An Amazing Fact: In 1914, British World War I soldier Private Thomas Hughes tossed a green beer bottle containing a letter to his wife into the English Channel. He was killed two days later fighting in France. In 1999, fisherman Steve Gowan found the bottle in the Thames River. The intended recipient of the letter had died in 1979, so it was delivered to Hughes’ 86-year-old daughter, who was living in New Zealand.
Message of Hope
Can you imagine receiving a special message in a bottle—years and years after it was tossed into the ocean? For many, it would be like a fairytale come true.
Yet far too often, people search for answers to life’s problems in another kind of bottle—a bottle of alcohol. That’s what happened to Buddy. Stealing, gambling, drugs, and liquor were dragging him through a never-ending cycle of pain, until …
Well, we’ll get to that in a moment. Let’s hear a little more about Buddy’s search for answers in his own words—
“I was baptized as a young teen into the church but soon rebelled and left that behind. My mother occasionally sent me religious materials to encourage me in the right direction. Among the things she sent years ago that I never forgot—a sermon by Pastor Doug Batchelor.
“At a young age I started a life of stealing. It began with shoplifting. It was like a sport, but it grew into burglarizing homes, joyriding in dealership cars, and eventually drugs and alcohol. At 15 I did landscape work and used this business to gain the trust of my clients so I could burglarize their homes. When I was 16 my father helped me get a job at a grocery store where I stole money from cash registers without it showing up in their system. Before I was 17 I had been arrested twice.
“I was also using alcohol and started looking to sell drugs. By 23 I was in jail. But this didn’t keep me from breaking the law. I helped smuggle in drugs and bootleg liquor. Soon after I was released, I went right back into a life of stealing, drugs, and alcohol. I was guilty of adultery too … and so much more.
“I got married, for a third time, to a woman involved in the occult. She tried communicating with the spirits of the dead. Around three months into the marriage, strange things began happening. At night the front door would open yet no one came in. I couldn’t sleep. Deep down inside I was afraid. We eventually divorced.
“In 2006, I got married again. God was calling me to change my life. … A coworker of mine gave my wife a prophecy DVD series. As we watched them, it brought back memories of things I had learned as a young teen. I recalled watching that sermon by Pastor Doug that my mother had sent me years before.
“One night I went to bed thinking about my drug habit. I slept restlessly and awoke early feeling unstable and shaky. After my wife left for work, I started searching the house for my Bible and the other things my mother had sent me. Then I secluded myself in my room. Suddenly everything started breaking down inside of me, and I began crying to God to help me. I was shaking and tried to read. I had hit rock bottom. It was the first step toward change.
“I was at a crossroad. I knew in my heart that it was now or never. I had overdosed several times, and my health was a mess. This was a turning point that I could not pass by. I might not ever hear Him call to me again.
“The next day I felt an urgency in my heart to visit Pastor Doug’s church in Sacramento. After a couple weeks my wife joined me. We were thrilled to hear the messages. Pastor Mike Thompson introduced himself and invited us to stay for the luncheon. Then he came to our home to study the Bible using the Amazing Facts Bible Study Guides. Soon after my wife and I were baptized, and my daughter was baptized three months later!
“My life has improved so much. Through God’s power, I’ve overcome all my addictions. My health has improved. And my family is happy and united. God has also helped me to be a loving family man. The Lord is merciful. God has blessed me beyond measure.”
Buddy and his family are now actively involved serving their church. And they continue to grow in their walk with Christ through materials from Amazing Facts. Buddy says,
“My wife and I visit the Amazing Facts web page to read articles. We have also purchased books and other items through the Amazing Facts catalog. The New Revelation Bible study series with Pastor Doug helped prepare us for baptism.”
The turning point in Buddy’s testimony was when he turned from looking for answers in a bottle to finding the answers in the Word of Christ. He says, “My life is much more peaceful and restful with Jesus in my life daily.”
Amazing Facts is helping to change lives, like Buddy‘s. People are looking for purpose in all the wrong places. But because of generous supporters like you, Amazing Facts is pointing people to the only real answer … Jesus.
That is why I love to share stories like this one with you. In many ways, Buddy’s story is a part of your story of faith. God used your support to reach Buddy and his family at just the right time through the ministry of Amazing Facts. It’s truly a blessing to me to have a friend like you to count on in this work.
Buddy’s story also motivates me to keep reaching people who are searching. Our websites, live local Bible seminars, TV and radio programs, Bible study guides, DVDs and books, and training events are all focused on helping seekers find a more peaceful and restful life with Jesus.
But without your support, this work isn’t possible. And it certainly isn’t getting easier for Amazing Facts in this economy. That’s why I ask you to consider an extra contribution this month to help more people like Buddy.
Sending out a message of hope,
Pastor Doug Batchelor
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