An
Amazing Fact: Dwight L. Moody made the greatest mistake of
his life the night of October 8, 1871, when the great Chicago fire destroyed nearly
the entire city. Hundreds died—some who had been in Moody’s audience that
evening. He finished his message by asking, “What will you do with Jesus? I
wish you would seriously consider this subject, for next Sunday, we will speak
about the cross, and at that time, I’ll ask again, ‘What will you do with
Jesus?’” Little did anyone know that these words would be the last heard in
that huge arena, for even as Moody closed the service, the fire was already
burning.
Jocelyn, a hospital nurse, knew her patient
was dying. But in the last moments of the woman’s life, God brought her a final
message.
Have you ever stood at the bedside of a dying
family member? What would you say to them if they had not yet accepted Jesus as
their Savior? There is no more sobering moment for me than to recognize that
my gospel appeals might be the last opportunity for people to receive Christ.
I’m thankful that the Lord has the power to
save every sinner, no matter how far they have wandered from Him. “Behold, I
am the Lord, the God of all flesh.
Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).
You can cooperate with heaven in making
appeals for people to respond to the gospel. You can bring the good news of
salvation to people under unusual circumstances, in unlikely places, and to
those who might literally be taking their last breath. That’s what happened to
Jocelyn’s patient …
We’re
All Terminal
One morning, Jocelyn learned that she would
be caring for a hospice patient, a woman in her 50s who had suffered from a
stroke. Sadly, the woman couldn’t talk or move her body—except blink her eyes. The
poor woman was terminal, and her life was rapidly slipping away.
In one sense, we’re all terminal. We’ve
all sinned, and we know what that means. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans
6:23). If we reject God’s gift, eternal life in Jesus, we will die the
second death (Revelation 20:6).
That’s why God desperately called to lost
Israel: “‘As I live,’ says the Lord God,
‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from
his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die?’”
(Ezekiel 33:11). Will you join heaven in sending the gospel message, the “words
of eternal life” (John 6:68), through different avenues? You can share what
might be the last words people ever hear that will lead them to salvation!
Tears
rolled down her cheeks …
One day, when Jocelyn went to check on her
patient, the woman was alone. Her eyes were open, and the TV was playing even
though the woman had no ability to use the remote. Jocelyn noticed that Amazing
Facts was on the TV. She realized that God was calling to this patient in her
last moments of life. She sensed a peaceful atmosphere in the room.
So, this Sabbath-keeping nurse came close to
the woman and held her hand. She spoke about God’s love and how Jesus knew her
from the moment she was born. Jocelyn explained that God was willing to forgive
her sins and that it was time to be reconciled with God. Tears rolled down the
woman’s cheeks.
Then Jocelyn prayed with the woman. And a few
minutes later, her patient died.
Too many people are racing through life,
focused only on the pleasures of this world, and don’t realize they are driving
at full speed toward a cliff that will end in a disaster. We have an urgent
responsibility to stand up like Peter on Pentecost and call these people to
repentance: “Be saved from this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40). We
need to be like John the Baptist, preparing people for the coming of Christ!
The
Last Words You Hear
When Jocelyn told me this story, she
mentioned that one of the last senses people have when passing away is their
hearing. It reminded me just how important it is for people to hear
last-day truth.
The apostle Paul appealed to the believers in
Rome, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And
how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).
You may never stand in a church pulpit, but
you can still help people hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Come to Me” when you
support Amazing Facts. Your generous gifts put Bible messages on the air in
unlikely places, including hospital rooms where people might be dying. Even in
bars, airports, and health clubs, the voice of Jesus is calling lost souls
through Amazing Facts programs.
Television is a powerful medium through which
to reach the world for Christ. Through cable, over-the-air, satellite, and
the internet, you can preach the gospel to all the world. Through our national
broadcasts on major networks watched on TV, cell phones, tablets, and
computers, you can share essential truth with people in restaurants, hospitals,
gyms, and homes around the world.
And what people hear, through messages made
possible by your gifts, might be the last words they hear.
Probation
Will Soon Close
Friend, you know how world events—wars,
natural disasters, wickedness—point to Christ’s soon return. Probation will soon
close. But until then, we have a few more moments to make final appeals to our
friends and family to accept Jesus.
God is keeping the door open to reach the
perishing on major stations such as History, Lifetime, ION, TBN, and more. Will
you give an urgent plea to the dying with a gift today? You
can be a part of helping set up divine appointments, even in hospitals. Your
$50 gift will help 1,000 TV viewers have an encounter with Christ’s lifesaving truth.
A $25 gift could share precious truth over 6,000 times with seekers using YouTube
on their phones, and a $100 gift will help four times as much. Whatever amount
the Spirit convicts you to send, God will use you to keep all Amazing Facts programs
reaching every corner of our globe.
Jocelyn said, “I’m 100 percent certain that
God used this beautiful ministry to save this patient, just as He continues to
use it to bless others around the world.” Will you join Jocelyn in being a
ministry angel and help more dying folks find life in Jesus?
Sharing the wonderful words of life,
Pastor Doug Batchelor
President, Amazing Facts International