From the Desk of :
D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.
6/9/2004
Ronald Wilson Reagan wielded the broom that swept the
Soviet Union--that most evil empire in history--into the
ash heap of history. And he did it without firing a shot.
The collapse of Soviet rule and the breakup of an empire
responsible for the death of more than 100 million people
took place because of his courage and vision.
The news this week of President Ronald Reagan's passing
has given me the opportunity to reflect on an encounter
I had with this great man during the 1980 presidential
campaign.
It was early in 1980, and I joined a handful of other
Christian ministers who were invited to come and speak
with the then ex-governor and ask him questions. This
was a private meeting--not a public forum.
Many questions were asked. When my turn came, I said,
"Governor, I would like to ask you a very important
spiritual question."
I asked Governor Reagan: "If you were to die and stand
before God and He were to say to you, 'Why should I let
you into My Heaven?' what would you say?"
It was as if I had punched him in the solar plexis!
Reagan doubled over, put his head down between his knees
and stayed there for about 45 seconds.
Now, that is quite a long time, especially since up until
that point we had been involved in a rather lively question
and answer session.
Slowly, Reagan sat back up straight and said, in somber
tones, words which I shall never forget:
I don't deserve to go to Heaven. The only thing that I
could say would be, "For God so loved the world, that He
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
My friend, Ronald Reagan was a great man. A man of incredible
vision for America as a "shining city on a hill." A man who
turned the course of our nation. A man who stared down the
"evil empire" and is rightfully credited for winning the
Cold War. A man who stood by the unborn and upheld religious
freedom.
Most important of all, Ronald Reagan was a man who had a
personal and abiding faith in Jesus Christ.
As Michael Reagan said shortly after his father's passing:
I am secure in the knowledge that he is with his Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ in heaven. The greatest gift my father
ever gave me was the simple knowledge that I would see
him in heaven one day.
Historian David Barton has noted that in years gone by, as
public leaders neared their time of death, even the press
watched closely with great interest to see how that leader
faced death. Were there any parting words? In essence,
the world watched to see if those who professed their
faith in life would profess their faith in death.
Reports from the Reagan family of President Reagan's final
moments reveal a man who died in his faith. Although disease
had sapped his ability to speak, and he had not opened his
eyes for several days, President Reagan offered to his wife,
Nancy, what she would call "the greatest gift he could have
given me."
According to daughter Patti Davis:
At that last moment when his breathing told us this was
it, he opened his eyes and looked straight at my mother.
Eyes that had not opened for days did, and they weren't
chalky or vague. They were clear and blue and full of life.
If a death can be lovely, his was.
Michael Reagan said, "His last earthly look was at his wife;
his next look was at the face of God."
I trust you will take time out in the next few days
to honor the memory of this great man of faith who literally
changed the course of our nation and the world.
As you do, recount to your friends and family this bedrock of
faith in Jesus Christ, which served as a compass for Ronald
Wilson Reagan.
May God bless the Reagan family. And may God bless America.
D. James Kennedy, Ph.D., Founder
CENTER FOR RECLAIMING AMERICA
P.S. If you have friends who would be encouraged by reading
these words, please forward this message to them.
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If you would like the same assurance of faith that Ronald Reagan
had, please visit this web site:
http://www.reclaimamerica.org/PAGES/...pel/EEpg1.html
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Dr. Kennedy's Official Statement on the Passing of
President Ronald W. Reagan:
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