Andy Griffith Was Prepared for the Day he Would be Called Home to his Lord

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Jul 08|07:00

Andy Griffith Was Prepared for the Day he Would be Called Home to his Lord

He was an actor, television producer, writer, and Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer. He is best known for his television roles, playing the lead characters in the 1960-1968 situation comedy The Andy Griffith Show and in the 1986-1995 legal drama Matlock.

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As a young man, he served as choir director at First Baptist Church of Goldsboro and pursued pre-ministerial studies at UNC Chapel Hill before changing his major to acting. He earned Tony Award nominations for two Broadway performances. At age 69, he went back to an early dream of singing Southern Gospel music. And he recorded gospel songs for "I Love To Tell The Story - 25 Favorite Hymns." This album was certified platinum by the RIAA. In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush. He went home to Heaven on July 3, 2012 at age 86.

His wife said of him at his death, "He was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord. He is the love of my life, my constant companion, my partner, and my best friend. I cannot imagine life without him, but I take comfort and strength in God's grace and in the knowledge that he is at peace and with God." In a 1996 interview after he was diagnosed with Guillen-Barre syndrome, he said, "I firmly believe that in every situation, no matter how difficult, God extends grace greater than the hardship, and strength and peace of mind that can lead us to a place higher than where we were before." His name is Andy Griffith.

This is the "Chief of Sinners," Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, and just as Andy Griffith gave his life to Christ, may I encourage you to do the same. Here is how:

First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God's laws, just as I have. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Please understand that because of your sins, you deserve punishment in hell. Romans 6:23 says "the wages of sin is death..." This is both physical death and spiritual death in hell.

But here is the good news. John 3:16 reads, "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."

The phrase "For God so loved the world" means that if you are in this world, God loves you no matter what you have done.

The next phrase, "that He gave His only begotten Son" refers to Jesus Christ. He is God's son who suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins and for mine, and He was buried and rose again.

Our next phrase is "that whosoever believeth in Him". The word "whosoever" means anybody at anytime. The phrase "believeth in Him" means to trust in Him, to depend upon Him, to rely on Him, or to have faith in Him for your salvation.

Our next phrase, "should not perish", refers to eternal punishment in a place called hell.

And, lastly, the phrase "but have everlasting life" means to live eternally in Heaven with God.

The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour!

Remember, friend, Believe by faith. Share the faith. and Keep the faith!

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in twenty-three foreign countries. He is the author of sixteen books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel's Report and the Second Coming Watch Update. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor's degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master's degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-five years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @danielwhyteiii.