Church Leader and Atheist Claim Christ
...Finish Well like Ken
So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, “I don't enjoy life.”
Ecclesiastes 12:1 

Greetings!

ONE OF THE SADDEST OBITUARIES 

Tudi and I lived in a golf course community for more than 20 years. One day a friend of mine phoned and asked if I would join him to visit his Father who was not doing well health wise...he was in his early 80's. I knew the father to be a friendly man, an avid golfer and a successful businessman.

I asked him how he was doing and his response stunned me- he complained that life wasn't fair because he did so much good for needy people, ate well, exercised and went on complaining because his illness had him sidelined from all the good he was doing.

Bottom line: he thought life would go on problem free without interruption until he died. However, his illness took his life. His obituary was clever but so sad... It was 90% about his love of golf that was sandwiched by his love of family. A very brief mention of God could hardly be found in the obituary.

KEN...Just the OPPOSITE
...he lived to be 87-

KEN BEADLE...A LIFE LIVED TO THE FULLEST...He finished WELL

Ken's life:

  • Trucking Industry Executive with PIE...traveled world-wide speaking on behalf of trucking safety issues. For example, he appeared before Congress as an expert witness.

  • Active worldwide in the Methodist Church serving in many capacities locally also

  • By his own admission he was an absent father to his two children...He deeply regretted this part of his life

  • He was a lifelong avid swimmer and an outstanding pianist...playing in his church and into the night in lounge settings at the conventions he often attended

Ken was an admired man- however...


HIS LIFE CHANGED after a workout-


Ken was in the health club at his locker and overheard two men talking in the next row...They were talking about a man who was a member of the club who had accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and was living an exciting and meaningful new life as a result. Ken thought, "Could they say the same about me?" Ken became convicted that he was very active in church but did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ...He claimed Jesus as Savior...
And like a kid with a new toy...He started talking enthusiastically about his Savior Jesus Christ

KEN and I MET THROUGH the Oakland Christian Business Men's Committee (CBMC) and also discovered we went to the same church. We had very little in common except JESUS CHRIST..,and that was enough and perfect. Through CBMC and our church we had the foundation for a life long bond in Christ. Even though we were 30 years apart in age HE WAS MY BROTHER IN CHRIST. He came to Christ as a church goer...I came to Christ as an atheist.
KEN LIVED TO BE 87...So for 27 years he lived the abundant life in Christ. He had a passion to tell everyone he encountered as led about the Savior...so did I- IT WAS "IRON SHARPENING IRON"

BUT HERE'S WHERE WE BONDED MUCH DEEPER... OUR METHOD OF SHARING THE GOSPEL 

WE were BOTH growing...because we:

*Loved the WORD
*Enjoyed FELLOWSHIP
*ENCOURAGED OTHERS TO WITNESS
*Asked QUESTIONS of a variety of people we came in contact
*LISTENED intently to their answers  
*Authentically CARED for their soul
*Were compelled by LOVE (not duty) to share our faith in Christ
*Were both passionate about spreading the GOOD NEWS
*PRAYED constantly for each other because we did not want waste a day or a contact the Lord put before us...all the while growing in our faith and witness
3 HIGHLIGHTS I WILL NEVER FORGET...

1-An Oakland Raiders lineman as he went forward to accept Jesus Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade...pointed to Ken who was sitting next to me...Ken had shared Christ, met with him often before the Crusade...he reached out to the football player boldly in love... it was a powerful witness that produced fruit


2-When Ken retired...the trucking industry honored him at the Brown Palace Hotel in their Grand Ballroom...approximately 800 were in attendance from coast to coast including me and Tudi...it was a GRAND AFFAIR...THE HEAD TABLE included the who's who of the trucking industry including Government leaders too.
When it came time for Ken to speak after receiving his awards... Ken briefly spoke about the trucking industry experiences but then told everyone how his life changed a couple years earlier when he claimed Jesus as Savior ...it was a clear, bold, love-motivated testimony...I was overwhelmed with pride in my friends witness


3-Ken had in his will that I would speak at his memorable service at our church...Here's part of what I said:

SUMMARY
"I was privileged to have Ken as my best friend when I was 29 and he was 59...we both were fairly new Christians and both "gung ho" for Christ...it was "iron sharpens iron" as we studied the Bible together, prayed and reached out to people in our paths. He was a renowned international trucking industry executive with PIE and I was President of the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau. More than any man I have ever met he finished life well, devoting his life to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


I want to encourage all ages by sharing what made Ken so fruitful until the day he died.

KEN BEADLE in a positive acrostic:

K...he was Kind
E... Energetic
N... "No" was not in his vocabulary when it came to growing in Christ..he thirsted for the Word
 
B...Ken often urged me to Be a good father unlike what he did
E...Ken looked at every Encounter as a possible opportunity to share Jesus
A..He was always Abounding in the work of the Lord
D...Ken was also a Doer not just a hearer
L...His Love of all people was authentic and recognized by all
E...His purpose for living and Enjoyment of life in Christ was contagious 

ENCOURAGEMENT
"Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self control"
...all describe Ken

WHY NOT FINISH WELL LIKE KEN?

Ted Sprague
Acts 17:28

TedT

www.witnessbreakthrough.org


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