Revelation 1:18 (NIV)
I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive
for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
The year 1899 marked the deaths of two well-known
men-Dwight L. Moody, the acclaimed evangelist, and Robert Ingersoll, the famous
lawyer, orator, and political leader.
The two men had many similarities. Both were raised in
Christian homes. Both were skilled orators. Both traveled extensively and were
widely respected. Both drew immense crowds when they spoke and attracted loyal
followings. But there was one striking difference between them-their view of
God.
Ingersoll was an agnostic and a follower of naturalism;
he had no belief in the eternal, but stressed the importance of living only in
the here and now. Ingersoll made light of the Bible, stating that "free
thought will give us truth." To him the Bible was "a fable, an
obscenity, a humbug, a sham and a lie."' He was a bold spokesman against
the Christian faith. He claimed that a Christian "creed [was] the ignorant
past bullying the enlightened present."'
Ingersoll's contemporary, Dwight L. Moody, had different convictions. He dedicated his life to presenting a resurrected King to a dying
people. He embraced the Bible as the hope for humanity and the cross as the
turning point of history He left behind a legacy of written and spoken words,
institutions of education, churches, and changed lives.
Two men. Both powerful speakers and influential leaders
One rejected God; the other embraced him. The impact of their decisions is seen
most clearly in the way they died. Read how one biographer parallels the two
deaths.
Ingersoll died suddenly. The news of his death stunned
his family. His body was kept at home for several days because his wife was
reluctant to part with it. It was eventually removed for the sake of the
family's health.
Ingersoll's remains were cremated, and the public
response to his passing was altogether dismal. For a man who put all his hopes
on this world, death was tragic and came without the consolation of hope.
Moody's legacy was different. On December 22, 1899, Moody
awoke to his last winter dawn. Having grown increasingly weak during the night,
he began to speak in slow measured words. "Earth recedes, heaven opens
before me!" Son Will, who was nearby, hurried across the room to his
father's side.
"Father, you are dreaming," he said.
"No. This is no dream, Will," Moody said. "It
is beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. God is
calling me, and I must go. Don't call me back."
At that point, the family gathered around, and moments
later the great evangelist died. It was his coronation day-a day he had looked
forward to for many years. He was with his Lord.
The funeral service of Dwight L. Moody reflected that
same confidence. There was no despair. Loved ones gathered to sing praise to
God at a triumphant home-going service. Many remembered the words the evangelist
had spoken earlier that year in New York City: "Someday you will read in
the papers that Moody is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. At that moment I
shall be more alive than I am now.... I was born of the flesh in 1837, I was
born of the Spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which
is born of the Spirit shall live forever."'
Dear Lord, we thank You that because of You and that we accepted
You as our Savior when we die we will be more alive than we ever have been. In
Jesus’ name, Amen.
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