I Died Last Night (Revised Edition) by John Orr

Where would you be if you had died last night?

Each day, 150,000 souls are hurled into eternity. This one belonged to a good man. Raised in the church, baptized, married in the church, a former deacon. A respected businessman, a veteran, a school board member, a faithful provider. At his funeral, the preacher assured everyone he was in a better place.

He wasn't.

I Died Last Night by John Orr follows him into the hours after his death, or the ages, since time means nothing there. He wakes in torment and slowly pieces together how he arrived. A first-century Jew who believed in Jesus but was too afraid to confess him. King Rehoboam, whose whole life was summed up in one sentence. The childhood bully he once turned away from his church door. The celebrity preacher who traded truth for a full auditorium. A demon who confesses Christ more readily than he ever did. And finally the Lord himself, with a verdict he never saw coming: "He did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD" (2 Chronicles 12:14).

Written as a first-person fictional account and footnoted with Scripture on every page, this short tract takes the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16) seriously and asks the reader to do the same. It is unsettling by design. Comfortable, churchgoing, lukewarm faith is exactly what it means to disturb.

What's Inside

Fourteen short chapters that carry the reader from a deathbed to the final judgment:

• The Introduction — Luke 16 and the narrow gate
• The Awakening — Waking in the pit while the funeral goes on above
• The Eulogy — A good life summed up in a few sentences, and Libni of Jerusalem
• The King & I — Rehoboam, and a life that "did not set his heart to seek the LORD"
• The Demon — A creature who believes and trembles
• The Rage — Joe, Harry, and the voices of everyone he failed
• The Beast — The celebrity preacher and the one preacher he doesn't see
• The Light — Mama, the gospel she drilled into him, and the sister who died for it
• The Plea — A glimpse of paradise and a request the apostle John cannot grant
• The Weeping & Gnashing of Teeth — Every excuse in the pit begins with "I"
• The Missing — Everything good that is not here
• The Happening — The return of Christ and the great white throne
• The Beginning of the End — "To whom much is given, much will be required"
• The Conclusion — Isaiah 55: seek the Lord while he may be found

Format & Features

A compact, quick-reading tract with Scripture footnotes at the end of every chapter (ESV throughout). This revised edition includes stark black-and-white illustrations by Stuart Yeakely and a cover by Josh Feit of Evangela.com. Contains graphic imagery; best suited to readers 16 and up.

Who It's For

Evangelism and outreach, church tract racks, youth and young adult groups, and gifting to a friend or family member who has drifted. Especially pointed for the lifelong churchgoer who has always assumed he'd be fine.

About the Author

John Orr writes for readers who need to be shaken before they can be comforted. I Died Last Night is his first title with Spiritbuilding Publishers.