John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.
Yesterday, we addressed the question as to why would God allow Paul and Silas to undergo being beaten and thrown in prison when they were doing what God called them to do. We learned that the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ is not about us. It’s for us, but it is not about us. It’s all about the Kingdom of God which is souls being saved.
Sometimes we don’t ever see what God has done or understand why He allows bad things to happen, but sometimes we do. On a personal note, I would like to share that God allowed me to experience a horrible tragedy in the death of my husband, Jack. It was a horrible time in my life but God quickly showed me that He had a Plan and it would all play out perfectly if I would just trust Him.
My husband, Jack, was a wonderful man who loved people. He was a true and loyal friend to literally hundreds of people in every walk of life. Everyone loved Jack. He never considered himself to be better than anyone and as well, no one was better than him. He simply loved people and was a good friend to hundreds.
Jack was a talker. He loved to talk to people. When we made the decision to move from California to Oklahoma, Jack shared with all his friends that he would be moving. They were devasted! Their friend was moving away. He did his best to assure them all that they would be welcome to come visit us in Oklahoma and share in his dream of living in the Oklahoma hills where he was born. They didn’t like it but they knew their friend meant what he said.
When Jack was tragically killed five days after we arrived in Oklahoma, his friends were devasted, to say the least. I was too, but God quickly showed me that He had a purpose for Jack’s life. That purpose was to be a friend to many and he had fulfilled his purpose. You see, many of Jack’s friends were not Christians. They were lost souls with a friend who loved Jesus. Jack never beat them over the head with the Bible, he simply lived his faith in front of them and was their friend. Many of Jack’s friends wouldn’t go to church if you paid them. For whatever reason, they just wouldn't go.
Jack’s sudden and traffic death would change that. They loved Jack so much, they would have gone anywhere to say goodbye to their friend who loved them so much. To make a long story short, I planned a Memorial Service for Jack at our home church in Elk Grove, California, and ALL of Jack’s friends came.
Hundreds of men from every walk of life imaginable came to church that day. I told our Pastor to preach his heart out because the Holy Spirit had told me that they would all be there. It was a very moving service and our Pastor preached a powerful Gospel Message.
After the service, hundreds of people lined up to speak to me. One by one they took the time to tell me how much they loved Jack and how they would ever have another friend like Him. Many shared something specific with me about a time when Jack reached out to them or helped them. One after the next, grown men crying their eyes out over the loss of their best friend.
Over the next few years, I learned that MANY of Jack’s friends gave their hearts to the Lord that day. Their lives were changed forever because of the life and death of their friend, Jack Betts. This was God’s Plan and Purpose for Jack’s life. You see, it’s all about the Kingdom of God. Yes, we suffered because of Jack’s tragic death but an untold number of people came to Salvation because of it and that’s what it’s all about.
God creates us all with a specific purpose for our lives. He created Jack to be a friend to many. He did that. He lived out what he was created to do. In the end, he laid down his life so his friends could spend eternity in Heaven. Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) It was a life well lived……...exactly how God had it planned. Hallelujah!
Tomorrow I will share with you the other side of the story. God’s ways are not our ways. He has a Plan and it is good. All we have to do is trust Him.
God’s Plan will……...….turn the tide……..in this world.
Just a small part of His Plan, Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
