DYING WORDS

July 12

Bible Reading: Acts 7:54-60

Acts 7:60, “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

The testimony of a neighbor of one of our hospice patients, who had been with the patient the day before she died, encouraged me.  Though not a praying person, our patient had taken time to pray that day and even prayed for my wife in her battle with cancer. We rightfully hold in high regard someone’s dying words, for they typically reveal something of their innermost thoughts and concerns.  There’s much similarity between the dying words of Jesus and Stephen, especially as it pertains to asking forgiveness of those who had done them harm.

That Jesus prayed for our forgiveness, though it was our sins that put Him there on the cross, is an amazing thing.  That Stephen prayed for the forgiveness to who were stoning him to death, is likewise astonishing.  Imagine his pain!  They threw stones at him.  He threw prayers to God.

God only knows the full breadth of the impact of Stephen’s words on those who heard, but one case stands out.  Saul (later “Paul”) will headline much of the remaining chapters of the book of Acts.  It is here we find him first mentioned.  As the accusers were rushing Stephen out of the city to stone him, they “laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58).  Saul approved of Stephen’s execution (Acts 8:1).  He would lead in the persecution of Christians, “ravaging the church” (Acts 8:3).  His radical conversion, from persecutor to apostle, lay several years in the future.  There can be little doubt, however, regarding the indelible impact of Stephen’s dying words on Saul’s heart.  In fact, it was with these words that Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4)?

Words are powerful.  The beauty of Stephen’s dying words stood in sharp contrast to the anger and violence of that scene! Forgiveness is a powerful tool in the believer’s apologetic arsenal.  When we forgive, as Jesus has forgiven us, we speak in the language of the cross, from which all true forgiveness flows.  You don’t have to wait until your dying day to speak such gracious and Christ-honoring words, as we are even now to be “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave” (Ephesians 4:32).

When we forgive, we speak in the language of the cross.

FORGIVE OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE
‘Forgive our sins as we forgive,’
you taught us, Lord, to pray,
but you alone can grant us grace
to live the words we say.

How can your pardon reach and bless
the unforgiving heart,
that broods on wrongs and will not let
old bitterness depart?

In blazing light your cross reveals
the truth we dimly knew:
what trivial debts are owed to us,
how great our debt to you!

Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls,
and bid resentment cease;
then, bound to all in bonds of love,
our lives will spread your peace.

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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