Alan Colmes died this week. He was 66 years old. Many people will remember him as the liberal counterpart of Sean Hannity. For a long time, I only knew him as “Hannity and Colmes,” so it was nice to finally learn his name.
The death of Alan Colmes struck me not because of his celebrity or renown; the death of Alan Colmes struck me because when we hear about the passing of celebrities, many times we can only wonder if they’ve ever heard the gospel. But when I learned about Colmes’ passing, I thought, “I know he’s heard the gospel.”
In May of 2015, on his Fox News radio show, Colmes spoke with Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy Graham. She was on the show to discuss why she believed her generation would be the generation to see the end of the age, and in that interview, she spoke very plainly about the coming judgement and the signs of the end of the age. She clearly presented biblical references, modern history, and current events as support for her unapologetic position on the Second Coming of Jesus.
As she spoke of the calamity and chaos that will surround millions of people suddenly vanishing from the face of the earth, Colmes asked how people might be spared the destruction of which she spoke. In boldness and clarity of mind, Anne Graham Lotz presented the gospel.
“So what do people have to do right now in order to protect themselves, to be among those who are saved,” the radio host asked Lotz. And without stumbling or trying to find a sanitized version to communicate, she replied, “You simply come to God by faith in Jesus. You come to God, and you simply confess that you’re a sinner, which means that we admit that we’re not perfect.”
Alan allowed her to go on for some time. She told him about the sacrifice of Jesus and the rights and securities afforded those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus. Anne Graham Lotz proclaimed to Alan Colmes and his listening audience that because of Jesus, she didn’t have to fear calamity. She told everyone that because of Jesus, she was safe.
Anne Graham Lotz was Billy Graham-bold when she made her interview with Alan Colmes personal. She told him that the end of the world “comes for you and for me when we die.” When she mentioned that she was 67 and that her end was fast approaching, Alan joked that 67 is young. Indeed it is. So is 66. The fact is, and Lotz knew this, none of us knows when our last day is. We only have today.
My mind is racing with thoughts about Alan Colmes and his final days. Did he recall his conversation with Billy Graham’s daughter? Did the Holy Spirit use that conversation, or maybe other less public presentations of the gospel, to draw him? I wonder. Knowing he heard such a clear presentation of gospel, and knowing that clear presentations are rare these days, I hope Colmes accepted Jesus. However, if I’m honest about the Truth, not many people will accept Christ. Not many people will find the Way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).
The Bible is very clear about responding to the Lord. Hebrews chapter 3 encourages us, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” The Bible is also clear about the believer boldly sharing clear, accurate presentations of the gospel. We must not miss the opportunity to clearly communicate what awaits the enemies of God. We have no choice. It must be that we, as Paul, are able to declare that we are “innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink form declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20: 26-27).
Anne Graham Lotz certainly didn’t shrink back in her interview with Alan Colmes. This week, his life was demanded of him. And somewhere in the world, Mrs. Lotz was able to say, “I’m innocent of the blood of this man.” May we all be as assured as we consider the people the Lord brings into our spheres of influence.
Listen to the 2015 interview here.
(This blog first appeared on urbanfamilytalk.com HERE)
