Moody’s Worst Mistake

“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.’” Luke 19:41-44

On October 8, 1871, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow may or may not have kicked over a lantern and thus started the great Chicago fire. But regardless of how it began, the fire reduced four square miles of downtown Chicago to charcoal - and 90,000 residents were suddenly homeless, while 250 died in the massive inferno.

There was another story behind the fire: When the fire broke out, evangelist D. L. Moody was in the middle of his Sunday night message. As the fire engine bells began ringing and the commotion reached a fever pitch, Moody told the congregation to hurry home. If they wanted to accept the claims of Christ, after considering his sermon, they could return the next day, he said. He later admitted that, in the light of the many deaths, it was the worst mistake he ever made.

Moody knew what God wants everyone to know: “...behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold now is ‘the day of salvation.’” 2 Cor. 6:2.

Jesus, entering Jerusalem for the last time, “wept over it.” He fully realized the horrible consequence of a missed opportunity. Don’t miss and opportunity - Today, ask God to use you to share with someone what you have found in Jesus Christ.

Think about it -
God has no grandchildren; either you know Him firsthand or you do not know Him at all.