Dec.10, 2001
Take a look and read this e-mail I received just a few days ago.Hi Zach,
My name is Randy Anderson I'm 43 and I'm a brother in Christ. A while back I was praying so hard and earnestly for a PRS to use in my fledgling music ministry and God just would not answer until now. I had just moved to California and my first week here led a prostitute and a drunkard in the sinners prayer. I was really out there bringing folks to Jesus. Than after no sign of a PRS I fell into a great depression. It runs in my family as well as anxiety disorders and suicide. I've been hospitalized twice for suicide attempts.I am doing better now and anxious to continue with my ministry. Since the last part of Sept. I've gotten eight people to pray the sinners prayer with me and accept Christ. The guitar has been a door opener to talking with young people about Jesus.
I am on disability for Major Depressive Disorder And Generalized Anxiety Disorder. One of your guitars would be three months income for me. So I'm begging you Zach If their is anyway you could donate one of your improved versions of a PRS, it would be such a blessing. It would help me emotionally so very much with my depression and not having those suicidal thoughts. ( I have a 4 year old beautiful daughter) I would much rather have a guitar built by God than made by Satan's machines. You have no idea how many souls this guitar would bring to the Lord where they belong instead of being claimed by the Devil where they don't belong.
Zach, please pray and I hope God's answer is that you could do this for me. I know it's asking a lot. Can you put a price on one soul not ending up in hell? Sincerely, Randy
Since I am the most soft hearted guy around, this story almost broke my heart. I had already packed up one of my nicest guitars ready to ship it to this poor soul in need. After all "how can I put a price on one soul not ending up in hell"?
I decided to ask a friend who is very religious himself (he is a devout atheist).
Here is what he suggested I do:
Pick any one of the following:
a) Tell him to write the pope, as he's got enough money to afford one;
b) Tell him to pray harder, and guitars will raineth from heaven;
c) Tell him to go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.
Actually this is all your own fault for claiming your guitars are built by god! Now god is coming to collect his cut for being used in your advertising! This guy is just his sleazeball agent.
BobNow I really don't know what to do. I am ready to give away any of my guitars for free as long as it will bring many souls to the Lord, instead of being claimed by the Devil. I also like it when someone would much rather have a guitar built by God than one made by Satan's machines.
What should I do???
Wow, about Randy's mail. Hmm. He's either a con man and/or has very significant psychological problems. I particularly dislike how he attempts to leverage religion to try to hit a soft spot with you. I am also offended that he would attempt to bring drunkards and prostitutes in for prayer when his life is obviously so fucked up he should be trying to fix his own problems first. I am very morally conservative but that type of shit is common and is one of the factors that turned me off to organized religion so many years ago. Did you notice how he capitalized "General Anxiety Disorder" and "Major Depressive Disorder"? That implies that he is very comfortable about telling others and using these conditions as excuses in his own life. I am generous towards people who need help but frankly I have very little pity for people like him. If he's able to function and use a computer to window shop then he should be able to be a productive member of society.
RichDear Zach, after reading Randys letter I have noted this. He confronts would be sinners on the street, correct, therefore an acoustic guitar would be better suited for his needs, not a brand new electric guitar. If he prays sooo hard he would realize that the Lord helps those who help them selves. Honestly, living in Cali. he could swing a dead cat and hit a pawn shop where he could get a good quality acoustic guitar for less than a few trips to a Chicken and Waffle house. Randy, Adapt, Overcome, and Move on... NEXT!
PeterYou know,Bro, was that Randy fella on the level?
It sounded like He was spreading the shit a bit thick for My taste. Don't get Me wrong, If You feel that God is truly urging You to give that guy one of Your Masterpieces, by all means go for it, but frankly, Bro, I think the guy is trying to "spiritually" BLACKMALE Yer ass. Either this bloke's fairly new in the faith and doesn't realize what He's doin', or He's just a calculatingly RUDE SOB! C'mon, Man, 4 yr old daughter,depression syndrome, suicide, and then He implies that the guitar will remedy His depression. Personally I think this guy needs ALOT of prayer and a good Christian Shrink! Bobby.I've been drooling over your guitars for over a year now, and Ii call myself a Christian, and Ii could tell you all about having four kids, and faithfully going to work everyday, and still struggling to make ends meet, but I still wouldn't ask you to give me a free guitar (even if it was for the Lords work). It also doesn't make sense that he'd need an electric for street ministry. If it is truly of God that he have one of your guitars to rescue more souls, some Godly person with the means will feel led to give this guy the money or at least part of it to help pay for this guitar...even then it still seems very shady, but if sending this guy a free guitar is what the Lord wants you to do, (whether you actually believe in Him or not) trust me you will not be able to stop thinking about it, and you will just know you have to do it, but if you can just forget about it its probably not "of the Lord" for this guy to just have one of your guitars handed to him on a silver platter, he may actually have to find the money somehow even if its raised through donations, or a healing so that he can work, who knows, God does work in mysterious ways...
Hope this helps. I would just hate for someone to sucker you out of a guitar that took so much time and care to build over a "sob story" and include "saving souls" to make it more convincing or guilt-inducing. Good luck, and hopefully one day I will have the funds to afford one of your guitars, but until then I'll just keep checkin' in on what's new, and reading the emails you post, and maybe even comment like this time...take care and keep creating more works of art...
p.s. I would watch out for the lightning from the comment "guitars built by God" Sincerely... RobbI don't know what to think of that email..was a good laugh though. Thanks I needed that! Peace, -- Marc
Regarding the unnafortunated reverend's e-mail
well, many many things went on trough my head. Let's see, a mentally diseased person (reverend) crying for help asking God to send him a brand new PRS Guitar... Who does this guy think God is? Carlos Santana? If he is waiting for that beautiful guitar fall down from the sky, I think he is a little bit lost!! I mean I talk to God oftenly and I ask him many many things (I pray for my father, for my mom, my brother, my grilfriend, to succed in my business, to become a better person, I thank him for letting me live one more day, etc) But I dont tell him "Hey Budy!! send me a brand new Jimmy Page's Les Paul please?But what if it is for real, what if he is telling the truth? no one will know. Why don't you ask him to send you the papers that certify him as a Reverend (priest, brother, whatever) and a picture of his loved 4 year old daughter. And a monthly letter from a certified shrink stating that he is under medical treatment to cure his disease. This so he can prove what he is saying, and if he proves it, you should think in donating or lowering the price for one of your God-inspired guitars. What do you think ? Bestest Regards.
Rodrigo (Mexico)Hey Zachary,
God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Just as there are laws in the physical universe, so there are spiritual laws. God created us to have a relationship with Him. So, you may ask why am I not experiencing more of the abundant life God has for me? Well, all have sinned (knowing the right thing to do and not doing it) and fall short of Gods glory. God is Holy, pure and sinless. We were created to have a relationship with Him. Sin separates us from God. The Bible says "the payment of sin is death." This death is spiritual. It means we are separated from a righteous God. That is why we feel empty inside and alone. There is no way we can bridge the separation between man and God. Yes, people try by being good, building things, religion, and thinking. The only way is for an infinite God reaching down to finite man, his creation bringing us to Him. God made a way for us to have a close friendship with Him through Jesus. God became flesh (in a man's body) and lived among us. He took all the crap, the sin, the pain that we have done by doing wrong W hat did God do with all the payment for sin we deserved? Well, God died for us in our place. Jesus went to the cross, like an electric chair in your place. Jesus said we are pardoned, forgiven for our sins. He said "If anyone receives Him , he has the right to be called a son of God." God has a free gift for you! The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. God wants a relationship with you. God is calling you to say "Jesus I need you. I want to forgive me for all of my sins. I want to live for you now God. " The free gift is eternal life with God. Amen!
Hello, First I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am 24 years old and I go to a Pentecostal Church. I had played the guitar for about 10 years. During the time that I was in college, I would lay on the bed with my eyes closed, but not sleep. We believe the Bible, to where God gives people callings in order to upbuild the church. A calling is like a gift that God points out for a person to do. Well, while laying on my bed there at college, (not sleep) I saw myself standing by the large offering table playing the guitar. The song I was playing was, "The Old Rugged Cross". In the vision, I was standing there crying as I played. Day after day, weeks after weeks, and months after months, I have seen this vision in my mind and have been pressed with the issue within myself, that this is the calling that God has for me, so that I can be an annointed player and in turn, the playing help to win souls to Christ. I am 24 years old, married and have tons of school loans to pay. Of all the websites that I have searched, this is the one where my heart jumped as I saw your guitars laying on the website. I have been raised in a decent family, mother retired, and father a Veteran who died of cancer. I never ask for things that I am not able to afford, and never do I ask it of someone who I do not know. However, if time could wait for my finances to get straight, then that would not be a problem. However, I know within my heart, that it is something that I need to start at right away, and time won't permit me to get the finances necessary. I have looked at your prices, and cannot afford it. I am praying and asking God to lay it on your heart to send me one of these gitars and somehow be able to work out another arrangement with me. The cost of you doing so with this ONE guitar is far less than the benefits that God would grant you for helping me to win people to Christ. A Bible scripture says, whatever you have done unto the least of these, you have done unto me. I hope that this is not deleted, but that you sincerely take the time out to read this over and over and know that this is not just for me, but for the Lord. Thank you and may Heaven smile upon you, Rosetta
Hi my name is shannon and i am an eighteen year old freshman at south eastern bible college and persuing the lord with all my heart but my life wasnt always like this growing up my biological father was in and out of my life untill i was 8 years old and then h finally left my step dad was both physically and emotonally abssive to both my mother and i please disregared me spelling for a couple of reasons that i will get to in a moment after a while i got into drugs and alcohale to dull my pain in my heart i was searching for love i have been in 3 rehabs and over dosed twice the last time my moter skilss were slowed down a little finally my life came crashing own and i went into teenchallenge and graduated by then i been saved my mom,dad and sisters are saved and living wholy for the lord now, i got my ged and got excepted in to sebc in alabama also i found my passion in music and love the guitar and winning soals and glorifyinggod with my music so this is why im sking for your help to please donate a guitar and help me further the kindom thanx for considering me and for your time godbless you love through christ the king your sister in christ shannon