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		ALSO:   Read Randall's replies to these subscriber responses:   "The prayers are so "self" centered"   "How can God let a child starve?"   "I am not worth anything to God"   "I do not believe in Jesus, Heaven, or Hell"   "...the term"accepting" Jesus isn't truly Biblical..."

A very special response and reply:

Occasionally, we receive a complaint or concern from one of our subscribers. Below is one such message.

This subscriber's concern afforded me an opportunity to "open a window to my heart" so to speak, to express the deep convictions I feel about this ministry.

There are many hurting people in this world, and we must remember that each one is important to God.

Randall Vaughn, President
E-MIN Global Ministries

 From a subscriber in South Africa:

"I subscribed to E-MIN earlier this year when someone gave me a print out of something that appealed to her. Since then, I have read your readings and prayers as they have arrived. However, I feel I must write you with a comment.

It seems to me that the prayers are so "self" centered - we live [in a place] with violence, rape, AIDS, drought, floods, road rage, news of the possibility of war in the area, etc. etc.

The prayers do not appear to have any connection with the world in which I live. You are very fortunate if you are protected from these realities.

I hope you will understand that I am not writing to be negative - I know I could unsubscribe - but the e-mail does serve a prupose for me - It is just something that is very much on my heart.

 My response:

I do understand about difficult things in life. I have in the past two years, faced my wife's diagnosis of cancer and her subsequent death, a long and bitter custody action to deliver my son from a certain situation, other very serious circumstances, illness, significant financial situations, and other things I will not go into at present.

Though our emotional or spiritual pain may have come from different sources, I have learned a universal truth: "pain is pain".

It is because of those things, and because of the level of pain I have felt, that so many of the messages you read are "self" centered, intended to be centered on encouraging and strengthening one's relationship with God.

It is because I have found in my own life that the strength of my personal relationship with God was often the determining factor as to whether or not I survived the seemlingly insurmountable problems I faced every day. My relationship with God gave me a reason to face each new day, a reason to survive, a reason to live.

Those "self" centered messages are my way of giving to others the things that have helped me, not only to survive, but to overcome those circumstances.

The words you read every day are more than just so much rhetoric, they have been my life, my survival, and a chronicle of my life and relationship with God. Going through those difficulties has so greatly enhanced my relationship with and understanding of God, I wish everyone could understand, but I do not wish them to experience the things I had to experience to learn it.

I hope this helps you to understand. I certainly never want the messages I send to appear to be a selfishly motivated "self" centeredness. It is my hope that others may grow from them as I have.

Thank you for sharing your heart with me.

G. Randall Vaughn, President
E-MIN Global Ministries

 Another subscriber's response to the above:

Mr. Vaughn,

I was reading some of the testimonials you had posted yesterday on E-MIN and I wanted to respond to the "special" response from the person who thought your prayers were self-centered. PRAYER IS PERSONAL!  After all, if we can't bring our own personal requests to Him, to whom can we go?

Only those of God's children who have and are experiencing the worst of times for them(selves) and their loved ones, can truly understand your prayers. As you said, "Going through those difficulties has so greatly enhanced my relationship with and understanding of God, I wish everyone could understand, but I do not wish them to experience the things I had to experience to learn it."

I have written before and told you about my husband who was in a car wreck and is now comatose and unable to speak or move. The accident was 2 1/2 years ago and I have cared for him at home since we brought him home from the hospital. I KNOW where you are coming from in your prayers on E-MIN, and I BEG you to not change the way you pray for "self-centered" help from God.

There are so many, many "devotional" books and periodicals out there that deal with generalities. Please don't take away the one (as far as I know) link those who are currently suffering so much have to someone else who knows their suffering first hand.

Your prayers and selected scripture always help me to start my day knowing someone other than my family and friends knows and cares about the pain I have each day. After my time spent with my Father in the early morning hours, I then sit at my computer and read your e-mail. What a ministry that is to me.

May God richly bless you and your family and your determination to serve Him no matter what!

Sincerely,

Judy

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