December 24, 2018 – Click here to listen
Friday, I delivered the following message at TK Wetherell’s life celebration ceremony. He told me several times towards the end of his life here on earth that he so wished that he could stay just a little longer in order to witness to more people. It is my prayer that this desire will be at least partially fulfilled with this message.
Today we celebrate the life of our friend TK Wetherell. It should be a joyous occasion because the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:8 to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord. Think about that statement for a second, at this very moment TK is with Jesus basking in His glory in heaven.
And then consider that heaven is God’s home. Can you imagine what God’s home must be like? He is the creator of all things seen and unseen. His throne is there; His angels are there; His Son our Lord Jesus Christ is there. Guess what? TK is there too! (I know his home here at Oak Hill Plantation is nice, but his new home . . . Com’on.)
Can you imagine how exciting and wonderful this is? The streets are paved with gold, the gates are made of pearl, and the walls made of precious jewels. We are told that eye has never seen, nor ear ever heard what God has prepared for those who love Him.
The Bible says: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or pain, or sadness, or grief, or any type of sin and never again will he be subjected to any of it for the old order of things has passed away.”
I want everyone here to know that I can say with absolute certainty that TK loved Jesus with his all. I prayed with him many years ago and saw him confess his sins, state his belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God, and declare that he believed that He died for his sins and rose again in three days, and after that day I saw TK change and begin living his life for Christ and do so many good things to honor and glorify His name that time will not allow me to enumerate them all.
Shortly after we purchased Honey Lake Plantation, my wife Teresa and I were introduced to TK and Ginger by our mutual friend and real estate broker Jon Kohler. We went kayaking together down the Wacissa River and during that trip we learned about each other’s mutual love for hunting, fishing and the great outdoors and soon we became the closest of friends.
As I learned more about him, it became obvious that TK fit the classic Webster’s dictionary definition of success, much of which has been so eloquently expressed here today. He fit all of the criteria:
- Accumulation of wealth
- Power
- Fame
- And the realization of significant accomplishments
However, one day when we were sitting on my dock fishing together, he confided in me that he was struggling and even though he had accomplished all this “stuff,” something was missing in his life, and he felt unfulfilled. I asked about his relationship with God and he disclosed that He rarely, if ever, attended church and was really a Christian in name only. I told him that what was missing in his life was God and He was the only one who could fill that hole in his heart.
I shared that, like him, many had recognized me as a success according to the world’s standards, but none of it had fully satisfied me either, I still felt an emptiness and void in my life until I decided to fully commit 100% to serving the Lord.
I shared my personal definition of success and it had nothing to do with the accumulation of wealth, power, fame, or great accomplishments, it was and remains today to obtain peace, joy, and love in my life and I shared that I found that those things could only come from having a close, personal, relationship with Jesus Christ.
TK said that Jesus was what he wanted in his life too. We prayed the sinner’s prayer together and when finished he had a huge smile on his face because he had just received Christ into his life.
I asked him to come to Honey Lake Church with me and he did. This was music to Ginger’s ears and soon they were attending church and Bible study with us every time the doors were open. He became an elder in the church and helped with the organization of our worldwide ministry, The Jesus Alliance. He even preached at our church and then on Easter Sunday at Saint Teresa.
TK had finally found the peace and purpose in his life that had been eluding him. He and Ginger signed up for an additional Bible study class on Thursday nights with teacher Charlie Elder and when they went to their summer home in Montana, they quickly found another church and Bible study class and even hosted it at their home on a rotating basis.
TK asked plenty of questions during Bible study, and he would continue asking questions long after the sermons and classes ended. We talked about God at every opportunity which was usually when we sat in turkey or duck hunting blinds, or making our way through the woods quail hunting, or whitetail hunting, or sitting on my dock bass and bream fishing, or just riding through the woods.
He would ask questions about God when we went out to eat together, or go on vacation together, and if that wasn’t enough, he would text me at 3:00 a.m. asking more questions. Many of you might not know it, but TK could be hard-headed! That man asked more questions about the Bible than anyone I’d ever met. Many of them were so complex I couldn’t answer them even after over 48 years of Bible study, but he kept relentlessly asking. Finally, I became so exasperated, that I shouted that he was just going to have to wait for Jesus to answer that question for him because it was way above my pay grade.
In that regard, I have no doubt TK has already started in on Jesus with the questions.
TK strongly believed in prayer and we prayed during good times and the times of suffering and pain right up until he went into hospice and then I had one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. TK couldn’t have visitors but on Sunday afternoon I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to call right then and check on him. Ginger had received so many calls from their many friends that she had to quit taking them and did not intend to answer and more calls, but something told her to answer this one.
When she heard my voice, she tearfully told me that she had been reading Scripture to TK and his breathing was beginning to get labored, and the doctor had just told her that he had only moments left to live. She asked me to please pray with him and she put it on speakerphone and held it to his ear and I prayed. I spoke loud and clear and asked God, among other things, to please release His angels to encircle and escort TK to Jesus, where He could personally welcome him to his new home in heaven.
When finished, I reassured Ginger that TK would be fine and said goodbye. She told me later that day that he passed away within a minute or two after I prayed with him. It was as though he was waiting for my final prayer with him.
We cannot possibly be sad for TK Wetherell today, but HAPPY. He is free from suffering and pain forever! Yes, we are entitled to cry for ourselves having lost such a good friend and good man, but don’t cry for TK, he would be the first to tell you that he led the fullest of lives including finding his peace, joy, and love in Jesus Christ. None of us can ask for more.
In his final days he repeatedly told me that he wished he had more time because he wanted to witness about the impact God had on his life to more people. It reminds me of a story I heard about a wayward grandson whose grandfather died and how he was greatly impacted and suddenly turned to God. He was asked if it was the death of his grandfather that caused his sudden turnaround; the boy answered, “Oh no sir, it was his LIFE!” I pray that this great man’s life and especially his quest for peace, joy, and love that was fulfilled by his Savior will have a lasting impact on you today, so you too can fully prepare to meet your God.
Finally, TK and I talked often about which one of us would get the call home first. We agreed that whoever did would scout out the best places to fish. A friend recently told me he received a word from the Lord for me that TK would be my greeter when I enter heaven. This comforted him and me greatly. I look forward to that day, and I especially look forward to the intel on the best fishing holes.
Thank you, Jesus, for the pleasure of being a close friend of TK Wetherell and for blessing all of us with this great man.
Matt. 25:23
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’