You Last Forever Blog | Evangelism, Discipleship & Global Missions

When You Equip a Pastor, You Reach a Community

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:38:54 GMT

Around the world, pastors are faithfully serving their communities—often with very few resources but with an incredible calling to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many of these leaders are responsible for churches that are growing rapidly. People are coming to Christ, new believers are asking questions, and communities are searching for hope. But without training and practical tools, even the most dedicated pastors can struggle to disciple the people God is bringing to them.

That’s why You Last Forever Ministries is focused on equipping pastors. Recently, more than 100 pastors gathered online for a training session hosted by Chris of New Life Anointed Ministries in partnership with You Last Forever Ministries. During this gathering, leaders received biblical teaching, practical discipleship guidance, and encouragement for the work God has called them to do.

The impact of this network of pastors is extraordinary.

Through their ministries, they have already seen:

30,250 people come to Christ
11,100 believers baptized
More than 400 churches planted

But those numbers are not the end of the story.

They represent fathers and mothers discovering new life in Christ. They represent young believers finding direction and purpose. They represent entire communities being transformed by the hope of the Gospel.

In March, Chaplain Fisher led another training session with more than one hundred pastors, teaching them how to use the You Last Forever booklet to clearly present the Gospel and guide new believers into discipleship. This simple tool is helping pastors confidently lead people to Christ, baptize new believers, and train others in their churches to share the Gospel as well.

And that’s where the real multiplication begins.

When one pastor is equipped, an entire church is strengthened.
When a church is strengthened, a community is impacted.
And when leaders train others, the Gospel spreads farther than any one ministry could ever reach alone.

Your Partnership Makes This Possible

Every training session requires resources—materials for pastors, digital training tools, and the distribution of You Last Forever booklets that help leaders clearly share the message of salvation.

Your support helps place these tools directly into the hands of pastors who are already reaching thousands of people.

When you give, you are not just supporting a program.

You are helping train pastors.
You are helping disciple new believers.
You are helping plant churches.
And you are helping the Gospel reach communities that may never hear it otherwise.

Will You Help Equip the Next Pastor?

Your gift today will help provide training resources and evangelism tools for pastors who are ready to reach their communities for Christ.

Together we can continue equipping leaders, strengthening churches, and advancing the Gospel.

A Growing Network of Gospel Messengers Across Africa

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:32:37 GMT

Across Africa, something remarkable is unfolding.

The impact of You Last Forever (YLF) continues to grow—not only through events or gatherings, but through people. Quietly and steadily, a network of leaders is forming across the continent, each one committed to sharing the Gospel, discipling believers, and strengthening the local church.

What is emerging is more than a series of outreach efforts.

In recent months, YLF has begun adding new trainers and ministry leaders across several nations, expanding a growing network of Gospel carriers who are serving within their own communities. These leaders are helping bring the message of salvation to churches, villages, and cities throughout the region.

From Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, to Ghana and Liberia in West Africa, to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Equatorial Guinea in Central Africa, and even into Lesotho and the Malawi–Mozambique region in Southern Africa, the YLF message is being placed into the hands of pastors, evangelists, and student leaders who are eager to share Christ with others.

Each new trainer represents far more than a name added to a ministry roster. They represent churches that will be strengthened, communities that will hear the Gospel more clearly, and future generations of believers who will be discipled in their faith.

The strength of the YLF approach lies in its simplicity. The YLF card and booklet provide a clear, biblical presentation of salvation—one that pastors, church leaders, and student evangelists can quickly understand and confidently share.

But the real power of the movement does not lie in the materials alone. It lies in the leaders who carry the message.

Every new trainer is equipped not just to preach the Gospel, but to train others to do the same. They learn how to guide people toward genuine conversion, disciple new believers in their faith, and equip pastors and student leaders who will continue the work in their own communities.

In this way, every leader becomes a multiplier.

One trainer strengthens pastors. Those pastors disciple congregations. Those congregations raise up new leaders. And those leaders carry the message into villages and neighborhoods that may never have heard the Gospel clearly before.

This pattern of multiplication is why the expansion of YLF across Africa is so significant. Africa today is one of the most spiritually dynamic regions in the world. Churches are growing. Young leaders are emerging. Communities are searching for hope, truth, and direction. Across the continent there is a deep spiritual hunger, and many believers are eager to be equipped to share their faith with clarity and confidence.

By strategically placing trained leaders across East, West, Central, and Southern Africa, YLF is helping build a framework that supports long-term Gospel impact.

From coastal communities in Kenya to rural villages in Liberia…
From the growing churches of Ghana to the communities of Burundi…
From Tanzania to the Democratic Republic of Congo…

What makes this expansion particularly powerful is that the work is being led by local leaders serving their own people. These are pastors, evangelists, and trainers who understand the culture, the language, and the spiritual questions within their communities. Because they live and minister among the people they serve, their leadership creates something lasting—relationships built on trust, discipleship that continues long after a training event ends, and churches that grow from within rather than relying on outside voices.

This is the kind of growth that strengthens the Church for generations. The ripple effect of one equipped leader can be extraordinary. One trainer may influence dozens of pastors. Those pastors shepherd hundreds of believers. Those believers reach their families, neighbors, and villages.

Multiply that across countries like Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, DR Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, and Liberia, and the potential impact becomes enormous.

What begins with one leader can eventually reach thousands.

Those who pray for these leaders help sustain them spiritually. Those who give help provide the training materials, YLF cards, and resources needed to equip pastors and evangelists. And those who partner with the ministry help expand the network of leaders who are carrying the Gospel across Africa and beyond. The Gospel is advancing through communities, churches, and families across the continent.

And what lasts forever is worth building today.

Where the Future of the Church Is Being Shaped

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:21:11 GMT

For centuries, many people have assumed that the spiritual center of the Christian world lived in Europe or North America. Cathedrals, seminaries, and mission agencies from the West shaped much of the global conversation about faith. But the story of the twenty-first century is unfolding in a different place. Today, the spiritual future of the world is increasingly being shaped in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Across this vast region—stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Indian Ocean—something remarkable is happening. Cities are expanding, villages are growing, and millions of young people are coming of age. Demographers and global researchers consistently point to the same conclusion: no region of the world will experience greater religious growth in this century than Sub-Saharan Africa.

Both Christianity and Islam are expanding rapidly there. Population growth is surging, and the region’s population is overwhelmingly young. By the end of this century, a significant share of the world’s Christians—and Muslims—will live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

But behind the statistics is a much deeper reality.

Every number represents a life, a family, and a future.

The question facing the global Church is not whether faith will grow in Africa. Growth is already happening. The real question is far more important:

Who will disciple the next generati on?

More than half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is under the age of twenty-five. In classrooms, churches, and village pathways, a generation is rising that will soon become pastors, teachers, business leaders, and community voices.

The future leaders of the Church are not decades away. Many of them are sitting in schoolrooms today. Others are already walking dusty roads between villages, carrying a Bible and sharing their faith with neighbors.

If these young men and women are equipped with strong biblical teaching and faithful discipleship, the Church in Africa will stand strong for generations. But if they are left without guidance, confusion and competing ideologies will quickly fill the space where discipleship should have been.

This is why leadership development and Gospel training in Africa are not optional. They are urgent.

In many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Christianity and Islam live side by side. In some communities the relationship is peaceful. In others it can be tense. For believers serving in these environments, sharing the Gospel requires both courage and compassion.

It also requires clarity.

People wrestling with deep spiritual questions need more than enthusiasm. They need grounded believers who understand Scripture, who can explain the Gospel clearly, and who can guide new believers into strong discipleship.

The future strength of the Church in Africa will not depend simply on how fast it grows. It will depend on how deeply it is rooted.

When Chaplain Fisher reflects on the global spiritual landscape, he sees something far more significant than demographic trends.

“When I look at the global trends, I don’t see statistics—I see souls. Sub-Saharan Africa is not just growing numerically; it is becoming spiritually decisive for the future of the world.

If Christianity is going to grow with strength and depth, we must equip leaders now. We must provide clear Gospel tools, strong biblical foundations, and practical training. This is not just about today’s harvest. It is about the spiritual direction of the next hundred years.”

His conviction reflects a growing awareness among many Christian leaders around the world: the Church must invest where growth is inevitable.

The good news is that the Church in Sub-Saharan Africa is already vibrant. Congregations are passionate. Worship is alive with faith and expectation. Believers are eager to share the Gospel with their neighbors.

Yet rapid growth can also bring challenges. When churches multiply faster than leaders are trained, congregations can struggle to remain grounded. Movements that begin with great passion can lose direction if leaders are not equipped to guide them well.

That is why this moment is so important.

This is the time to strengthen pastors, equip student leaders, and place clear evangelism tools into the hands of indigenous believers who already know their communities and cultures. The goal is not to import a movement from outside Africa. The goal is to strengthen the movement God has already begun there.

Across the region, countless faithful believers are already serving—teaching Scripture, discipling young leaders, and planting churches. What they need most are resources, training, and encouragement that help them lead with confidence and biblical clarity.

The spiritual story of this century is still being written.

And much of that story will be written in the villages, cities, and churches of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Those who pray, give, and partner in this work are helping shape the future of the global Church. By investing in leadership development, Gospel training, and discipleship, we are helping ensure that the growth taking place across Africa is not only large—but strong, rooted, and enduring.

Because what lasts forever is worth building where the future is forming.

A Life Transformed and a Growing Work in Mombasa

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:11:36 GMT

Along the shores of the Indian Ocean, in the historic coastal region of Mombasa, Kenya, God is quietly moving through the life and ministry of a courageous local believer named Gregory.

Gregory serves as a regional representative and trainer for You Last Forever (YLF). His story is one of remarkable transformation. Raised in a Muslim background, Gregory encountered the life-changing message of Jesus Christ and came to faith. That encounter altered the course of his life, and today he is devoted to sharing the Gospel with others who once believed as he did.

Because Gregory understands the culture, traditions, and questions many Muslims wrestle with, he is uniquely positioned to speak about Christ with compassion and clarity. His testimony gives him credibility, and his faith gives him courage to bring the message of salvation into places where it is not always easy to share.

Through the partnership of local believers and the teaching ministry of Chaplain Fisher, the message of You Last Forever has recently begun reaching churches in the Mombasa region in a powerful way.

Using live video calls, Chaplain Fisher has been able to teach the You Last Forever message to several local congregations. Though separated by distance, the Gospel message traveled clearly across the connection as Chaplain Fisher walked through the simple presentation of salvation using the YLF card.

The response has been extraordinary.

During these virtual teaching sessions in three different churches in the Mombasa area, 48 people have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

In the first church, 17 people responded to the Gospel, including 11 individuals from Muslim families. In a second church gathering, 23 people came to faith, with 8 also coming from Muslim backgrounds. In a third church, 8 more people responded to Christ.

Each number represents a person, a family, and a future being changed by the message of the Gospel.

After the first meeting, Gregory later shared something that deeply moved him. As the message was being taught and people were responding, he heard women weeping as they realized their need for salvation and placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These were tears of conviction that turned into faith and surrender.

Moments like these remind us that God’s Spirit moves in powerful ways even when ministry happens across great distances.

While care must always be taken to protect believers in regions where following Christ can carry risk, it is important to celebrate what God is doing. The work in the Mombasa area continues to grow as local believers share the message of Christ and disciple new followers.

Gregory remains at the center of this work on the ground—training believers, strengthening churches, and helping carry the message of You Last Forever into communities where many people have never clearly heard the Gospel.

To support this growing ministry, You Last Forever Ministries is working toward providing Gregory with a motorcycle.

In many regions of East Africa, transportation determines how far a ministry can reach. Churches and villages may be miles apart, and reliable travel can make the difference between visiting one community or several in a single day.

With a motorcycle, Gregory will be able to travel more quickly between churches, reach additional communities, conduct more training sessions, and follow up with new believers who are beginning their journey of faith.

It is a simple tool—but one that can significantly multiply the reach of the Gospel.

The story unfolding in the Mombasa region is a reminder that God often works through ordinary people who faithfully respond to His call. Through the partnership of local leaders like Gregory and the teaching ministry of Chaplain Fisher, the message of salvation is continuing to spread.

And the impact is already being seen.

Forty-eight lives have already come to Christ through these recent teachings.

Yet the work is only beginning.

You can support this growing ministry by praying for Gregory and the believers in the Mombasa region—for wisdom, protection, and boldness as they continue sharing the Gospel. Pray also for the new believers, that they will grow strong in their faith and become witnesses of Christ within their families and communities. You can also help provide the practical resources needed to expand this outreach, including training materials, YLF cards, and the transportation Gregory needs to reach more communities.

Together, we can help ensure that the message of Jesus Christ continues to spread—one conversation, one church, and one life at a time.

A New Generation of Gospel Messengers in Burundi

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:56:38 GMT

On March 21, something meaningful will unfold in the nation of Burundi.

Student leaders from schools, churches, and communities across the region will gather for a special training event led by local ministry trainers. The purpose of the gathering is simple but powerful—to equip young leaders to understand the Gospel clearly and to share it confidently using the message of You Last Forever (YLF).

This is not merely a meeting or a seminar. It is an investment in the next generation of Gospel carriers.

Across Burundi, these young leaders already influence their friends, classmates, and church communities. They are trusted voices among their peers, and many of them have years of leadership and ministry ahead of them. By equipping them with a clear understanding of the Gospel and a practical tool like the You Last Forever booklet, the impact of this training can extend far beyond the walls of the gathering.

What makes this moment especially powerful is who is leading it.

Rather than relying on outside voices, Burundian leaders are training their own next generation. Local trainers who understand the culture, language, and spiritual needs of their communities are investing directly into these students. This approach creates something deeper than a single event—it builds sustainability, ownership, and long-term ministry growth.

Throughout the day, student leaders will learn how to communicate the core message of You Last Forever and how to use the booklet to guide meaningful Gospel conversations. They will be encouraged to lead others toward faith in Christ, toward discipleship, and ultimately toward baptism and deeper involvement in the local church.

When a student understands the Gospel deeply and can communicate it clearly, the influence spreads naturally. One conversation can lead to another. One student can reach a circle of friends. Soon entire networks of young people can be touched by the message of Christ.

This is how movements begin—quietly, relationally, and from the inside out.

Chaplain Fisher , founder of You Last Forever Ministries, sees tremendous potential in moments like this.

“When we invest in student leaders, we are investing in the future of the Church. These young men and women are not just tomorrow’s leaders—they are today’s influencers. By equipping them with the You Last Forever message, we are placing a clear, biblical tool in their hands that they can use immediately. My prayer is that what begins on March 21st in Burundi will spark a movement of students leading students to Christ, discipling one another, and strengthening the local church for generations to come.”

Burundi is a nation filled with promise, and its young leaders carry tremendous potential for the future of the Church. As these students grow in faith and leadership, many will go on to serve their churches, plant ministries, and disciple the next generation that follows them.

What begins as a training event can grow into something far greater—a multiplying movement of students sharing Christ with students.

And you can be part of what God is doing.

You can support this effort by praying for the trainers who will lead the event, for the student leaders who will attend, and for the Gospel message to be communicated with clarity and power. You can also help provide the resources needed to equip these young leaders, including YLF booklets, training materials, and travel support for students coming from surrounding communities.

Together, we can help ensure that the message of the Gospel continues to spread across Burundi—through the voices and lives of a new generation of leaders.

Chaplain Fisher’s vision is centered on multiplication. When one student leader is equipped, dozens more can be reached. When dozens are equipped, entire communities can begin to change.

How to Use You Last Forever for Evangelism and Discipleship

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:01:44 GMT

1. You can learn You Last Forever (YLF) by self-study at youlastforever.com and by using YLF to present the Gospel.

2. Read the YLF card and booklet. Review www.youlastforever.com. Watch the introductory video. You do not need to memorize the YLF presentation. Learn key points on how YLF teaches salvation from sin and death through Jesus Christ alone. Review the YLF material periodically to enable you to share YLF naturally.

3. Carry YLF cards and /or booklets with you all the time and give them to people in your daily life. Matthew 28:19 teaches, “going (or as you go) therefore disciple all the nations…” As you live your life, disciple the nations. You are doing the recipients a favor by giving them the YLF summary of life for the Christian and non-Christian. Pray for God’s blessing on your efforts. As you use the cards, you will have increasing freedom to offer them in different ways and circumstances.

4. When you give the cards to people, ask, “Have you ever seen a card like this?” This appeals to their curiosity. Be quiet while the recipient(s) looks at the card and turns it over trying to figure it out. Do not talk until they look up from the card. If you can, give the cards to several people who are together. When a person first looks at the YLF card, they try to figure it out. Their innate curiosity is at work. When we look at a map, we try to figure out where we are. The card prompts self-reflection; we all are figuratively on the purple circle anticipating eternity. The card appeals to the visual learner.

5. When the person looks up from the card, ask, “What do you think it means, or what do you see?” By their answer, you will get some idea of their understanding of Jesus, salvation, discipleship, and eternal life. 2 Pray for wisdom to know whether to evangelize or disciple the person based on what they just told you. Some may even want to learn YLF to share Christ too.

Ask for their permission for you to quickly explain the card to them. With the card you can explain much of the Bible without requiring that your hearer knows the Bible. While you are explaining YLF, ask checking questions such as, “Does this sound familiar, or make sense to you?” Apply the YLF card to their situation. If you or they do not have time to discuss the card, refer them to www.youlastforever.com and encourage them to watch the video. If you have the YLF booklet with you, give that to them to read and study on their own. The booklet explains the card. If you see them again, try to renew the YLF discussion. When God opens hearts as you use You Last Forever, there is a sinner’s prayer in the booklet. The prayer is appropriate for new believers to pray to receive the Lord. The prayer is also appropriate for Christians to pray in their walk of faith throughout life.

The You Last Forever booklet is a good summary of Biblical truth for life and death.

John 3:6 “That which is begotten/ born of the flesh is flesh and that which is begotten/born of the Spirit is spirit.”

I Corinthians 15:49 “And just was we have borne the image of the earthy (man), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (man).”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He (God) has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”

I John 3:2, 3 “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

II Peter 1: 3, 4 “…. His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

YLF Booklet Teaching Notes

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 17:17:42 GMT

YLF Booklet Teaching Notes by Rev. Dick Fisher, Founder of YLF

These are notes I use when I teach You Last Forever to groups in person or by Zoom. Give everyone a booklet and read aloud through the booklet one page at a time for your group. Use these notes to comment on the page that was read before moving on to the next page. Continue until you have taught the whole booklet to the group. This is a fun way to teach the Gospel in about an hour. Make extra YLF Booklets and YLF Cards available for your audience to give to others. Request copies from our ministry or print your own copies unchanged as given in the printer’s proofs on www.youlastforever.com

Introduction

For a dozen years I worked as a hospice chaplain for thousands of people who had 6 months or less to live. A dying person has already made one transition when he/she was born into this world. Now they were getting ready to make another transition at death which will change them and their surroundings. Jesus frequently used physical examples to teach spiritual truth. Similarly, your own body from the moment you were conceived is a lifelong object lesson to lead you to spiritual life and growth in the Lord. The YLF Basic Outline for the Christian is:

I. Conception (receiving physical life) corresponds to regeneration (receiving spiritual life) for Salvation.
II. Prenatal growth preparing to be born into this world corresponds to Spiritual Growth in the Christian who grows spiritually preparing for death and heaven.
III. Birth corresponds to Death and then the Resurrection with significant changes in a person’s body and location with each transition.

The YLF booklet teaches much of the Bible without people having to know the Bible beforehand. The YLF booklet explains the YLF card. Read the booklet for your own understanding and to share these truths with others.

YLF Booklet pages: 2 and 3

Three circles show the phases or timeline of a person’s existence: the womb, this life, and eternity. These basic points are obvious to most people. You will always be you. You were an idea in the mind of God before you were conceived, then came your prenatal growth, birth, stages of growth and decline in this world death, and eternity. Spiritual changes include spiritual regeneration and receiving eternal life. God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” (see also Psalm 139:13 – 16) We see the same person or identity going through many changes. I am the same person God planned, and my mother conceived. I will still be that same person when I die.

Pages: 4 and 5

Life and being made in God’s image are gifts passed down through many generations since Adam and Eve to us. (Genesis 5:1-3) Your mother, the source of your physical life, nourished you before you were born. Your body was continually cleansed in the womb. This is a picture of the spiritual cleansing from sin that we need to have life with God. The pre-born baby is being prepared for a world and life he cannot see, understand, or describe before being born.

Pages: 6 and 7

Read aloud the comments of the preborn baby. This is a favorite page in the booklet. People laugh at the baby’s comments. Especially humorous is the baby’s comment that once he/she is born all his/her problems will be over. A preborn baby shows how foolish human reasoning can be for understanding the present and projecting into the future. Compare what the preborn baby is saying with the arguments people raise against God, salvation, eternity, and divine judgment. This page is preemptive apologetics to show the foolishness of not thinking biblically.

Pages: 8 and 9

People can think whatever they will, but reality will correct their confused or rebellious thinking. The confused ramblings of the preborn baby end at being born into this real world. Purple represents your dignity as one made in the image of God to reflect His glory forever. (Rom. 11:34ff. I Corinthians 10:31) This is a key point to make as we have so many forces such as evolution and transhumanism that ignore and deny man’s divine origin and make up. (I Cor. 4:7) Remind people of their personal dignity as the image of the three Person God or Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). God knows everything and He has given us intelligence. God is Spirit and He has made humans with body and spirit. God is the All-Creator God who has given humans the gift of creativity. God is holy and perfectly righteous and has

given each person a conscience to know right from wrong. Purple also represents sin and suffering. The Fall of Adam brought Mankind into a

condition of sin and misery. Everyone is suffering in some way and may share with you the source of their pain. A guilty conscience and fear of death plague many. Job 5:7 says, “Man is born for trouble as sparks fly upward.”

Pages: 10 and 11

This first line asks a probing question about persevering in life despite all the suffering and hardship people encounter. Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us, “God has placed eternity in each person’s heart.” Desires for Paradise may indicate a desire to get back to the Garden of Eden or move on to a perfect world. Eternity in our hearts is seen in Rom. 2:7 as people seek “glory, honor, and immortality.” Some ask, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18) Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life for our deepest longings and needs. (Jn 14:6)

Pages: 12 and 13

This page describes the life every unbeliever lives before they become a Christian.(Eph. 2:1-3) Denying God and breaking His commandments is the same evil and foolishness that we heard in the comments of the preborn baby. Through Adam’s first sin the whole human race was corrupted, separated from God and subject to God’s righteous judgment. These two pages depict every person who is not a Christian and it shows what Christians are saved from. (Romans 5:12-21) Everyone in this life is being fed from the world to come. From the corruption of

original sin, people separated from God naturally feed on the Devil’s lies and

toxins. (Eph. 2:1 – 3)

Pages: 14 and 15

The consequence of sin is death and separation from God forever, however the Son of God came to earth as the angel announced to the shepherds in Luke 2:10f., “Fear not, for I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be for all the people; to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Matthew 1:21 records, “You shall call His name Jesus for he shall save his people

from their sins.” Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam was a type or foreshadowing of Him (Christ) who was to come. Romans 5:19, “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”

Have someone in the group read John 3:16, 17.

Pages: 16 and 17

The credentials of Jesus show us why you and I should believe in Him to save us from the guilt, power, and penalty of sin. As a hospice chaplain, I shared Jesus’ credentials with a patient named George. He came from a church background, but he had traveled the world and was not ready to say that Jesus was the only way to heaven. George became increasingly anxious as he neared death. Again, I talked with him to place his trust in Jesus for salvation from his sin. When he trusted in Christ to save him, he died peacefully a few days later. Read or recite Hebrews

2:14, 15; II Cor. 5:21, 17; I Cor. 15:3, 4 and John 1:12, 13; 14:6). These credentials of Jesus give us hope in Him as we face death every day, and the

judgment of God. (Hebrews 9:27) Jesus is the one and only Savior sent by God. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) The many Old Testament predictions that God was going to send the Savior include these: Genesis 3:15; 15:4 – 6; 49:10; II Samuel 7:12, 13; Isaiah 53. When Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, his supernatural conception and birth were attended by angels, the natal star, dreams, and wise men from the east. (Matt.

1; 2; Luke 1; 2; Rev. 12:5) With respect to Jesus’ miracles, you can name a few or ask the class to name some. Jesus claimed to be God in the seven “I am” statements in John. (11:25; 14:6). Jesus was crucified for claiming to be God. (Matt. 26:63 – 66)

Affirming Jesus perfect obedience and sinlessness, God the Father commented at Jesus baptism and transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17; 17:5)) Jesus is the perfect Savior because He is both man and God. As the perfect sinless man, he had no sins of his own to die for, so He could be the substitute for sinners and pay the ransom for their sins. The blood or death of sacrificial animals could not pay for human sin, only Jesus could do that. Jesus also had to be God because only God could exhaust the infinite wrath of God against sinners. (II Cor. 5:21) The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the key credential for believing in Jesus

as Savior. Paul, the apostle reasoned in I Corinthians 15:17, 19, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins…. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

Evidence for Jesus’ resurrection from the dead includes: 1) Jesus appeared at least 12 times after he was resurrected as recorded in Matthew 28; Mark 16:1 – 8; Luke 24; John 20, 21; Acts 1:1 – 11; and I Corinthians 15:15:4 – 8. 2) Jesus appeared to as many as 500 people at one time I Corinthians 15:6 3) Jesus appeared at various times for 40 days, almost a month and a half according to Acts 1:3.

Pages: 18 and 19

READ ALOUD the Joys of receiving Jesus Christ to include Forgiveness, Salvation, Eternal Life (Jn. 17:3) Jesus said in Rev. 1:17f., “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the Last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Read or recite John 11:25, 26; Hebrews 2:14, 15. Everyone will last or exist forever. Being a Christian does not mean you will exist

any longer than those who go to hell. (See Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46) Jesus in John 17:3 tells us what eternal life is, “This is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Read John 11:25,26 with

the ending question that Jesus asked Mary, “Do you believe this?” Augustine said to God, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” Find your rest in your Creator and Redeemer.

Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved from the guilt and punishment that their sins deserve. (Romans 10:13) Reviewing these joys of receiving Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior and Lord sets the stage for the prayer on P. 21.

Page: 20 and 21

This prayer is good for new believers and mature believers to pray anytime. AChristian’s hope is not in his/her having prayed a sinner’s prayer. Nor is a Christian’s hope in his believing or his repenting. No one believes or repents perfectly. Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the object of any Christian’s faith, repentance, and prayers. Jesus Christ is the One who saves us. Read the prayer aloud and ask for people to confess or reaffirm their faith and hope in Christ. You may even ask the people to read the prayer in unison. They may sign and date the prayer if they want.

Pages: 22 and 23

This page shows the parallels of having physical life inherited from Adam and having spiritual or eternal life through the last Adam Jesus Christ. (Read I Cor. 15:45-52; Romans 5:17, 19) Every person is body and spirit or soul and therefore needs physical and spiritual life. Think of standing with your right-hand holding Adam’s hand and your left-hand holding Christ’s hand. You are between the two most important men in your life. With your arms stretched out, you form a cross which summarizes your salvation through faith in Jesus’ death for you. Through Adam you are a human being. By faith in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God. Adam and Christ are the two most important men in the lives of everyone. You live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year as a human being. You eat, drink, think, and sleep. A person eats, drinks, sleeps, and thinks not to become a person or prove that he or she is a person, but because they are a person living out their human nature. However, that human nature has been corrupted through Adam’s first sin and we need the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Likewise, a child of God worships, prays, serves, gives, witnesses as he/she lives out their new nature in Christ 24/7/365. (II Peter 1:3,4; Ephesians 4:22 – 24; I Corinthians 2:9 ff)

Faith acts as a spiritual umbilical cord whereby you feed on God’s Word by God’s Spirit with God’s Church. Just as a preborn baby must stay attached to the mother, the Christian must continually live by faith. Read or recite Ephesians 2:8, 9 and Hebrews 11:1, 6. The Church acts as the spiritual placenta or super organ providing for Christians while they are living in this world just as the preborn baby is sustained by in the

womb by the placenta. Outside the visible church there is no ordinary possibility of salvation. You are Body and Soul and need physical and spiritual food. Man does not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Dt. 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4; Psalm 1). Read the Bible daily. Use the means of Grace (Bible, Prayer, Sacraments, God’s discipline) and see God remake you in the image of His Son. (Luke 6:40; Rom. 8:29; II Cor. 3:18) What shows you and others that you are a living soul in communion or fellowship with

the true and living God? How are you living out your nature as a child of God? Always be ready to meet the Lord. None of us know when we are one day short of being full term and out of this world. Read and live by Romans 14:7 – 9. You Were Made to Last Forever teaching will be relevant for Christian life and growth as long as people are born and die before Jesus our Savior returns. May you be blessed and an eternal blessing to others as you live and share the Gospel.

Reflect on your life considering Daniel 12:2, 3 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” A Closing Note from Rev. Dick Fisher, Creator of You Last Forever The Apostle Paul wrote in Col. 4:17, “And say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” This verse spurs me on to fulfill my calling to bless the World and Christ’s Church through You Last Forever. Join me in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May You Last Forever teaching and materials help equip you as you serve the Lord and everyone who will last (exist) forever in Heaven or Hell

The Body and Soul Outline

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:17:03 GMT

A Creative Biblical Map for a living soul in relationship with the living God

My Brush With Death

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 20:34:56 GMT

While I was serving as a hospice chaplain, I had my own brush with death on

October 23, 2011. I was preaching at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel Florida and collapsed in the middle of my sermon on Ps. 103. Verses 15 and 16 tell it well,

“As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes, When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer.” My collapse was a great sermon illustration that I did not plan, but God did. Before I fell, I said that I was feeling funny, and I fell backwards to the floor. I was unconscious for 20 minutes while the church’s emergency team quickly attended to me. My blood/oxygen had dropped to 68% and the church emergency team put oxygen on me. They called 911 to rush me to the Zephyrhills hospital which tested and transferred me to Tampa General Hospital. Tests revealed that I had a 2.2-inch benign brain tumor between my right and left hemispheres. My

wife Karen later told me that I looked like I was dead.

The Tuesday before my collapse, I had a checkup with my regular doctor because my left hand would shake periodically. He concluded it was just essential tremors, but he advised me to get a CAT Scan to make sure I did not have a brain tumor. I never put doctors on my social calendar, so I did not get the scan. I felt fine and had no other symptoms. All that week, I drove, worked, and did not know that I was carrying a brain tumor that could kill me any time anywhere. Away from oxygen, or other medical help I easily could have died or endangered others. As it was, I collapsed at church where unbeknownst to me they had an emergency team that rushed to care for me as soon as I fell.

It was ironic that the previous Sunday to when I fell, I happened to see an elderly woman receiving oxygen as she was stretched out on a pew. I thought that it was good that the church had extra oxygen for respiratory emergencies that old people might need. Little did I know that I would be the needy person the following Sunday. Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he falls as I did.

The Sunday I collapsed, there was a retired preacher who had an uncanny intuition that he should wear “his preacher boy suit” that Sunday, so he did. He learned when he arrived at church that I had collapsed in the early worship service. He was able and willing to lead and preach the later worship service. God had all the details of the day worked out.The surgeon God provided for me was Dr. Mark Greenberg, a mentor to elite neurosurgeons of the world. He has written and published many editions of his Handbook of Neurosurgery (1664 pages) After consulting with Dr. Greenberg, I went home to put my affairs in order. As I anticipated the surgery, I drew strength from Nehemiah 8:10 which concludes, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I returned to the hospital on Thursday, October 27 for an eight-hour operation, plus another hour and a half to close my skull back up again. My surgery was a meningioma resection. As I was coming out from under the anesthesia, Karen said I recited the hymn by William Cowper,

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

Karen said I would finish one verse, and she would think I was done, then I would

recite another of the five or six verses. Memorize Scripture and hymns to feed your soul and the souls of others. You never know when you may need what you have memorized.

I was in the hospital for surgery, recovery, and rehab for just two weeks. For several days, I experienced paralysis on my left side, and I had an eight minute seizure two days after the surgery, but I recovered from paralysis and had no more seizures.

One of my daughters made a sock monkey covered with bandages and band aids for me when I was recovering in the hospital. The bandages are now gone but the monkey is a reminder for me to thank the Lord who restored me to full health. Sock monkey reminds me of a hospice patient I used to visit. He was about my age and lay on a mat on the floor at the nursing home. He could not talk but grinned from ear to ear. Like my sock monkey, he was moved back and forth as the nursing staff cared for him. In my work as a hospice chaplain and pastor, I have seen people impacted by brain issues who are not so fortunate as I have been.

Four weeks to the day, I was back at Trinity Church and gave the call to worship as a living testimony of Ps. 103:1 – 5 that I had been preaching from when I collapsed. “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget none of his benefits; who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” People gave me a standing ovation as I walked back to my seat. The joy of the Lord that strengthened me for the surgery, radiated to others. When people saw me, they called me “the miracle man” or a “walking miracle”.

Eight months after the operation, a nurse took my vitals and told me, “You are a recycled teenager.” As Ps. 103:5 says, “…your youth is renewed like the eagle.” At 62 years of age that sounded pretty good. Humanly speaking that was better than dying, being paralyzed, seizure prone, demented, or handicapped in any way. I see my recovery as a divine vote of confidence to serve You Last Forever Ministries as a resource to the global church for evangelism and discipleship. The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 4:17, “And tell Archippus to

complete (fulfill, finish) the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” This

verse has spurred me on in productive ministry for years with You Last Forever Ministries. To God be the Glory!

Is Regeneration to be begotten again or born again?

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 17:38:12 GMT

Did Jesus mean, “You must be born again,” or “You must be begotten again?” By Rev. Richard Fisher, Founder of You Last Forever Ministries www.youlastforever.com First published online in Reformed Perspectives, by Third Millennium Ministries April 2011. Revised July 2025

“You must be born again,” is often used by Christians to evangelize. It is taken from the translation of Jesus’ command to Nicodemus in John 3:7, “You must be born again.” However, is born again the best translation? Is the birth analogy sufficient to explain the transformation of a sinner into a new creation with a spiritually new heart? In John 3:6, Jesus said, “That which is born (begotten) of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born (begotten) of the Spirit is spirit.” The late John Murray, respected New Testament scholar, points out in Redemption Accomplished and Applied, “It needs to be particularly noted what is implied in this familiar expression ‘born of the Spirit.’ It is not quite certain whether the exact meaning of the word rendered ‘born’ is that of begetting or bearing. According to the usage of the New Testament it could be either. If it is the former, then the thought is patterned after the action of the father in human procreation—the man begets. If it is the latter, then the thought is patterned after the action of the mother—the woman bears, the child is born of the mother. We cannot be more certain which of these more precise meanings is in view here….” Other scholars agree as does John Piper in Finally Alive where he often uses the two words interchangeably. The Greek word (gennao) could be translated bearing or begetting according to the context as shown in Matt.1:16, “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.” Similarly, born and begotten each read meaningfully in the John 3 account.

In the remainder of this short article, I propose that it may be more biblically, theologically and logically correct to say you must be ‘begotten again’ (i.e. ‘conceived again’ or ‘regenerated’) versus ‘born again’ to harness the potent force of regeneration in a Christian’s life. In Matthew 1:20, the Greek word (gennao) commonly translated born, or begotten is translated conceived, “…an angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit’.” The conception of a baby confirms that begetting and life creation has taken place as biblical genealogies show. (Matthew 1:1-17)

Paul testified to spiritual begetting in his letter to Philemon, “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains.” (v. 10 NKJV) Paul also expressed his spiritual fatherhood to the church he founded in Corinth, “For though you might have 10,000 instructors in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the Gospel.” (I Cor. 4:15) A spiritual genealogy happens when a Christian leads at least one other person to the Lord. Sadly, physical and spiritual family lines die out when members stop reproducing. Fortunately, even elderly Christians may be fruitful in old age begetting or giving birth to spiritual children.

Did you become a person when you were conceived or when you were born? Various states have tried to protect pre-born babies by legislating that personhood begins at conception. No further DNA was added after you were conceived. It was not at my birth that I became a unique person and began the process of physical development. I was well on my way at that point as were you. Likewise in spiritual regeneration, “… (God’s) divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (II Peter 1:3 NAS)

Throughout Scripture, God is the active, seeking, wooing, life-giving God. Using begotten instead of born in John 1:13 makes more sense to me in describing those who received Jesus to become the children of God, “who were begotten not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but begotten of God.” Likewise, all the ‘born of God’ verses in I John could be translated ‘begotten of God’ as the margin notes of the 1973 New American Standard Bible state. This is especially relevant to I John 3:9, and I John 5:18, “No one who is begotten of God practices sin because His seed (Gk. sperma) abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God…. We know that no one who is begotten of God sins; but He who was begotten of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.” (See also I John 2:29; 4:7; 5:1, and 4) The only begotten Son of God protects Christians from the evil one. The abiding seed of God in the children of God separates them from the children of the Devil. (Eph. 2:1-3)

Jesus in John 8:31-48 confronted treacherous followers based on their fatherhood, “If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God…You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.” Too often professed believers do not abide in Christ’s Word but are slaves of sin. (John 8:31-36)

With what kind of nature were you conceived as a member of Adam’s fallen race? David described himself and us in his confession, “I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5) To make any sinner a new creation in Christ (II Cor. 5:17), spiritual regeneration should be understood to correspond to the earliest moment of the sinner’s existence, i.e. conception, not birth. Physical life develops from its point of origin and Jesus thus illustrated that spiritual life develops from its point of origin in John 3:6, “That which is begotten of the flesh is flesh; and that which is begotten of the Spirit is spirit.” God the Father begets His children by the Holy Spirit with a new nature in His image. (Eph. 2:5-9; Romans 8:29)

Regeneration by the begetting heavenly Father precedes the evidence of spiritual life, i.e. repenting and believing. (John 1:12f.) Everyone who has been generated physically must be regenerated spiritually to see or enter the kingdom of God. Spiritual life from God the Father flows in His children to include their faith and repentance (conversion), justification, adoption, sanctification, assurance, giftedness, words and power to witness, perseverance, resurrection and glorification. The Christian has received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that he might know the things freely given to him by God. (I Cor. 2:12)

Jesus compared our heavenly Father with earthly fathers, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13 NAS; cf. Rom. 8:11, 32) “It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline...Furthermore, we had earthly fathers (lit. fathers of our flesh) to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits (or, our spirits), and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.” (Heb.12:7, 9f. NAS)

What may be some of the fallout caused by ignoring or minimizing the masculine analogy of begetting to produce spiritual life? Consider these possibilities: defective teaching on salvation and spiritual life dynamics; men leaving the church emotionally or literally; over feminization of the Church; lax spiritual discipline; an inadequate view of God’s power to regenerate sinners; less confidence and intimacy by Christians with their heavenly Father.

May we live confidently as God’s children by what the apostle Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (I Peter 1:3 NKJV) “That which is begotten of the flesh is flesh; and that which is begotten of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6) To see these and related thoughts worked out practically in the application of redemption see www.youlastforever.com.