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Staring at Death

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Michael was HIV positive when I met him. He told me he was “looking for some guidance,” as he put it. He was 31 years old, and the AIDS virus was really ravaging his body. Michael didn�t have much time left to live, and he was in deep despair. “Where do I go from here?” he asked me.

I was so glad that I had the opportunity to talk with Michael. After I shared the Good News Gospel with him, I sensed that he was truly repentant of his lifestyle, and ready to make a decision for Jesus Christ. “Michael,” I said, “Have you ever surrendered your life to the Lord?” “No,” he replied. “But I�d like to. I�d like to come to peace.” I was so thrilled that Michael was ready to know God! We prayed together and Michael opened his heart to receive Jesus Christ. He was so relieved to be free from the fear of death, and could look forward to Heaven.

Jesus Christ said in John chapter 10, “I give you eternal life. You will never perish, and no one can snatch you out of my hands.” Often, people become open to the Lord in difficult times. That�s why we need to be ready to lovingly share the message of salvation with them. The Good News is that the Lord loves unconditionally. He longs to forgive, and give them eternal life.

A Family Divided

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Samantha was a woman who believed in one religion, and her husband believed in another. This wasn�t a problem for them while they were dating and first married. But when they started having children, she began wondering how they would raise them. “What church should we take them to?” Samantha asked me.

I first recommended that Samantha read the Gospel of John. I said it would help her understand what Christianity is all about, and why it�s the one religion that offers forgiveness of sins and a relationship with God the Father.

I told her that all religions are not the same, so it was of utmost importance to raise her children in the Lord. I shared one of my favorite verses in John: “To all those who receive Him, who believe in His name, He gives them the power to become a child of God.” Samantha agreed to start reading the Bible, asking God to reveal Himself to her.

You know, it�s interesting that once couples have children they often start asking this type of question. Their spiritual antennas seem to be up, so to speak.

So as you enter into conversations with couples you know, be aware that they may have questions about religion. Your answers, prompted by the Holy Spirit, could lead them into a relationship with Jesus Christ!

Christ’s Forgiveness

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I know a very successful businessman named Jay Coughlan. He and his father used to go on a yearly fishing trip that always included lots of drinking. During one of these trips, Jay and his dad stopped at a bar on their way home.

When they hit the road again, Jay was so drunk that he ran through a railroad crossing — right as a train was coming. The train smashed into them, destroyed the car, and Jay�s father died on the spot.

In the hospital, Jay�s guilt was overwhelming. He had never thought much about God, but lying there he said, “I�m going to hell. This is the ultimate crime.”

Just then, a preacher came into Jay�s room. He told Jay, “Mr. Coughlan, God loves you. He wants to forgive you and give you eternal life.”

Jay swore at the Pastor and said, “I just killed my father! How can God ever forgive me?” But the man explained the Good News very simply. And Jay accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Today, Jay shares his story with other businessmen, explaining the Good News of God�s forgiveness and grace. The Lord is using Jay�s experience to bring others to the Lord. What a great example of the powerful, on-going effects of evangelism!

Who can you tell about the Lord? Will you do it today?

From Death to Life

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Steve McQueen was a famous movie star in the 50s. He was also a crazy guy, a womanizer, a wild man in Hollywood. One day, years ago, Billy Graham told me that Steve McQueen called him up. He said, Mr. Graham, I�m dying of cancer and I don�t know God. Please come and talk with me. So Billy went to see him.

When Mr. Graham arrived, he said that Steve was just skin and bones. Steve told Billy, I�ve had three wives and I�ve fooled around with many women. I�ve been unfaithful. I�ve been a drunk. Can God forgive me?

Billy Graham explained Romans 10:9 to him: If you believe in your heart, and confess Jesus Christ with your lips, He comes into your life. He�ll forgive you and give you eternal life. Then Mr. Graham led Steve in a prayer to open his heart to Jesus Christ. A few days later, Steve died.

What an impact his story must have had on the entertainment world! I�m sure Steve McQueen is the last person many people imagined would convert to Christianity. But God is able to do “immeasurably more than anything we can ask or imagine.”

So don�t give up on the person in your life who seems the furthest from the Lord. God can touch anyone�s heart, and He wants to use you and me in the process! Let God use you to win a soul for Him.

Back to the Bible

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I once read a shocking article about a Princeton University professor of bio-ethics. The article said this Prof believes “parents should have the right to euthanize newborn children who have severe handicaps.” Did you catch that? He said, “Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person.” Talk about depravity – that is murder!

So how do you and I respond to this kind of blatant sinfulness? I believe we must get back to the Bible! Billy Graham once said, “It�s either back to the Bible or back to the jungle.” The jungle, a world of moral chaos, is creeping up on us. But, the Word of God holds truth and power to transform lives!

Hebrews 4 tells us, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.”

So don�t be discouraged! Instead, dive into the Scriptures, and encourage your friends to open the Word of God, and seek out the truth for themselves. Why not challenge someone you know to read the book of John, and discuss it over coffee? Ask the Holy Spirit to penetrate their heart with the message of forgiveness, and eternal life, through the cross of Christ.