Amos Is Dead-Dead
Returning to a village in the West Indies, we asked a Christian woman, “What happened to Amos?”
She sadly replied, “Amos is dead-dead!” We knew what she meant by that, and paused a little as we thought of poor Amos.
Amos had lived in a tiny hut immediately across from a little Christian meeting room in that village, where the gospel of the grace of God was regularly proclaimed and where Sunday school and other meetings were held every week for years. Amos could not walk, and had to pull himself around by his arms and hands. Sometimes he earned a little money by pulling weeds from around the little building, which was actually only six or seven feet from the door of his hut. During the meetings he often sat in his open doorway and listened, but would never come in to hear.
Sometimes Amos would make noises mocking the gospel, or make remarks that were not very nice.
Many people were friendly with him and tried to talk to him about the Lord Jesus Christ, but he was often rude and would not listen. Many, many gospel tracts and Sunday school papers too had been given to Amos.
Our friend continued to tell us about Amos. His health grew worse and he had to be taken to the Poor House to be cared for. He had no family, or friends either, but several Christians went to visit him. They told him again the wonderful news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, loved him and would save him. They told him that Christ died for sinners, and all that was needed was for him to take his place as a sinner and to receive Jesus as Saviour, and then be assured of heaven. Amos still responded rudely.
Amos was not a young man when he died, and he had heard the gospel for many, many years, so when we asked our friend what happened to Amos, her response that, “Amos is dead-dead,” told us that he had died in his sins, and would suffer an eternity in hell, the lake of fire, which is the SECOND DEATH (Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:8).
All who knew Amos, and even the nurses who attended to his needs at the end, claim that Amos is “dead-dead”! Of course, only God knows whether poor Amos finally turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, but as far as our friend knew he never did and died in his sins. How awful! He died in the Poor House, and was buried in an unmarked grave, without family to mourn his passing into eternity.
But it did not have to be that way, and it does not have to be that way for you nor for any other sinner in the whole world. God is love, and God provided a Saviour! “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!” (1 Timothy 1:15). And He came to save Amos too!
“The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). Have you ignored this wonderful salvation too? Do not be as foolish as Amos was. One of God’s prophets of old was named “Amos” too, and he warned all: “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12).
