Dear Friends of It Is Written:

Since the birth of the Internet, I have enjoyed the stories that seem to bounce from e-mail inbox to inbox. Sometimes, you get to see the story close to the time of its birth, and then a few weeks or months later, you get to see it again after it grows and people add new "facts" and "details" with each click of the send button.

In recent days, I've seen my own name circulating in a number of discussions, and I've noticed that once again, as the story spreads, people seem to be attaching "details" they appear to be getting from sources other than me!

I truly believe that people mean well, and have the best interests of the ministry at heart as they pass along information they've discovered or received online—but as stories take on a life of their own, this actually creates a stressful situation for my team at It Is Written. We end up spending our time fielding phone calls instead of getting on with the work of soul-winning.

So as friends and supporters of It Is Written, I thought I'd take a moment to give you the story from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Please feel free to disregard any other communication you may have received and consider this to be an authoritative source—and, if you share this with someone, please share it in its entirety and without editing.

To listen to some people, you'd think that I was either dead or dying. Some people—motivated by kindness—have started sending me "miracle cures" for diseases I didn't know I had! Here are the facts: I am not dead (a fact of which I am quite certain), and I am not dying—at least not any faster than any other sinner waiting for Jesus to come.

In fact, I reported to work this morning—as I did yesterday—and I'm writing this from my office.

Now to the facts.

Am I struggling with my health? There is no question about it. That part of the story is true. In recent months, I've faced some particularly difficult challenges—challenges that have made it difficult for me to stay on top of my rather broad duties as the Speaker/Director of It Is Written. Fortunately, I have one of the finest teams on the planet working in this ministry, and we have never skipped a beat—and never will.

As time has moved along, and after many consultations with some of the finest doctors in the country, it became quite evident that I was going to have to lay aside my responsibilities as Speaker/Director and take the time I need to recover. I will be doing precisely that, and I have been assured that the prognosis for a long and full life is very good.