Dear Dr. Keller,
In the summer of 2019, we lost my loving Dad at the age of 86 after an extended illness lasting over 10 years. He was a physician. I prayed that he would accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior for 15 years, from the moment I realized that he hadn’t. We had attended church my entire childhood and he had “gone to church” his entire life.
In the spring of 2019, he almost died from medicine given after an incorrect medical diagnosis. We prayed and prayed and got him on in-home hospice and once they removed all his medicines, he ‘woke up’ from his medicine-induced state. Once awake, he began asking for his priest to come visit and talk to him about Jesus. I believe that the Holy Spirit placed on my heart and mind to locate your ‘A Reason for God’ DVD that a Christian friend of mine let me borrow 3 years earlier and I invited my Dad to watch it with me. I let my Dad know that I had the DVD and that I believed that the discussions you had with the non-believers in the series would help him get his questions answered.
We got through the first 3 sessions over 3 days and my Dad said to me that it was the first time in his 86 years that anyone had ever answered his questions about Jesus and some of his lingering doubts. That night my Dad asked me to sit with him to accept Jesus Christ!!! I believe the primary message that the Holy Spirit used to open my Dad’s heart was when you said that all other religions are about the leader telling the followers that all they have to do are certain actions and they’ll get to God or will be pointed to God, whereas in Christianity, Jesus says, “no, no, no, I’m God come to get you.”
Over the next 3 days, we finished the DVD sessions and then for two more months, my Dad spoke more about Jesus, looking forward to the day he would see him face to face. We had a little over 2 wonderful months with him after he got off the medicine. He is now in heaven reunited with all of my Dad’s loved ones who had gone before and died in Christ.
The Holy Spirit answered 15 years of prayers and worked through a complicated series of events and people to lead my Dad to Jesus Christ. At the end, he primarily spoke through you in your ‘A Reason for God’ series DVD to open his heart and mind to surrender his life to Jesus Christ our Lord.
I am and will be eternally grateful for you, your ministry, and for you answering your call to ministry and for you answering the call to start Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
Blessings and peace be with you,
David
