Second Chance in Life

July 14, 2021

by Chet DiLeo

Recently I watched a facebook video of a Brooklyn minister named Jim Cymbala who descipbed an unforettable event in his life.

Pastor Jim recalled a sleepless night he had years ago. Finally he got up to pray and opened the Bible to Proverbs 10:5—"He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son." He sensed The Lord was reminding him through his Word that it is harvest time.

Pastor Jim stated that a few hours later, the twin towers in New York came down (9/11).
He was challenging his listeners to get out and evangelize people in their lives. It was harvest time to bring souls into the kingdom of God.
After a few months, a new parishioner named Genelle Guzman wanted to join his church. During the interview he was reduced to tears listening to her testimony. Genelle was the last World Trade Center survivor pulled from the rubble. She prayed during those trapped 27 hours begging God for a second chance to live. Now she was ready to reform her life and join this church.
Genelle received extensive publicity about her experience and she was clearly fulfilling this passage from the Book of Psalms:
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me. Psalm 50:15 (NASB)
A couple of months ago, I read the obituary of a man I will call Mario who was a victim of the pandemic virus.
I recall praying for Mario’s conversion for a few years since he openly claimed to be an atheist. He and I had similar educational backgrounds. We went to the same college with the same philosophy professor who convinced Mario of his atheistic beliefs. Also we were both English teachers and his father came to my father’s funeral. Moreover, our Italian roots stemmed from southern Italy.
Years ago I heard a sermon with the words: “We are given just so many chances in life.” Some people are gamblers who may be waiting for a deathbed conversion. Did the collapsed World Trade Center offer the dying that chance to plead for God’s mercy? Did Mario have a deathbed conversion? The ultimate question for each of us is this: Where are we going to spend eternity? Jesus offers us the path to salvation.
Do we have the courage to evangelize?