When visiting a small village in central Brazil, Fernando met a young man whose name was Elisiario. Fernando invited him to come to the gospel meeting that he was going to preach that evening in a small room. It is important to notice that “Elisiario” is not a very common name, even in Brazil.
Walking around the village, Fernando also met a young woman who had just arrived there, and her nickname was “Duda.” She came from southern Brazil with a group of students in a government aid program. Duda didn’t know anyone else in the village, but met Fernando on the village street and was also invited to come to the gospel meeting.
That evening in the small room, Fernando spoke about the love of God in giving His beloved Son to die on the cross to save sinners. And he also spoke of God’s desire to save everyone in that little room who would trust the Lord Jesus that very night. God would freely forgive their sins and save their souls for heaven.
As he finished the message, the young preacher gave a sincere invitation. And because he knew the names of only the two persons that he had met that day, who didn’t even know each other, he decided to use their names as an example of God’s desire to save. He said, “God wants to see you, Duda, and God wants to see you, Elisiario, with Him in heaven!”
That phrase was like lightning striking Duda, and soon she was crying about her sins and trusted in the Saviour Jesus. In tears she told Fernando that God was speaking to her that evening. She told him that when she was a little girl, her father had died in an accident with his truck. Her great desire was to see her father, of whom she had no remembrance. But her mother always told her, “Duda, one day you are going to meet your father in heaven.”
And do you wonder why Duda was so impressed that night? Because her father’s name was also Elisiario!
And you, don’t you want to go to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus who loves you and died for you? Trust in Him now as your Saviour, and one day you will be with Him, and with all those who have already gone to be with Him, because their sins have been washed away by His precious blood. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)).
ML-03/10/1996