S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

God is not only the God of second chances; He is the God of another chance. This is good news because most of us mess up the second chance fairly quickly. One of the amazing facets of God's charact...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Steven Scott Supporter Grader for the Ontario Jail Ministry

That depends on which Second Chance you mean. If you're talking about giving another person a second chance, then S. Michael Houdmann's answer is sufficient.

If you're talking about a second chance to receive Christ as your Savior after you die, then there is NO second chance.

As it states in Hebrews 9:27 ~ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So if you haven't done so, THIS is the time to receive Him! You never know what may happen in 10 months, 10 weeks, or even 10 days from now!

May 24 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Daniel Carlson Supporter Pastor of the Community Bible Church in Aguila, Arizona

I understand that the "second chance" S. Michael Houdmann is writing about is forgiving someone and giving them a second chance.

About a year ago I brought a message to our church entitled "The God of a Second Chance," in which I related the experience of one of the men in our congregation, Robert Paiva. I'll quote his testimony in part:

I was in the hospital and started to eat breakfast when I suddenly felt hot. I fell out of bed and passed out. I saw myself hovering above my lifeless body. I watched the attendants pick it up and put it back on the bed. I heard them call for a paddle to jump-start my heart.

It was 1997. I was a truck driver at Matori Brothers Farms. I was loading boxes of broccoli onto a semi flatbed. I lost my balance and fell off the truck, breaking my leg. I was unable to move. When the crew boss found me five hours later, I was taken by ambulance to Del Webb Hospital near Phoenix, AZ.

Someone fetched the paddles from the other end of the hospital. It took him fifteen minutes or so to find them. In the meantime I found myself going down a corridor moving towards a bright light. 

But then I was forcibly pushed into a dark hot room. Two repulsive-looking demons grabbed me roughly, laughing hideously, "Now you belong to us." They threw me into a pit of blackness and heat. I kept falling backwards into this huge bottomless pit. I knew it was hell, and I knew I deserved to be there.

I'd been raised in a Christian home. My mom was a minister, and I had gone to seminary. I knew how to talk-the-talk and pass myself off as a Christian. Now, I wondered how different things might have been if I had truly surrendered my life to Christ and had a real relationship with the Lord. God had given me every opportunity to change and I had foolishly turned Him down.

While I was thinking these morbid thoughts, I noticed a pinprick of light off in the distance. In my mind I started focusing on the name of Jesus and found myself going towards the light. I came to a portal. Beyond this archway I could see beautiful rolling hills and rainbow-like colors in pulsating waves.

In the distance was the dazzling golden hue of the Celestial City. I grabbed desperately at the sides of the hallway, trying to escape the heat at my back, but the walls didn't have any solid texture. In my panic, I forgot to focus on Jesus and instantly started falling back towards the black pit. 

I had been given a glimpse of heaven - where I could have been. Since I knew I deserved to be in hell, I resigned myself to the awful fate. I only had myself to blame. I don't know how much time elapsed. Every second seemed like an eternity.

Eventually, off at a distance, I heard a faint voice, "Breathe." And then louder still, "BREATHE!" "We've got a heartbeat." A nurse said, "We thought we'd lost you, Robert. You weren't coming out of it and we had to work a long time on you."

Incredibly, during the time I was recuperating at home after leaving the hospital, I completely forgot about my encounter with hell, and I didn't immediately make my peace with God.

But one day I got down on my knees and begged the Lord to forgive me and change me. I'd made a mess of my life. Deep down I wanted to please Him. But it was beyond my ability to do so. I finally cried out, "I'm in Your hands. Do as You wish with me."

I'm gradually succeeding - with the help of the Lord - in giving up my selfish ways, and turning the stubborn "me" over to Jesus. I know I need Him in my life, because without Him, I'm nothing."

[My comment} I know Robert is eternally grateful for having been given a second chance, one which he didn't deserve. He has his mother's prayers to thank for being alive today - and not in the bowels of hell. 

Hundreds of patients are now being resuscitated and given a new chance to get it right. But it's not something we should ever count on. It's better to make your peace with God now! "Those who come to Me I will never turn away."

May 24 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report