5377 Graham Prays For Marilyn Monroe
One night in 1962 in a hotel in Seattle, Billy Graham was sound asleep. Suddenly he awoke with what he later described as “a burden to pray for Marilyn Monroe,” the movie actress. When the feeling continued the next day, one of Graham’s associates tried to reach the actress through one of her agents. The agent offered no hope for a meeting immediately. “Not now. Maybe two weeks from now,” he said.
Two weeks later Marilyn Monroe’s suicide shocked the world. Two weeks was too late.
5378 Moody And The Chicago Fire
Evangelist D. L. Moody said that his “greatest mistake” occurred October 8, 1871, On that night in Chicago, he addressed one of the largest crowds of his career. His message was about the Lord’s trial and was based on Pilate’s question, “What shall I do then with Jesus?” (Mt. 27:22).
As Moody concluded, he said, “I wish you would seriously consider this subject, for next Sunday we will speak about the Cross, and at that time I’ll inquire, “What will YOU do with Jesus?”” Ira Sankey then sang the closing hymn, which included the lines, “Today the Savior calls; for refuge fly. The storm of justice falls, and death is nigh.”
But the hymn was never finished, for while Sankey was singing, there was the rush and roar of fire engines on the street outside. That was the night of the great Chicago fire which almost destroyed the whole city. And before the next day, Chicago lay in ashes. “I have never since dared,” said Moody, “to give an audience a week to think of their salvation.”
5379 “Will Be Seeing You”?
E. Schuyler English told about being approached in the lobby of a hotel by a person he had met earlier on one of two occasions. After exchanging greetings, the man said, “By the way, the reason I made myself known to you is because my brother frequently mentioned your name. He was a minister and had some of your books in his library.” Continuing the account of that meeting, Dr. English related, “Assuming that this casual acquaintance shared the faith of his brother, I told him what a happy experience I always had when I met a fellow-believer.
“At that moment his wife joined us and he introduced me to her. Then he said, “My brother had all our family’s religion. He used to keep after me to “turn to Christ,” as he put it. Who knows? Maybe I will someday.” It’s getting pretty late, I told him. Today is the day of salvation! “You sound just like my brother,” he replied. Taking his wife’s arm, he led her away, saying with a smile, “We’ll be seeing you.” Nine days later I read his name in an obituary column.”
—Our Daily Bread
5380 Too Late! Too Late! Too Late!
Evangelist D. L. Moody had a class of young men. He had won most of them to Christ, but one had refused to yield. One day he spoke to him, urging him to make his decision.
“Listen, Mr. Moody,” replied the young man, “I’m going West, and after I have made my fortune, when I return, I promise you I will accept Christ.” And he turned away.
Moody listened with a sad heart. Some weeks later the young man became seriously ill and was taken to the hospital. Moody felt led to visit him, and bending over his bed he again urged him to receive Jesus Christ. But once more, this time in a feeble voice, he refused.
“Mr. Moody,” he said, “I’m going West, and when I come back I’ll become a Christian.” Moody turned away with a heavy heart.
Finally, one day, the young man, who did get better, came walking briskly up to Moody’s veranda.
“Mr. Moody,” he cried extending his hand, “I have come to say good-bye. I am leaving for the West.”
Moody laid his hand on his shoulder, and again spoke to him, urging the claims of Christ. The young man became angry and shaking off the hand of the evangelist, he retorted: “Mr. Moody, never speak to me again about my soul’s salvation. I have promised you to make the decision when I have returned, but not before. Good-bye.”
With that he left, and Moody, realizing that something had snapped in his own heart, sat down, disappointed.
That night Moody was awakened by a loud knocking on his door. Putting his head out of the window, he saw a woman with a shawl wrapped around her.
“Oh, Mr. Moody,” she cried, her voice filled with anguish, “come quickly. My husband is sick, desperately sick, and I am afraid. Please come at once.”
In a moment, Moody recognized her as the wife of the young man he had spoken to that afternoon.
“It would be of no use,” was his reply. “Your husband gave me his final refusal this afternoon. He has crossed the deadline. It would be useless for me to go.” But because of her entreaties, he got dressed and went.
As he mounted the steps he saw the young man lying on his back on the bed, his eyes wide open but apparently unconscious of those around him. As he approached, he heard him uttering just two words:
“Too late! too late! too late!”
Kneeling down by his side, Moody grasped his hand, opened a Bible and commenced to pray. But the young man paid no attention whatever. He just kept staring up at the ceiling, and crying out:
“Too late! too late! too late!”
Moody did everything possible to arouse him, but there was no recognition, and in a few minutes he died, still exclaiming as he had before, “Too late!”
5381 Aaron Burr Took Friend’s Advise
The story is told of a revival sweeping through the university of Princeton, New Jersey. Aaron Burr came to the president of the university and said, “Mr. President, I have made up my mind to consider the claims of Christ. Now Mr. President, what would you do?” And the old president of the university gave him this advice: “Burr, if I were you, I would wait until the excitement of the revival had subsided, and then I would think it out carefully.”
Aaron Burr bowed his head a moment, and then he said, “Mr. President, that is exactly what I will do.” And, it is stated as a fact, that never again in his life did he express a desire to be a Christian, and they say he died without such an expression.
—J. Wilbur Chapman
5382 Just In Time With Passover Blood
The rabbis have a legend that on that Passover night when the Israelites were awaiting a signal for their departure, there was in one of the Jewish homes a sick girl, who asked her father repeatedly if the blood had been sprinkled on the lintel of the door. Not satisfied with his repeated assurances that the servant had properly attended to it, she begged him for her sake to go and see.
He went outside the door and looked and no blood was there. He made haste to bring the basin with the hyssop branch and had just sprinkled the lintel when a shadow fell over him; he looked upward, and lo! the destroying angel was passing by!
—J. H. Bomberger
5383 Suppose One Year To Wait
A woman came to Dr. Chalmers one day and said: “Dr. Chalmers, I cannot get my child to come to her Saviour. I’ve talked and talked to her, but it’s no use.” The doctor thought to himself that she must be lacking in wisdom, and said, “Let me talk with your daughter by myself, and we will see what may be done.”
One day he met the daughter and engaged her in conversation. “You have been bothered a good deal about the matter of your soul’s salvation, haven’t you? Suppose I say to your mother that you don’t want to be talked to about the matter for a whole year, how will that do?”
The Scottish lassie hesitated a little and then replied: “Well, I don’t think it would be safe to put off the matter for a whole year. Something might happen! I might die before then.” “Yes, that’s so,” replied the doctor. “Suppose we say six months.” The daughter didn’t think that even that would be safe. “Well, then, how about three months?” After a brief hesitation the daughter replied, “I don’t think it is safe to put it off at all.” They knelt together and in a few moments the daughter was radiantly saved.
—Memorial Addresses
5384 Needless Battle Deaths
While in session at the National Religious Broadcasters’ Convention I learned that in the Battle of New Orleans, in the War of 1812, 2,070 American and British soldiers were needlessly killed. The Armistice had been signed, hostilities had been declared officially over but, due to the lack of communications, the soldiers in that battle didn’t know of the Armistice and fought on, with a tragic loss of life.
I thought of another tragic loss of lives—and souls—which must be traced to the failure of those who have known, for so long, the blessed facts of the gospel—of God’s gracious gift of His Son as man’s Saviour and of His offer of eternal life to all men—and yet have failed to bear the news to every land. Here is no lack of means of communication—we have the equipment, the money, even the men—our trouble is probably that we are unconcerned, in spite of all the moving sermons and songs we hear and sing and say.
—Wilbur E. Nelson
5385 Legend Of Satan’s Strategy
A modern fable tells about how his Satanic Majesty solved the problem of the loss of patronage in his Infernal Domain. It seems that he found there were still many “prospects” on the Planet Earth. But why weren’t they coming to him?
After cudgeling his brain until both horns hurt, he decided he’d use Earth’s method for solving problems. He’d have a contest.
So … he gathered all his little Imps together and explained the problem. “One week from today,” he growled, “we will meet together right here … and the one who has the best solution to the problem of our lack of business will receive an asbestos helmet and a gold pitchfork.”
Since the prizes offered were so attractive, the little Imps of Satan diligently picked their own and each other’s brain all week. Came the Big Day, and many were the suggestions offered, but Brother Brimstone won the prize. What was unique about his Big Idea? Listen!
“First,” chortled Brimstone, “we will pick out a nice, juicy prospect. Then we will put our arm around his shoulder and say, “Tell me, Mr. Smith, how would you like to go to Heaven when you die?” Naturally he’ll say yes, so then we proceed. “Then here’s what you’ll have to do: Stop that heavy drinking and carousing, stay away from your neighbor’s wife …”” He was interrupted by a clamor from the rest of the Imps.
“Whose side are you on … anyhow?” they screamed.
But Brother Brimstone had anticipated their clamor. He held up one front hoof to quiet them. “Hear me out,” he smiled, “I then whisper in his ear: “But you don’t have to start doing those things right now … just SOME MORE CONVENIENT TIME!””
And Brimstone got the prize.
—Western Voice
5386 On Satan’s Strategy
A minister of the Gospel determined on one occasion to preach on the text, “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” While in his study thinking, he fell asleep and dreamed that he was carried into hell and sat down in the midst of a conclave of lost spirits. They were assembled to devise means whereby they might get at the souls of men.
One rose and said, “I will go to the earth and tell men that the Bible is all a fable, that it is not divinely appointed of God.” No, that will not do. Another said, “Let me go: I will tell men that there is no God, no Saviour, no Heaven, no hell.” “No, that will not do; we cannot make men believe that.”
Suddenly one arose and with a wise mien suggested, “No, I will journey to the world of men, and tell them that there is a God, that there is a Saviour, that there is a Heaven—yes, and a hell, too; but I’ll tell them there is NO HURRY; tomorrow will do.” And they sent him.
—Biblical Treasury
5387 More On Satan’s Strategy
A good, old monk had a dream, and he told it around the monastery fire to the brethren. And he said, “Brethren, I had a strange dream last night; I saw a council of devils held in hell, and they were met in order to take counsel how to defeat the work of God on earth, and one of Satan’s servants said to him, “My master, I saw a cargo of missionaries going to foreign lands to preach the Gospel, and I raised a storm and sank the vessel.” “Thou hast done nothing to stay the work of God.”
“Then another servant of Satan stood forth and said, “My master, I have caused books to be written against God, and against all that is good and holy and pure.” “Well,” said Satan, “that is better than what your brother did, but they won’t believe you. I have been trying to persuade them that there is no God, or heaven, or hell for six thousand years past, and they believe in it almost as much as ever.” “What hast thou done?” said Satan to another, one of particularly diabolical countenance—and he said, “Oh, my satanic master, let me tell you, let me tell you what I have done. There was a mission going on in a certain city, and I attended every service of the mission, and I said to the vast congregation, “Every word that that stranger says is eternally true; God loves you, Jesus died for you, the Holy Spirit pleads with you, you can get perfect peace in your soul,” but at the close of each service as the congregation was going out, I used to whisper in their ears, “Put it off till to-morrow, don’t come to any decision, put it off till to-morrow.””
““Ha! ha! thou hast my satanic blessing!” said Satan, “thou hast done more than all the rest to defeat the counsel and purpose of God for their salvation.””
—George C. Grubb
5388 “Something More Awful”
A celebrated preacher of the seventeenth century described the terrors of the last judgment with such eloquence, that some of his audience burst into tears, and sent forth piercing cries as if the Judge himself had been present, and was about to pass upon them their final sentence. In the height of this excitement, the preacher called upon them to dry their tears, and cease their cries, as he was about to add something still more awful and astonishing than any thing he had yet brought before them.
With solemn voice, he said, “In one-quarter of an hour from this time, the emotions which you have just now exhibited will be stifled; the remembrance of the fearful truths which excited them will vanish; you will return to your carnal occupations or sinful pleasures with your usual avidity; and you will treat all you have heard as a tale that is told.”
—Foster
5389 The Clothes Without The Baby
Someone has illustrated the value of a soul with a modern parable. A householder took a trip into a far country and left with his servant a child and the child’s clothes. After awhile he returned and the servant said to him: “Sir, here are all the child’s clothes. They are in excellent condition—clean, and mended, and pressed. But as for the child, I know not where it is.”
So in the last day someone will say, “Lord, here is my body. I have neglected nothing that belongs to it. It is strong, and well, and beautiful. But as for my soul I have lost it!”
—The Presbyterian
5390 An Unanswerable Question
A Welsh minister, beginning his sermon, leaned over the pulpit and said with a solemn air, “Friends, I have a question to ask. I cannot answer it. You cannot answer it. If an angel from heaven were here, he could not answer it. If a devil from hell were here, he could not answer it.”
Every eye was fixed on the speaker, who proceeded. “The question is this, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”” (Heb. 2:3)
—Free Methodist
5391 The Unclaimed Reward
Some years ago, a Scottish friend of mine, while walking the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa, happened to glance in the gutter, and saw a piece of paper on which was written in large let ters: “Five thousand pounds reward!”
Moved with curiosity, to say nothing of the desire to possess the substantial reward, he stooped down and retrieved the paper. It turned out to be a four-page gospel tract. On opening it he read: “Five thousand pounds will be paid to the person or persons who can answer the following question: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”” Needless to say, the reward remains unclaimed unto this day!
—Alfred P. Gibbs
5392 Common Problem With Gas Attendant
It was the beginning of a holiday weekend, and the service station was crowded with motorists and cars. Finally the attendant hustled up to the local minister, who had been waiting in line for quite some time.
“Sorry about the delay,” the attendant apologized. “It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for the trip he’s planned.”
The pastor smiled. “I know what you mean,” he said, “I have the same problem in my business.”
—Gospel Herald
5393 Epigram On Salvation (Neglect of)
• What shall I do, this side of the tomb, to be lost? The answer is NOTHING!
• He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.
—Tillotson