Three Minute Gospel - Vol 1 No 9

The bloody soldier grabbed Leroy and pulled him close and pled, 'Leroy, I'm going to die!  Tell me how to not go to hell!'"  Leroy stared at him in horror.

Lunch with Christians on campus

The campus has a central location with a food court and students often casually gather there to chat.  Mike was asked by a fellow Christian classmate to join him there and meet up with other of this man's Christian friends.  Mike found himself with an amiable group of about ten students. He might have stood out a little with his silvery white hair and beard, but they made him feel welcomed. There was casual conversation.  They were talking about church and two of them were making plans for new tattoos.  

While they were chatting, Mike said, "I have a question for you.  May I first tell you a short story and then ask the question?"

"Sure!"  They seemed interested.

Three Minutes

Mike began, "I have a really high regard for a man named Leroy Eims. You man have heard of him."

 They shook their heads.

"Well, Leroy was a soldier during WWII.  He carried a special BAR, this huge gun which shot 600 rounds a minute. The ammo was so big and heavy that he had to have a man go with him just to carry the ammo for it.  In one particular battle on the Pacific Island of Peleliu, his ammo carrier was mortally wounded.  He had been shot through an artery and had minutes to live.  Laying there, the bloody soldier grabbed Leroy and pulled him close and pled, 'Leroy, I'm going to die!  Tell me how to not go to hell!'"  Leroy stared at him in horror. Leroy claimed to be a Christian, but did not know what to say, and the man died in his arms within minutes looking him in the eye without knowing the answer.  That was a turning point in Leroy's life. After that, he made it a point to know how to give the Gospel to anyone who asked. So that's my story. May I ask my question?"

"OK."  They agreed.

"Let's say all of a sudden I feel myself having a heart attack.  I realize I have about three minutes to live, and I ask you the same question the ammo carrier did. Tell me how not to go to hell.  What would you say?  You're on the clock.  You have three minutes!"

They looked at each other.  They looked at me.  

"Uhhh,  I'm not sure."

"Two minutes!"  Mike said.

Two of them whispered together. They looked at me and looked uncomfortable.

"God loves you.  He will take care of you,"  one offered. 

"One minute."  Mike said.

No one said anything more.  

"Time!"  Mike said.  "I'm gone. I'm burning in hell.  Why didn't anyone tell me the Truth?"

"I didn't know what to say," said one girl.

"I know, but I don't know how to put it into words," said another.

"One thing I'm glad you did not do was tell me I should ask Jesus into my heart, " said Mike.

"I almost said that," one young man said sheepishly.

"That is not the Gospel," said Mike.  "That would have sent me to hell with a false peace."  

The man looked confused and disquieted.  

"I would love to talk about this again.  I would love to help you think through the answer to that question," Mike offered.

It was time for class, and they had to go so they all got up and left.

Three More Minutes

      After the next class Mike ran into a man who has become a friend.  He has been to our home.  He is very active in his church and is impressed with Mike's boldness and confidence in Christ.  They sat down together for a cup of coffee, and Mike brought up what happened at lunch.  His friend asked Mike to tell him the story and ask him the same question. Mike did and gave him the same three minutes.  Interestingly, he did the same thing!  He hemmed and hawed, and offered some platitudes about God's love.  He looked up and down.  He could not tell Mike how to truly avoid hell. The difference was that he let Mike tell him the answer.  

One week later:  Great news!  Today as Mike was sitting at the coffee shop at school, one of these students plopped down beside him and wanted to hear more about what Mike would say in those three minutes!!!!  Needless to say Mike told him more than three minutes worth!  Praise God!

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