Dear Friends, Family, Neighbors, World...

By Ray Majoran

If you were dying and you had one last chance to talk with the people that matter most to you, what would you say? If everything was on the line, and nothing was left on the table, what wisdom would you impart?

Back in 2007, professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University learned that he was dying from pancreatic cancer. Taking on a tradition held by academics, he delivered "one last lecture" to a group of about 400 colleagues and students.

My name is Ray Majoran, and this book is my last lecture.

If you know me or have known me at all, much of "who I am" is in this book. Conversely, if you've never known me, thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope and pray that it will be of benefit to you.

I have itemized this book into three parts. The first part is my case for God and Jesus. You may be a complete atheist or want nothing to do with the church. Please allow me to state my case. You may want to close the book after the opening paragraph of Part 1, but please don't.

The second part is specifically directed to people who call themselves Christians. Of course, I would encourage you "to read it whether you call yourself a Christian or not. Again, my hope is that all who read this book will be challenged.

The final section of the book contains some of my life experiences. Hopefully you can learn from, and be inspired by, some of the things that God has walked me through.

So thinking back to the original question: If I were dying and had one last chance to talk with the people that matter most to me, what would I say?

You are the people who matter most to me and I've been pondering that question for my entire adult life.

Am I dying?

Yes.

And you are too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ray Majoran
• Release date: Sep 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9780993929410

Ray Majoran

My name is Ray Majoran. I was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1976 to wonderful parents: Steve Majoran and Elaine Gibbison. I am married to my amazing wife, Carolyn, and together we have a beautiful daughter named Adalai. "Dear Friends, Family, Neighbors, World…" is dedicated to everyone I've ever met, and to those of you who I haven't yet met. I started planning it back in 1998 before Carolyn and I were married, and have wanted to finish it ever since. One thing I've learned in the last 16 years is that time is what you make of it. It's easy to go through life having "good intentions" when it comes to delivering on things that you want to do or say. But it's up to each of us to take the time to actually do them. For me, this book is one of those things that I needed to do. In Luke 19:37-39, as Jesus was entering Jerusalem on a donkey, a whole multitude of His disciples began rejoicing, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" In response, some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."Jesus replied to them in verse 40: "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." That's how I feel about Christ and the need for me to write this book. In a politically correct world that shuns the idea of God (let alone the idea that He is in control of it), I have chosen to not be silent.

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DEAR FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBORS, WORLD…

Ray Majoran

DEAR FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBORS, WORLD…

Published by Ray Majoran (www.majoran.com)

© 2014 by Ray Majoran

All rights reserved

This book is created as a free resource. It is not for sale.

Book design and cover illustration by Hugh Pindur, www.thinkradiant.com

Edited by Derek McLachlin, Mike Wilkins and Carolyn Majoran

Illustration is based on My Granddad’s Last Moments, pp. 106-107.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

Copyright © 2001 by Crossway

Used as per ESV Copyright and Permissions Information Policy

www.crossway.org/rights-permissions/esv/

Scripture quoted from the New International Version is used under Zondervan’s Fair Use Guidelines. www.harpercollinschristian.com/permissions/

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

PREFACE

1. MY CASE FOR GOD. MY CASE FOR JESUS

A Case for God: Ignorance is Bliss

He is Real

The Evidence is Overwhelming

We Have Control Issues

A Case for Jesus

The Prophecies About Jesus

The Legitimacy of the Bible

A Father

2. MY PLEA TO CHRISTIANS. MY HOPE FOR THE CHURCH.

Something to Think About

What is Christianity?

Our Position of Wealth and Time

A Conversation With Wisdom

Tithing

Unity, Humility, Love, Forgiveness

Define Believe

Our Friends

Live for Christ Alone

3. MY LIFE. MY JOURNEY.

Accepting Christ

My Mom’s Baptism

Hannah

Benji

My Mom’s Health Issues

Mavis

My Granddad’s Battle & Testimony

Fishing

Our Daughter, Adalai

Close Calls

Joni

Marissa

My Granddad’s Last Moments

The Choice is Yours, and You Have to Live and Die With Your Decision

What Next?

ENDNOTES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to…

My wife, Carolyn, for your encouragement and support while I took the time to write this. I love you and am thankful that God provided me with such an amazing wife.

My daughter, Adalai. I love you very much and wanted to provide you with a book that reflects my heart for Jesus and for His church. Mom and I are very thankful to God that He provided us with you.

Mike Wilkins and Derek McLachlin for helping me edit this book and making extremely valuable suggestions. Your support is appreciated more than you know.

All of my family and friends. I care about you very much; you are the inspiration behind this book. It is my life journey, something that each one of you has been a part of.

My Savior, Redeemer and friend, Jesus Christ. Without you, none of this matters.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

My name is Ray Majoran. I was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1976 to wonderful parents: Steve Majoran and Elaine Gibbison. I am married to my amazing wife, Carolyn, and together we have a beautiful daughter named Adalai.

Dear Friends, Family, Neighbors, World… is dedicated to everyone I’ve ever met, and to those of you who I haven’t yet met. I started planning it back in 1998 before Carolyn and I were married, and have wanted to finish it ever since.

One thing I’ve learned in the last 16 years is that time is what you make of it. It’s easy to go through life having good intentions when it comes to delivering on things that you want to do or say. But it’s up to each of us to take the time to actually do them. For me, this book is one of those things that I needed to do.

In Luke 19:37-39, as Jesus was entering Jerusalem on a donkey, a whole multitude of His disciples began rejoicing, saying, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

In response, some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples.

Jesus replied to them in verse 40: I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.

That’s how I feel about Christ and the need for me to write this book. In a politically correct world that shuns the idea of God (let alone the idea that He is in control of it), I have chosen to not be silent.

PREFACE

If you were dying and you had one last chance to talk with the people that matter most to you, what would you say? If everything was on the line, and nothing was left on the table, what wisdom would you impart?

Back in 2007, professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University learned that he was dying from pancreatic cancer. Taking on a tradition held by academics, he delivered one last lecture to a group of about 400 colleagues and students.

My name is Ray Majoran, and this book is my last lecture.

If you know me or have known me at all, much of who I am is in this book. Conversely, if you’ve never known me, thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope and pray that it will be of benefit to you.

I have itemized this book into three parts. The first part is my case for God and Jesus. You may be a complete atheist or want nothing to do with the church. Please allow me to state my case. You may want to close the book after the opening paragraph of Part 1, but please don’t.

The second part is specifically directed to people who call themselves Christians. Of course, I would encourage you to read it whether you call yourself a Christian or not. Again, my hope is that all who read this book will be challenged.

The final section of the book contains some of my life experiences. Hopefully you can learn from, and be inspired by, some of the things that God has walked me through.

So thinking back to the original question: If I were dying and had one last chance to talk with the people that matter most to me, what would I say?

You are the people who matter most to me and I’ve been pondering that question for my entire adult life.

Am I dying?

Yes.

And you are too.

1.

MY CASE FOR GOD.

MY CASE FOR JESUS.

A Case for God: Ignorance is Bliss

Before I begin, you need to understand that regardless of what I tell you and how much I pour my heart out to you, if you are hell-bent on refuting that God is who He says He is, and Christ is who He says He is… well, nothing I say is going to change your mind. There are so many clear proofs of the truths of God that those who remain unconvinced are willingly ignorant. (2 Peter 3:5)

The Apostle Paul says, For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

King David resolved that, The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ (Psalm 53:1)

So I leave it to your discretion. I pray that you will open up your heart and your mind to the truth about God and His Son, Jesus.

He is Real

I don’t know of any other way to put this: God is real. You may have read a book or heard a lecture that gave you ammunition not to believe in God; whatever the case, I would challenge you to reconsider your viewpoint.

I often hear, Well, if God is real, then why… (and you can fill in the blank). Why do bad things happen to good people? Why are people raped and murdered? Why does God allow evil in the world? Why do natural disasters happen? Why are some people born into riches while others are born into poverty? Why does God not answer me when I call out to Him? Why does God allow war? Why wasn’t God there for me when I needed Him most? Why did God allow that accident? Why does God allow cancer? Why didn’t God save my child?

These are all valid questions. But just because you can’t answer them, or they anger you, that doesn’t nullify the existence of God.

Let me ask you a question. Do you honestly believe that this world randomly appeared through a big bang in space, without any plan or purpose? And then somehow, some way, we just evolved from single cells into mindful, meaningful, idea-generating male and female humans? And even though we can’t make sense of it, we’ve become morally objective beings that can determine right from wrong, love from hate, and so on?

Is that what makes up your belief system? Does that make rational sense?

Consider this exercise: Let’s put all of the arguments on both sides of the fence