out and save it to remember to pray for us.

One woman told us a few years ago that she put our picture on her refrigerator and from time to time she’d hold her hand up to our family picture and pray for us. That really touched our hearts and we know it touched our lives: prayer is the foundation for every good thing that comes out of this ministry. Every single prayer really does count!!

KIDSRANCH Now Open!!!

With so many kids on the Internet, I’ve wanted for some time now to create a website just for them that would be both fun and encouraging, and at the same time give them the gospel message.

This summer, about 200 kids at our church’s Vacation Bible School helped me to start creating just such a site. This past week I’ve been able to finish it up and open it for kids from all over the world to visit at http://www.kidsranch.org. I hope you’ll visit the KidsRanch and have some fun exploring it on your own. Even though I created the site specifically for kids 13 and under, there are tons of games and jokes, music and stories that will appeal to young and old alike (you can play “Asteroids” as long as you want – and you don’t have to put a quarter in every 3 minutes!)

Thanks again to everyone who contributed materially or financially to make the KidsRanch possible. Please pray right now that God will use the KidsRanch to draw kids closer to Him.

Tell your friends about the site, and stop by the KidsRanch yourself and let me know what you think! (Please note that the address is “www.kidsranch.org,” NOT “www.kidsranch.com,” which is someone else’s website!)

USA Today Response

Thanks, too, for your prayers for the USA TODAY article. The article itself, plus the incredible response to it, has been nothing but positive. Here’s a direct link to the article in case you missed it, or if you want to pass it on to others to introduce them to The Ranch: www.usatoday.com.

I know your prayers worked because the secular press is not always so favorable to religion in general, nor to evangelists in particular! The response was immediate as I began to get emails from people all over the U.S. who “happened” to find the paper that day. Several other papers and electronic newsletters picked up the story and did similarly favorable follow-up articles.

We’ve averaged about 3,000-4,000 visitors each month this year at The Ranch website, but last month that number shot up to over 8,000 visitors, our highest month ever.

I’ll let you know some of the specific responses in the future, but I’m still trying to make my way through all of the emails myself! If you’re one of those awaiting a response, please bear with me as I wade through this increased blessing!

I’d also ask you to pray again for Leslie Miller at USA Today who did such an excellent job writing the article, that God would continue to bless the use of her words. I’ve since found out that to buy a half-page ad in USA Today the size of this article would cost $45,000!! Sounds like a Jabez-sized answer to prayer to me! (www.prayerofjabez.com, 1 Chronicles 4:10).

Year-End Gifts

One of the things Leslie pointed out in the article is that I am very low-key in my requests for funding for this ministry. Sometimes I’m too low-key and I know some of you want to know how we’re doing.

Quite honestly, we operate at less than 50% of what we’ve budgeted to run the ministry. So far this year, we’ve received an average of $2,300 a month in donations. From this we pay my salary to support my family and all the computer and other costs needed to run the ministry. To say we run a tight ship is an understatement, and we do indeed need your help. Just like every prayer counts, every dollar counts, too.

As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, we will send you a tax-deductible receipt for your gifts of cash, stocks, vehicles, even land (we’re praying for a physical ranch where we can offer spiritual retreats for people who need encouragement in their faith). Please postmark any year-end gifts by December 31st to be deducted from this year’s taxes.

Please Pray with Us

Thank you, Lord,

• for the chance to proclaim your name to hundreds of thousands through the USA TODAY and the follow up articles,
• for the help and support of everyone who contributed to the the KidsRanch,
• and for providing the funds to continue this ministry this year.

And Lord, we now ask

• for increasing resources to handle the increasing ministry,
• that you would draw kids to the KidsRanch who need to learn about You and grow in their faith,
• and for more people to find their way to The Ranch so they can find their way to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Time for a Boost!

Dear friends, we do need your help. Thanks so much if you’re already donating to our ministry. If not, we’d love for you to join us. We’re currently operating at less than 50% of our budget and would appreciate any boost you could give us, either as a monthly commitment or a one-time gift. Thanks for considering us in your giving plans.

You can donate directly online by clicking the “donate now” button below.

If you’d like to make a donation of and receive a CD, such as “Marilyn Byrnes: Christmas”, or “Eric Elder : Clear My Mind”, just click Take It With You. You can listen to samples at http://www.1piano.com. Your gifts will help our ministry greatly! Thanks!

You will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Eric Elder Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Merry Christmas!

We had a great start to the Christmas season this past weekend. Over 200 people from our church put on an hour-long tour through the city of Bethlehem, complete with live cows, donkeys and Roman soldiers on horses.

Lana and the kids dressed up to work in the marketplace, selling live chickens and sheep. I was one of the tour guides, taking groups through the city, watching out for thieves and beggars, and trying to get past the Roman soldiers. It was quite a production, and gave us a great sense of “being there” at the greatest birth ever recorded.

Back at The Ranch, we’re planning for a special broadcast this Thursday, December 16th. I’ll be sharing some practical ways people can “stock up on their faith” for the New Year.

With Y2K just around the corner, no one knows exactly what will happen. But there’s one thing we can stock up on that will help us through anything: FAITH. If you can get on the Internet and watch, I’d love for you to join us in the chat room afterwards. But for those of you who can’t make it, let me share here some of the ways to stock up on your faith.

Stocking Up on Your Faith

1. Read the Bible Regularly

The Bible is full of stories of ordinary people just like you and me who faced impossible circumstances. Yet, by faith they accomplished extra-ordinary things. (You can read about some of them in Hebrews Chapter 11.)

When we read and reread the stories of how God has worked in lives of others, we increase our faith that He will work in ours, too.

2. Pray regularly and listen for God’s direction

God has many things He wants to tell us. He has a unique purpose for each of our lives. Through prayer, we can not only ask Him questions, but we can also listen for his answers. God can help us know what to do each day, and what to do for the rest of our lives.

Bring your requests to God, and be sure to take time to listen for his answers. Here’s how King David prayed: “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” (Psalm 5:3)

3. Be Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only.

Faith is like a muscle: the more you use it the stronger it gets.

A friend recently said that she loved having a treadmill in her house. Even though she hardly ever used it, it made her feel better just knowing it was there anytime she wanted to exercise.

We sometimes treat the Bible and prayer the same way. We feel better just knowing we have access to them anytime we need them. But if we don’t make a habit of reading, praying and putting our faith into action, we will be in no better shape than if we didn’t have access to those things at all.

The apostle James says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22, KJV).

Just as exercising our body makes us stronger physically, exercising our faith makes us stronger spiritually. Make sure you’ve got a good supply of faith on hand for the New Year. Read your Bible. Pray. Then put your faith into action.

Good News

At home we have some good news! Great news, actually…Lana and I are expecting our 5th baby in June! You may know that we’ve had several miscarriages a few years ago, so I’m glad to report that Lana passed her first trimester with a good report from the doctor. We’ll greatly appreciate your prayers through the rest of the pregnancy.

Other good news has come in the form of some year-end E-Mails. Some of these people were in depressed, even suicidal states at the end of last year because of struggles in their lives. But they are ending this year full of faith that God is alive and active, in part due to our Internet ministry and your prayers.

One says, “I cannot believe that I am ending 1999 so differently as to how I began it.”

Another says, “Thanks so much for all you do in the Lord’s service. It has been some time since I was on the Internet because of struggles, etc. I am now back on and tonight I revisited The Ranch. It was like taking a walk down memory lane. So many feeling flooded my heart as I looked around and remembered what God did through you in my heart.”

And another says, “Just wanted to drop you a line and pray that your ministry is going well! Also, wanted to let you know that the porn junk has not been a part of my life since August! What a wonderful relief…and peace that passeth all understanding! The big test was last night…my wife had to be gone and will also be gone tonight…In the past these were time times that I would indulge myself in illicit chat, cyber porn, or rented movies…But you know, Eric…that was not even a temptation last night…due to people like you and guys on the forum who have held me up in prayer…made myself accountable to my wife…God is good and a faithful deliverer! May God continue to bless you my brother.”

Amsterdam 2000

Billy Graham is holding an invitation-only event next July in Amsterdam. They’ve had over 75,000 applications and will choose 10,000 to attend, 75% of which will come from developing nations. It will be the largest gathering of its type ever known.

I was a bit surprised, but thrilled when I was recently invited to attend. I’d like to accept the invitation, but I’ll need to raise $2,200 between now and then in order to attend.

If someone happens to have enough frequent flyer miles to donate to get me from Chicago to Amsterdam and back, that would further reduce my costs. If you, or your church, or your Sunday School class would be interested in sponsoring me for this special event, please let me know as soon as possible to I can respond to their invitation. You can read more about the event at: http://www.amsterdam2000.org.

Special Needs

Some people have asked if we have any special needs right now, so here are a few of those as well.

• The sound has gone out on our camcorder for the broadcasts and we need a new or used one to replace it.
• I’m needing a new or used midi keyboard to digitize my music for use on the Internet.
• We’re needing a second vehicle for me to use when I’m on the road so Lana can have some transportation while I’m gone.

Please Pray With Us

Thank you Lord,

• for all You’ve done for each one of us this year;
• for giving us faith that no matter what happens in the future, You will still be here for us;
• and for leading us and guiding us every step of the way.

And Lord, we now ask:

• for an increase in our faith to believe You and to take You at your Word;
• for the provision to accomplish all You have put before us;
• and for more people to find their way to The Ranch so they can find their way to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord bless you and Merry Christmas!

If you’ve read my newsletter for any length of time, you know that I always end with a prayer that people will find their way to The Ranch so they can find their way to God.

If you’ve prayed that prayer with me, I know you’ll be excited to hear the most recent answer. I got an email a few weeks ago from Leslie Miller at USA Today. She had found The Ranch and asked if she could interview me about our Internet ministry for a special technology section they’re publishing on Monday, November 13th.

(Here’s a direct link: www.usatoday.com.)

So we set up an interview and talked on the phone for a couple of hours. You can bet that Lana and I did a little house cleaning when she said she was sending a photographer! It was all very exciting, but what’s even more exciting is that God can use this article to send His message of love and forgiveness through His Son to more people in one day than I’ve been able to reach in my entire lifetime. USA Today has 2.2 million readers! (with 13.1 million online readers!)

I’m excited because I know that God Himself is trying to reach out to His people, and He’ll use whatever means He can to do it. I want you to pray with me that God will use this to draw thousands of people closer to Him, whether they come to The Ranch, or are simply touched by the article itself.

I’m praying that not one person would skip over this article if God is trying to touch them through it. Even if someone just picks up a copy on a chair at an airport, or they find it under their hotel room door, or they see a copy at a gas station, I pray God would not let them put it down until He’s had a chance to speak to them through the article.

Because next Monday’s deadline is so close, would you pray with me right now before you go any further in this newsletter? Pray that the final wording of the article would say exactly what God wants to say to reach out to His people, and that many would click onto The Ranch so they can draw closer to Him. I hope you’ll pray right now, then keep reading the rest of the newsletter.

The Prayer of Jabez

When I first heard about this USA Today interview, I was reading a little book called The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. Jabez was a man in the Bible who prayed a little prayer and saw great results. He asked God to bless him and enlarge his territory – and God did (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). Bruce Wilkinson suggests that we could pattern our own prayers after Jabez by praying something like this: “O God and King, please expand my opportunities and my impact in such a way that I touch more lives for your glory.”

So I began to pray this prayer and a few days later got the email from USA Today! I hurried up to finish the book to find out what to do next! I’ve heard that God has already used this book in many people’s lives. If you’d like to read more about this little prayer, you can visit: http://www.prayerofjabez.com.

Websites

Speaking of websites, I’m putting the finishing touches on the KidsRanch website at http://www.kidsranch.org. It’s been really fun to put together and I believe it will be fun and encouraging for both kids and adults. Please pray with me that God will speak through me as I write the final pages on the site that will tell kids that God really does exist and He really does care about their lives.

In the mean time, you can take a look at a church website I just finished at http://www.christiscentral.com. You’ll find great sermons, topics for teens, thoughts on worship, plus a whole lot more. I also think this website will help you with many ideas if your own church is going on the web.

Letters

Back at The Ranch, here are a few of the letters people have written.

A woman from Colorado writes:

“As always, I have just enjoyed a brief visit at the ranch :-) I sent your link to a few friends tonight, as I had not done that before for them. I hope to be back soon.”

Another woman found The Ranch when she did a search on the Internet for “someone to talk to” and it brought her to my site. She poured out her heart in an email and ended with this:

“I’m sitting here now debating whether to hit the send button. I feel so much better just for having written out some of the things that have been weighing on me. That makes me think that maybe I can just delete this and carry on. On the other hand, if God set it up, who am I to try and defy it? Send it is. Thank you again.”

A man from North Carolina writes:

“I am listening to your CD [online] and I can barely type. I am crying so hard. The HEALING in your playing is AWESOME!! My heart is so refreshed. I have been in a horrible battle and pit that I couldn’t pull out of and Jesus has climbed down in that pit to get me and start pulling me out as I listen to this CD.”

And it’s not often I get to quote a writer from USA Today, so here’s a quote from Leslie Miller, too:

“I look at a lot of religion-oriented Web sites, and yours really stands out – it’s one of the best I’ve seen, and I’d like to feature it in USA Today if you’re agreeable to that.”

Christmas CD

Many of you know that I love to play the piano, but you may not know that my sister’s really the pianist in the family.

She’s extremely talented and went to college on a music scholarship (so I’m not the only one who thinks she’s good!) So I was glad last month to help her record her second CD, this one of beautiful Christmas music. We’re making it available to you this month through our ministry.

It features traditional Christmas songs like Joy to the World, Silent Night, and What Child is This? all expressed in a fresh and relaxing style, similar to George Winston.

The CD’s are strikingly beautiful, not only in their sound but also in the way they look, so they’ll make great Christmas gifts as well. I already heard from one woman in Chicago who’s getting copies for her friends:

“I got the CD. It’s awesome! I am making my list and checking it twice right now.”

You can use the enclosed response form to order copies and you can listen to samples at http://www.1piano.com. Your donations will go a long way in helping us minister to others over the Internet.

Please Pray With Us

Thank you, Lord,

• for answering our prayers to draw people to The Ranch so they can draw close to You,
• for the opportunity to reach out to millions with Your message through this USA Today article,
• and for using this new technology to spread Your Word throughout the world.

And Lord, we now ask

• that every person You want to reach through the article will find it and read it,
• for Your Words and wisdom as I finalize the KidsRanch,
• and for more people to find their way to The Ranch so they can find their way to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Donations and Christmas CD

If you’d like to make a donation of $15 or more and receive the “Marilyn Byrnes: Christmas” CD, please fill out the response form. Songs include: Silent Night, The First Noel, The Holly and the Ivy, O Holy Night, Auld Lang Syne, and more. Hear a sample at http://www.1piano.com. Your gifts will help our ministry greatly! Thanks!

If you don’t want the CD but would like to donate to our ministry directly, click the “donate now” button for credit card donations.

You will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Eric Elder Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Thanks so much to everyone who prayed for me and contributed to my trip to the Amsterdam 2000 Conference for Evangelists.

There were 10,267 participants from 209 countries around the world. It was said to be the most international gathering of any kind, whether secular or religious.

As I walked through the hallways at the convention center, I felt like I was “walking among giants” with people like: J.I. Packer, John Stott, Luis Palau, Bill Bright, Franklin Graham, Anne Graham Lotz, Chuck Colson, Joni Erickson Tada, Ravi Zacharias, Rick Warren and a host of others. Their names may not be household words to everyone, but they are the names of some of the most distinguished evangelists and Christian leaders in the world.

For nine days we were exposed to their collective wisdom and inspiration. The purpose was to encourage us in our work, equip us for greater effectiveness, and expand our vision for how God might work through us in the world. I know it did each of those things for me.

But what brought me to tears one afternoon was a thought that came to me while a group of us were praying and thanking God for this experience. The thought was this: as remarkable as it was to “sit at the feet” of these godly men and women and learn from them, isn’t it even more remarkable that any one of us can come to God Himself anytime in prayer to get wisdom directly from Him!

What a privilege to be able to sit at the feet of the King of Kings to ask Him for wisdom to help us through anything.

The Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5, NIV).

I’m grateful for all that I learned from the speakers in Amsterdam, and I’m also grateful that I can come to God anytime through prayer to continue to learn from His wealth of knowledge.

Nuggets of Wisdom

You can still watch the main sessions of the conference at http://www.amsterdam2000.org. For starters, I’d recommend the messages by Billy Kim, Anne Graham Lotz, and Franklin Graham.

But I also want to share a few of the nuggets of wisdom I heard during the conference.

For instance, Billy Kim said that the Coca-Cola company puts Christians to shame. In the company’s vision statement they say that they see six billion consumers in a thirsty world all being refreshed by Coca-Cola. Their vision is for everyone in the world to have a taste of Coca-Cola by the end of the year 2000. Mr. Kim continued, “Yet we do not have a vision or a strategy to let everybody in this world taste the living water of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: “But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” (John 4:14)

He then quoted C.H. Spurgeon who was once asked, “Can a man be saved if the gospel is not preached to him?” Spurgeon replied, “The real question is: Are we saved if we do not preach the gospel to him?”

The theologian J.I. Packer said that we can be both deep thinkers and simple presenters of the gospel. Billy Graham once told an interviewer, “I study to be simple.”

Greg Laurie said that whenever we preach the gospel, we must leave the results to God, remembering that “the harvest is not at the end of the service, but at the end of the age.”

Joni Erickson Tada spoke from her wheelchair about how she has to call on God for help from the moment she wakes up in the morning. She then added that she wonders if those with the real handicap are those who think they can get up and go through their entire day without ever calling on God for help.

Gerry Gallimore said that Jesus told a religious leader of his day, “You must be born again” (John 3:7, NIV), reminding us that a person can be religious, yet still unconverted. Mr. Gallimore then boldly, but gracefully said, “Could it be that there are some here who have not yet made Jesus Christ Lord of your life? Brothers and sisters, you and I need to be born again! How are we to introduce anyone to Jesus Christ if we do not ourselves have a personal experience of His saving grace.”

Ajith Fernando of Sri Lanka said that Christians are sometimes charged with arrogance because of Jesus’ claim to be the only way to God when he said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Mr. Fernando said, “The real arrogance is for we humans to reject our Creator.” Then he added, “If we [Christians] don’t share the answer we’ve found, we are selfish.”

And finally, Luis Palau shared that as a teenager he wanted to preach but he was hesitant. His mother asked him what he was waiting for and he said, “I’m waiting for ‘the call.’” His mother said, “The Call?!? The Call?!? The call went out 2,000 years ago!! The Lord is waiting for the answer, not for the call!!”

Going Forward

God spoke to me frequently though the speakers at the conference and also through some of the other participants with whom I shared meals and tram rides to and from our hotels. The call has gone out, and I am committed more than ever to go forward in answer to it. Thanks again to those who made it possible for me to go to this once-in-a-lifetime conference.

Vacation Bible School

Thanks, too, for those of you who prayed about my opportunity to speak at our church’s Vacation Bible School. Because I was in Amsterdam the same week as VBS, I taped my segments about missions which were played to the kids each day.

When I returned, I heard that a record number of kids had attended, and that they were indeed impacted by the missions segments. They even raised over $1,500 for missions to help us in our Internet outreach! They also helped to write jokes and stories to include on our new gospel website for kids. You’ll be able to see it soon at www.kidsranch.org.

Please Pray with Us

Lana and I really appreciate and value your prayers. They do make a difference.

Thank you, Lord,

• for the prayers and support of those who helped make it possible for me to go to Amsterdam 2000,
• for the words You spoke to me during the conference,
• and for moving on the hearts of kids to get involved in missions.

And Lord, we now ask

• for your continued inspiration as we go forward in ministry,
• for creativity as I create this new gospel website for kids around the world,
• and for people to find their way to The Ranch (and The Kid’s Ranch!) so they can find their way to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Donations

Please note that donations can now be made to our ministry online at this link. It takes less than a minute to complete the transaction and would bless us tremendously. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Eric Elder Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Here are our prayer requests and praises for December…

We’ve been doing some much-needed fund raising the past few months, trying to raise an additional $2,500 in monthly support, and an additional $15,000 in one-time gifts. So far, we’ve raised $1,070 in additional monthly gifts from 12 new supporters and 1 family who has increased their gift. We’ve also raised $9,530 in one-time gifts from another 18 supporters, some of whom are new to supporting our ministry, and some of whom are already monthly donors. So praise God! We’re moving along! But we still have about $1,430 to go in monthly commitments, and $5,470 to go in one-time gifts. So we’d still appreciate your prayers that we’re able to reach 100% of our goal.

Also, if you know of anyone who might be interested in hearing about what we’re doing, and the cool way God is using the Internet to reach out to people around the world, we’d love to share it with them. I’d be glad to visit with individuals or families or groups in person, whether small groups, or a gathering of friends, or a Sunday School class, or a missions committee…whoever might be interested! I’ve also recorded an update on our ministry that I’ve put on YouTube that you can forward to your friends if you’d like to share our ministry with them. Here’s the link to the video:

www.youtube.com/watch

I’m also including a link below where people can make donations, whether monthly or one-time, and whether online, by mail, or Electronic Funds Transfer. (Also, if you’d be interested in making a donation or increasing your monthly donation, you can just let me know by email anytime, and that will help me in our planning for next year.)

theranch.org/Make-A-Donation.359.0.html

I know some of you have already seen this presentation that I’ve posted on YouTube, but it still amazes me to think that we’re now reaching over 35,000 people every week by email with our messages from over 160 countries. If you’ve been following along with us over the years, you’ll know that I often end my prayer letters by saying, “And pray that God will draw people to The Ranch so He can draw people to Himself.” Wow! How God has answered those prayers! And we just keep on praying for more.

Here are a few of the emails that came in last few days from people who are grateful for the ministry. I thought I’d pass along their thanks to you for helping to make this ministry possible…

From Malaysia: “It’s a blessing that I am able to read your emails. Your word is so apt in its timing. Sometimes I wonder if God is saying something to me through you. Keep writing, you have a gift and I am so glad that you are using this gift to glorify Him. God Bless You.”

From India: “You will not remember me but you have prayed for me in the past and, for that, I thank you again. I am also a fairly regular visitor to your website and I receive your sermons from This Day’s Thought. I have a question for you. I am a Christian and my wife is a Hindu. I want to tell her about Jesus but don’t know how. How do I explain to her the joy in my heart and the courage and confidence that only my faith can provide? We do talk about it but I don’t seem to have the words to explain.”

From the UK: “You are so right about thinking of Jesus as a saviour and sometimes not having Him as Lord of our lives too. Today’s reading made me take stock of what you said, and I recommitted and surrendered my life afresh and asked Jesus to be Lord of my life also as well as being my saviour.”

From North Carolina: “Thanks for this site. It helps me a lot.”

Thanks for helping these–and many more–find their hope and answers in Christ!

On the home front, Lucas came home from Hillsong College in Australia last Wednesday night, and we’re glad to have him here for 8 weeks as he’s planning to go back again in January for his second year. We’re praying for him, too, as we’ve helped him as much as we can for his first year of school, and he’s worked as much as he can, too. But he doesn’t qualify for grants or student loans as the school is overseas, so it’s been an extra step of faith to send him over. He’s needing $6,800 in the next 4-5 weeks to pay for next year’s tuition and fees, which need to be paid up front in order to apply for another year of his student visa. He’s able to work over there to make up the rest of the money, but if you could pray for his funding, whether from gifts, grants, friends, or any other means, that would be terrific!

Karis is back home with us this year, taking her third-year college classes at Heartland College and working in Bloomington, so we’re thankful to have a full-house again for the next few weeks anyway. Makari is dancing in a Christmas show this weekend and the next. Josiah and Bo are in scouting and Kaleo is in dance and tumbling–all are working away at their homeschooling and enjoying life here in the country. Lana’s become quite a runner this year, running down the country roads, on the treadmill and even a 5K race to help orphans. (This isn’t meant to be a Christmas letter, but just thought you’d like a little glimpse of what life looks like around our house this month!)

That’s the update from here…thanks for reading and for praying for us. We truly appreciate it, and we know that God hears and answers your prayers on our behalf.

Love,
Eric and Lana Elder and family

P.S. Here are those links again to watch the YouTube video or to make a donation. Thanks for your prayers and forwarding these on if you know of others who might be interested!
www.youtube.com/watch

theranch.org/Make-A-Donation.359.0.html

Created by God

We’re glad to announce the birth of our new little baby, Bo Judah Elder.

He was born on June 3rd, at 10:35 p.m., weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 20-3/4 inches long.

Both he and Lana are doing great. You can take a look at some pictures of him atericelder.com/bojudah.

We really appreciate your prayers for the baby and the delivery. Many of you may know that even though this is our fifth child, we’ve had four miscarriages along the way, so we don’t take the gift of life for granted. We also don’t take your prayers for granted. Thank you so much for praying for us and for Bo.

Watching his birth reminded me again of how special each of us are to God. Even though our parents conceived us, the Bible tells us that we were conceived in the mind of God long before that.

God said to Jeremiah:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

King David said that God ordained all of his days before one of them ever came to be:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-16).

If you ever wonder if you’re really special or not, know that you’re very special to God. He created you in your mother’s womb. He ordained all your days before one of them came to be. He really does love you. And he really does have a purpose for your life.

The Kids’ Ranch

Our church has invited me to be the missionary for this year’s Vacation Bible School, which means I’ll be speaking to about 200 kids each day about what a missionary is and does, and how they can get involved in God’s mission, too.

I’m really excited about it for two reasons. First, I believe several of these kids (1st-6th grade) will go into full-time missions in the future as a result of this week. Second, the kids are going to help me create a website just for kids on the Internet called The Kid’s Ranch. You’ll be able to access it in a few months at kidsranch.org.

I’m going to share with the kids at Bible School that over 1/3 of the world’s kids have never even heard the name of Jesus, nor do they know that He can help them in this life and in the life to come. I’ll then give the kids a chance to tell some stories about Jesus in their own words so kids in other parts of the world can read about His incredible life, death and resurrection.

Please pray with me that the hearts of these kids will be deeply moved and that many of them will dive head first into joining God in his mission to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15).

Letters

We continue to get several thousand visitors a month at The Ranch. Not everyone that visits writes to me (whew!) but those that do are dealing with some very deep and intense issues. By the time they talk to me, they’re on the verge of total despair.

Please pray that God will give me supernatural wisdom as I talk with them. Although I can’t share the contents of these confidential conversations with you, I hope you’ll pray with me that God will use these conversations to really make a difference in people’s lives. James says:

“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20).

I can share with you some comments from a 60 year old visitor last week:

I want to thank you for your message I heard today on “The Secret of Happiness.” I have served the Lord since I was 13 and now am 60 yrs. old. However, from time to time I would get discouraged and feel that I must pull back. I now believe I often missed the 3rd aspect…..Looking Forward to the return of Christ. I have always believed in His return since my salvation, but I haven’t put great emphasis on this in my thought life. This is the missing “support leg” for me. Thank you for the freshness of God in your ministry…..it is so good to know you are sending out lifelines to older Christians as well as those who are just coming to know Christ. We NEVER get too old to grow! God Bless You Today. I will keep praying for you and this vital ministry!

A visitor who suffers from panic attacks writes:

I feel that there has been a gap created between what I know to be the truth and what I am able to feel in my heart. I am hoping that by experiencing the support of websites like yours and Russell’s [www.season.org] that I will find the peace of the Lord and His hope and promises. Thank you for being there and if you have an extra moment any additional prayers would really be appreciated.

And a visitor from Montana writes:

Love this site and your music – Thank you so much for sharing yourself in such a great way – Blessings to you!

Amsterdam 2000 Update

In just a few weeks (July 24th-August 7th) I’ll be meeting in Amsterdam with 10,000 other evangelists from around the world at the Billy Graham Amsterdam 2000 Conference. (You can read more about it at www.amsterdam2000.org).

I’ve received nearly all the funds needed to attend the conference, so thank you for your prayers and gifts. Please make a note to pray for me and the other evangelists during the conference that it will bear fruit in thousands of lives for years to come. I look forward to giving you an incredible report in the next newsletter.

Please Pray with Us

Thank you Lord,

• for loving us and creating each one of us for a special purpose,
• for the safe and healthy birth of Bo Judah,
• and for the funding and prayers to continue this ministry.

And Lord, we now ask:

• for the kids at Vacation Bible School to give their hearts to Christ and become involved in Your mission,
• for wisdom to speak life-changing words to those who come to The Ranch for help,
• for the upcoming Amsterdam 2000 conference to bear much fruit in the years to come,
• and for more people to find their way to The Ranch so they can find their way to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Stock Transfers?

Some people have wondered if we’re setup to receive stock transfers into our ministry account. The answer is “Yes!” Your gift can be substantially higher, as well as your tax deduction, if you donate stock directly rather than selling the stock first and then donating the proceeds to the ministry. Just contact us for details on how to increase the value of your gift via stock transfer.

Please note that donations can now be made to our ministry online. It takes less than a minute to complete the transaction and would bless us tremendously.

Donations may also be sent by check to: Eric Elder Ministries, 1305 E. Broadway, Streator, IL 61364. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Eric Elder Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

A Taste of Heaven

I got an e-mail from a man from Bulgaria a few weeks ago. He had read my testimony on the Internet that tells how I went from being 90% sure that I was going to heaven to being 100% sure, and the dramatic difference it made in my life.

He wrote to say that he was in the same situation – that he was probably only “about 90% sure.”

I shared with him some verses from the Bible that give us assurance that heaven is real and the fact that God wants us to know whether we’ll be there or not. After receiving my e-mail he wrote:

“You have no idea how happy I was when I received your e-mail back. It brought me so much joy and encouragement. I’ve been even crying while reading and thinking. God became much more real and doubts that I had just disappeared. For many years, I believed a lie, that I was rejected for what I had done. But now I can say ‘Lord, I’m 100% sure I’m saved and I have eternal life.’”

I know it’s easy for any of us to wonder if heaven really exists at all. The question becomes all the more real whenever we attend a funeral or face the possibility of death ourselves.

Heaven is a very real place. And God really does want us to know if we’ll be there or not.

The apostle John said this: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

God wants us to KNOW that we have eternal life and he tells us how we can have it. Simply put, where we spend eternity depends upon whether or not we believe in Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

A prison guard asked the apostle Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31).

In fact, the Bible says that this is the only way we’ll be saved. Without faith in Christ, we don’t have a chance. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

And the apostle Paul says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

If you have doubts about where you’ll spend eternity, read these verses again. Read the whole Bible again, for that matter! Then put your faith in Christ anew and let Him fill you with the peace that passes understanding.

If you’d like to know more about this topic, you can watch one of our recent Internet broadcasts where my special guest, Bill Allison, spoke on: “How to Know for Sure that You’re Going to Heaven.” You can read the notes or watch it here.

New CD!!

Speaking of heaven, I recently wrote the words for a new song called “Bring Us to Heaven.” It’s the opening song on a new worship CD that’s just come out called “Be Thou Exalted.”

The song itself is incredibly orchestrated by Chuck Giacinto with the talents of almost 50 people. Just listening to it gives me a taste of heaven right here on earth.

We’re making the CD’s available through our ministry to help put some great music in your hands that will draw you closer to God. If you’d like to listen to some samples from all of the songs on the CD, go to http://www.ericelder.com/music/heaven.

Amsterdam 2000 Update

Many of you know that I’ve been invited to attend Billy Graham’s Amsterdam 2000 conference in July. The 10-day conference will bring together up to 10,000 evangelists from around the world.

The more I read, hear and see about this conference, the more excited I get about what God will do with such a gathering. As Billy Graham is now in his 80’s, this conference will serve to help pass the torch of evangelism to a new generation.

I’ve received almost $900 so far and a stand-by ticket to get to and from Amsterdam. I still need to raise another $800 between now and July to cover the rest of the conference costs. If you’d like to sponsor me for this event, please indicate your interest on the response form.

You can also watch a moving and meaningful video about the conference called “You Decide” at www.amsterdam2000.org.

Finding The Ranch

Last year an average of 1,500 people visited The Ranch website every month. Over the last few months, that number has grown to over 5,000 visitors during the month of March alone! (You can see detailed statistics here.)

Monthly Visitors to The Ranch

They’ve come from 83 different countries…most recently from Macedonia, Fiji, Iran and Papa New Guinea. I have to check my atlas to see where they’re coming from!

A man from Holland has begun translating my Internet workshops into Dutch for use by Christians in his country, and a man from Slovakia has just finished translating my testimony into Slovak. Praise God that He is using this technology to spread the great news about Christ to all nations.

I also got a great boost in visitors to my site from people like Russell Pond and Andrew Careaga who included information about my site in their own e-mail newsletters. One of the largest Christian newsletters, called Internet for Christians, highlighted my Internet training website (www.ericelder.com/training) in their recent mailout to 27,000 people!

At the end of each of my newsletters I ask you to pray to God for “people to find their way to The Ranch so they can find their way to You.” It looks like God is answering your prayers!

Please Pray with Us

Thank you Lord,

• for sending Your Word throughout the world by all means possible,
• for the promise that we will be with you in heaven for all eternity,
• for the provision You’ve sent to help us proclaim Your great news to all creation.

And Lord, we now ask:

• for the wisdom and funding to continue this work as fully as possible,
• for special grace on Lana who will give birth to our new baby in about 4 weeks!
• and for more people to find their way to The Ranch so they can find their way to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Please note that donations can now be made to our ministry online. It takes less than a minute to complete the transaction and would bless us tremendously.

Donations may also be sent by check to: Eric Elder Ministries, 1305 E. Broadway, Streator, IL 61364. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Eric Elder Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Remember, for a donation of $17 or more, we’ll be glad to send you a copy of the new worship CD, Be Thou Exalted!