Thank You, Dr. D. James Kennedy

As I was going through my feeds this afternoon, I was made aware that D. James Kennedy died in his sleep this morning, and that many have already begun remembering his life and legacy. It was just a couple weeks ago when we learned that he was retiring, and I would like to join the long line of those indebted to the life and ministry of Dr. Kennedy and express my thanks to God for such a wonderful servant and evangelist.

Although I had been brought up in church all my life, I was never equipped for ministry or sharing my faith. I always had a passion to share the gospel, but I simply did not know how. It was not until I was a sophomore in college (1998) that I was invited to be a part of Evangelism Explosion in my local church. The next six months were the most exhilarating times of my Christian life as I was being trained and equipped to share the most important message in my life–the gospel of Jesus Christ. Having been so wonderfully blessed with this training, I devoted each following semester while in college training other young people in sharing their faith through Evangelism Explosion. Before I knew D. James Kennedy the Calvinist, I knew him as D. James Kennedy the evangelist.

Since that time my appreciation and admiration for Dr. Kennedy has grown even more as I have come to better understand the gospel he preached. I was also under the constant conviction that my Christian worldview should engage my world around me politically, culturally, and socially. I will never forget reading some of Dr. Kennedy’s letters and signing the Center for Reclaiming America petitions. It was only later that I came to know D. James Kennedy the apologist.

D. James Kennedy may have never been my shepherd and pastor as those at Coral Ridge were so blessed to know him, but Dr. Kennedy has been many things to me over the years. Most importantly, he has been a faithful guide and exemplar of a life entirely devoted to Jesus Christ. For some, I imagine the passing from this side of eternity to the next would be a radical change, as their lives were not well spent being conformed into the image of Christ. However, I venture to say that I don’t think Dr. Kennedy will bear that terribly haunting regret. Rather, his passing is a reflection of the smooth transition that Christians should have as death launches us into the loving embrace of the One who saved us, delivered us from sin, death, and hell, and gave us the victory and inheritance as sons of the Eternal King. He is now in the arms of the One whose face he continually sought.

So thank you, Dr. James Kennedy for believing the gospel, articulating the gospel, preaching the gospel, sharing the gospel, and equipping others with the gospel. Thank you for your indefatigable efforts of being salt and light in our decaying culture. Thank you for committing yourself to serving the Church and for setting the pace for all of us in this race. May we all run with your running shoes. May we all run in such a way as to win.

“Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.”

– D. James Kennedy