Yesterday America lost a great man in Jerry Falwell.  He was a true champion for Christ. He founded the Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University and made an indelible mark on our culture by speaking to moral issues.  I had the opportunity to know Dr. Falwell and be with him in a variety of circumstances. I always found him to be a man of great humility, vision, and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. I don’t think I was ever with him at any time when, at some point in the conversation, he did not talk about the need for people to be saved.

Despite what the media says or how he was portrayed, this man was a preacher of the gospel who knew and proclaimed that Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God and that He came to die for our sins on the cross and to be raised from the dead in order that we might have the opportunity to be saved.  Dr. Falwell made an incredible impact on the face of America, but his efforts were always rooted in his desire to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. He had a tremendous commitment to our being salt and light in our culture. He loved the Lord, he loved His people and he had incredible devotion to his ministry.  News reports tell us that on the morning of his death he was in a meeting planning for the future.  I have no doubt that is true. He was a man of incredible vision and energyand he wanted to use every part of his life right up to the last moment for the glory of God.

When I heard about this death, I immediately pulled one of his latest books, Building Dynamic Faith, off the shelf.  It is a 30-day study of how you build vision and faith. I began to go through it again yesterday.  A reporter asked me “How do you replace such a man?” My response was that you do not. But at the same time, God will raise someone else to do His work.

With the passing of Dr. Falwell, it should be a reminder to us of the incredible opportunity and obligation that we have to make a difference in the world in which we live.  We may not be able to have the influence of a Jerry Falwell, but each of us must be committed to taking the next step in our own personal lives.  I know that is what he believed and what he would encourage others to do.