The Evangel Christian Center was full yesterday for the funeral of Pastor Ray Franks. Mark Twain said, “Live your life so that at your funeral even the undertaker will cry.” That certainly was the way Pastor Ray lived is life. It was a wonderful celebration of a man who lived his life pure as snow. There was a book mark that was handed out at the funeral with a writing Ray wrote just a short time ago, in November:
Life can be wearisome and often we lose sight of the long view just trying to keep things together in our daily lives—jobs, children, relationships, payments, and the like. It is a trick of the enemy to keep us focused on the here and now, and not realizing we have a glorious future. Remember what Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14: 1-3
Don’t let the trials and pressures of today, take your eyes off the glorious future God has prepared for you!
Pastor Raymond Franks April 25, 1940 – January 25, 2014
On the other side of the bookmark:
He Only Takes The Best
God saw he was getting tired
and a cure was not to be,
so he put His arms around him
and whispered, “Come with me.”
With tear-filled eyes we
watched him
suffer and fade away.
Although we loved him deeply,
we could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
hard-working hands put to rest.
God broke our hearts to
show to us
He only takes the best.
By Therese Pearman
I found myself analyzing my life as the funeral went on……I want to strive to be more “Ray like”, Jesus like. Ray would arise every morning and read the Word of God and pray at 6am. During the week
he and his staff would pray in the church starting at 8am. There were many times when Ray would tell me, “Dewey, I prayed for you today.” The way Ray lived his life reminds me so of Billy Graham, they are of the same. Jesus like, pure as snow.
Pastor Ray is deeply missed by thousands, from his work in the Church, School, TV and radio. Not hundreds, but thousands.
We are blessed that his work and lessons are with us yet today.
