Kidnapped by Culture

AnAmazing Fact: Cynthia Ann Parker, an 8-year-old girl, was takenon May 19, 1836, by Comanche Indians during a raid on Fort Parker near Waco,Texas. For the following 25 years, she lived as a member of the tribe, married achieftain, and had three children. In 1860, she was found and returned to her biologicalfamily. But by then, Parker had forgotten English and longed to be back withthe tribe. She died in 1871 with a broken heart.

 

When Ethan was just a child, his innocencewas violated. As a teen, still hurting from that trauma, he turned away fromGod—and he was quickly taken captive by Satan.

 

I am deeply concerned that so many youngpeople today are quitting church. The exit of our youth is accelerating—but Godloves them deeply. Through the apostle Paul, the Lord told oneyoung believer, “Let no one despise your youth” (1 Timothy 4:12). Wemust never, by word or act, devalue young people. Like Ethan, many have beenwounded by abuse, neglect, and hypocrisy, and we drive them further away fromGod with such scorn.

 

Satan wants to kidnap our youth, take theminto his twisted family, and forever separate them from God. One of his methodsis surrounding them with a depraved culture that offers up immoral entertainment,addictive drugs, debased social media, and secular philosophies. These lurethem in with the promise of lasting satisfaction, but they are only cheap substitutesfor the eternal joys offered by heaven.

 

I believe God is calling you and me to redeemthem from Satan’s clutches. Yes! You can extend His love to youth and others seekinghealing from pain and loneliness. That’s what you did for Ethan …

 

A PerfectLife Shattered

You might think that Ethan had the perfectlife. “I was born into a supportive family,” he says. “We were a quiet,Christ-centered family and attended church every week. I was growing strongerin my faith.”

 

Yet real evil invaded Ethan’s idyllic life. “Thethief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Inspired bySatan, someone the family trusted violated his innocence. That traumatic abuseleft a hole in his heart and pulled him away from God.

 

Many other young people have endured hurts likeEthan, causing them to question their faith. I believe their only hope is encounteringthe real Jesus, the source of healing and truth. That is why, with your help,Amazing Facts works hard to put on events and create resources that bring real hopeto young people.

 

ANew Chance

For years, Ethan struggled alone with the painof his hurt, falling into sin after sin, before the Holy Spirit convinced himto share his struggles with his mom. “She lifted me up,” he remembers. “Shedidn’t condone the wrong choices I had made to deal with my pain, but shepromised that there could be something new and better.”

 

Soon, Ethan began counseling and thedifficult process of healing. “I realized I had to rely on something strongerthan myself,” he says. Then Ethan received an invitation to attend anAmazing Facts Youth (AFY) conference. It was a life-changing experience thatyou helped make possible!

 

Ethan and a friend drove across the countryto attend the AFY conference. He says, “I will never forget that experience. Imet many people who had been through so much themselves.”

 

There, Ethan learned about the Amazing FactsCenter of Evangelism (AFCOE), our evangelistic discipleship program. He feltGod calling him to attend. Today, he shares enthusiastically, “Attending AFCOEwas an amazing experience. It opened my eyes to so many practical things andreminded me about spiritual truth. The staff has a real passion for sharingwhat God has done in their lives and how God can use us. It’s contagious!”

 

Studying at AFCOE continued the healingprocess that God had begun in Ethan’s life!

 

The Light of Hope

So, how do we reach more young people likeEthan? A key place to begin is by helping them find answers to life’s most importantquestions—Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? That’s why I’minviting you to help us create a new set of Most Important Questions Biblelessons that directly answer youth’s biggest questions—lessons we aim to have readyfor our upcoming AFY conference called “Stand: Unshakeable Faith,” startingJune 12! (Learn more by visiting afyouth.com.)

 

Your compassionate gifts make it possible forAmazing Facts to host these annual youth conferences that help build up thefaith of teens and young adults. AFY is free to attend (meals included) only becauseof your generosity.

 

There are many other ways you can help youth havean everlasting relationship with Christ. For instance, your gifts support our AFCOEprogram, which is primarily attended by youth and young adults not only in theUnited States, but also in Indonesia, Australia, Sweden, the Philippines,Uganda, and Brazil.

 

When you are involved with our lifesavingwork, you also provide social media resources, including our MIQ blog for teensdealing with the severe, destructive temptations of our sin-filled world.

 

The devil is using a twisted culture to drawour youth into his snares. But you can give them a foundation built upon Bible truththat leads them to eternal life.

 

So will you please prayerfully ask God whatHe would have you give this month to help youth and many others for the kingdomof heaven? Your loving gift of $50 will provide 45 Bible lessons tooutstretched hands. A generous gift of $100 will share life-changing resources25,000 times to searching hearts on social media platforms like YouTube. And a“ransomed-sized” gift of $1,000 can help sponsor students to attend an AmazingFacts event or participate in the AFCOE missionary training program.

 

Whatever size gift you’re able to send tosupport any or all of Amazing Facts’ evangelism programs, I know God willmultiply the difference it makes in people’s lives!

 

Ethan summarizes his experience with AmazingFacts like this: “This second chance at life is something anyone can have ifthey want it!” Will you help provide a second chance to all who are searchingfor freedom from the deceptive culture of the world?

 

Redeeming sons and daughters for God,

 

Pastor Doug Batchelor

President, Amazing Facts International