An Amazing Fact: When the 16-year-old grandson of oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty was kidnapped in Rome on July 10, 1973, the billionaire hesitated paying the $17 million ransom demanded for his safe return.  In the midst of this tragedy, an Italian postal strike delayed communication.  Then an envelope containing a lock of the boy’s hair, part of one ear, and a threatening message was delivered to a newspaper.  They now only demanded $3.2 million.  Getty senior negotiated a deal and got his grandson back for about $2.8 million.  The grandson, Jean Paul Getty III, was freed in southern Italy on December 15, 1973.  His kidnappers were never caught.

Kidnapping is on the rise around the world. More than 20,000 men, women, and children are held against their will by those seeking a criminal’s fortune. But this sobering statistic is nothing compared to the billions of souls who are now being held captive by sin. Jesus gave His life to ransom them … but will His people deliver the message before it’s too late?

An Amazing Fact: All across North America, a growing number of major newspapers are going out of business.  With the current recession and people increasingly turning to TV and the internet for news, traditional newspaper subscriptions have tumbled.  Many of these failed news institutions have existed over a century, such as the Rocky Mountain News and Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  Other major papers, such as the Miami Herald, Boston Globe, and San Francisco Chronicle, are currently on life support.  Sadly, as they consider their last editions, they must soberly write their own obituaries as they print their final headlines.

Now discover what tomorrow's headlines are bound to say as Pastor Doug digs into current events and uncovers some intriguing signs of the times!

An Amazing Fact: When missionary John Williams landed on the New Hebrides Islands in 1839, cannibals immediately killed and ate him. Many other missionaries who followed met with the same fate. So when John G. Patton announced in 1858 that the Lord had called him to do mission work in the New Hebrides, his friends were concerned. One warned him, “You will be eaten by cannibals!” Patton replied, “If I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms [in the grave].” By the time John died 50 years later, nearly the entire population of the New Hebrides had been radically converted by the teachings of Jesus!

If you were asked to think of a dangerous mission field, what would pop into your mind? Many people would imagine some dark exotic jungle swarming with poisonous bugs and snakes, with the hypnotic sound of pagan drums beating in the distance. But the most dangerous mission field on earth could be a lot closer than you imagined!

An Amazing Fact: The Old Testament contains about 60 different prophecies, with more than 300 verses that foretell the first coming of Jesus. These prophecies identify specifically where the Messiah would be born, what tribe He would come from, and even when He would begin His earthly ministry. They also tell us how a friend would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver, that He would die by crucifixion, and even that His killers would gamble for His clothing. Yet despite the dramatic and explicit fulfillment of all these incredible prophecies, most of the Jewish nation rejected Jesus.

When Jesus Christ came the first time, blaring trumpets and exuberant crowds should have been hailing His arrival. But instead ... there was silence in the streets. Now as Jesus prepares to come the second time, is it possible that God’s people are about to get it wrong all over again?

An Amazing Fact: On November 8, 2008, Jim O’Neill, 65, suffered a stroke that left him totally blind while at the controls of his small plane. Flying alone at 15,000 feet over North Yorkshire, England, O’Neill frantically radioed a mayday alert from his Cessna. Thankfully, a military training plane was in the air nearby. It’s pilot, Wing Commander Paul Gerrard, flew within 300 feet of the stricken pilot and established radio contact. Then using a series of very carefully chosen words — “turn left, a little right, reduce power, 10-percent flaps” — the RAF pilot guided the disabled aircraft down. The Cessna landed at high speed, bounced twice, and stopped safely at the very end of the runway.

Join Pastor Doug as he explores the guiding power of the Word of Life and how each one of us can save people from crashing into eternity unprepared.

An Amazing Fact: Cicadas have one of the longest lifecycles of any insect. After hatching, the nymphs dig deep into the earth and quietly nurse on sap from tree roots for up to 17 years! Then, as if moved by some unseen alarm clock, this hidden army digs out — all at the same time — to the surface. Climbing a nearby tree, cicadas freeze in position, experience a metamorphosis, and molt. When they emerge as winged adults, the trees and skies are suddenly filled with these exuberant creatures. Cicadas do not bite or sting, but the males can sure split the air with their love songs: Some produce sounds up to 120 decibels, making them the loudest of all insects!

In this inspirational message, Pastor Doug blows the lid on a huge hidden harvest that the Lord will soon call up to fulfill His end-time purposes!

An Amazing Fact: The world watched horrified as more than 180 people lost their lives when terrorists attacked several sites across Mumbai, India. Among the targets was a Jewish visitors center, Chabad House, run by young Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife. When gunmen first stormed the house, Sandra Samuel — the Holtzberg’s Indian nanny for their 2-year-oldson Moshe — instinctively hid in a room and locked the door.

But when she heard Mrs. Holtzberg screaming for help, Sandra thought of little Moshe (Moses in English), who was still upstairs, and realized she had to do something! Risking her life, Sandra unlocked the door and entered the line of fire, dashing upstairs, where she found little Moshe crying by the lifeless bodies of his parents … somehow, in the hail of bullets, the terrorists had missed the little Jewish toddler. Sandra scooped up the traumatized child, shielding him with her body, then in plain sight of the terrorists made a daring dash for the exit. It was a miraculous escape, because they were the only survivors of the Jewish Center massacre.

This heart-wrenching story of daring and deliverance brings to mind similar Bible stories of rescued babies who were targeted for destruction — when someone put their lives on the front lines to intervene. Baby Moses, Joash, and even Jesus were all on the devil’s hit list, but they were rescued because someone braved the front lines to save them.

Together, we can do the same.

An Amazing Fact: The largest recorded earthquake in the world was a magnitude 9.5 on May 22, 1960. From the epicenter in Chile, seismographs recorded shockwaves that traveled all around the globe. These seismic waves continued to vibrate through the entire earth for several days!

Whenever the earth’s tectonic plates experience even the slightest movement, a tremendous amount of energy is released from the epicenter. This year, Amazing Facts also wants to shake things up for God — in a good way — causing an earthquake of evangelism!

In fact, we want to create an “Epicenter of Evangelism” that will send out pulsating waves of proclamation all around the globe.

An Amazing Fact: During the first 100 years after Columbus discovered America, the ambitious Conquistadors, which means “conquerors,” brought with them to the New World something besides horses and gun powder. As they marched across America in a quest for gold, land, and fame, they left behind a new language — Spanish. Today in the Americas and Europe, 402 million people speak Spanish as their native tongue. The United Nations now estimates that by the year 2040, the world’s Spanish-speaking population will increase a whopping 103 percent!

They were sometimes ruthless in their relentless quest for gold, conquering ancient empires for their king along the way. But no one would question that the Conquistadors were fearless explorers who transformed an entire hemisphere.

And now we have an amazing, new, and simple idea that will help us mobilize a young army of compassionate Conquistadors for Christ that can reach millions of new people with the gold of the gospel!

An Amazing Fact: Honey ants have learned the secret to surviving tough times. These resourceful insects live on the fringes of deserts. After the rains, when there is plenty of nectar, regular ants will feed some special ants in the colony with an abundance of nectar. These “honey ants” eat until their whole tail section swells up with honey, their abdomens enlarged to the size of grapes! Then, during times of drought or famine, when food is scarce, they feed nourishment to the other ants with their surplus until they return to normal size. They essentially offer themselves as living storage for the colony!

Learn how you can biblically survive these hard financial times with this brand-new message from Pastor Doug Batchelor.