The Final Word From Fred Server

Fred’s memorial service was quite an event. Held in his church home, people gathered. His siblings, children, step-children and children’s children -four generations account for only forty of the hundreds gathered. Many countries and four continents had representatives there.

It is not a huge church, but modern with two large audio-visual screens used to project hymns instead of using traditional hymnals.

The pastor led the invocation, followed by the choir and audience singing uplifting songs. Fred was reintroduced to those present with a slide show, “This is your life” created for his birthday last year - showing Fred through the years of his life.

The slide show was significant events in his life - his birth, graduation, jobs, children, etc. What it shows is that Fred was a sportsman and family man. It was for Fred a keepsake and for others a kind of ordinary obituary. It did not tell one much about the ‘heart’ of the man.

A few more songs sung. Then nothing - the screens went black, the lights dimmed. Then with a startled gasp from the audience, Fred appeared on the video screen and this is what he had to say:

“Greetings!

I suppose I’m the last person you
expected to hear from today. I just
had to thank you for praying for me.
Almost 5 years ago, you learned I
had cancer. You prayed for my
healing. You watched me lose 5
inches in height; my bones grow too
weak to hold my body up straight-
and you prayed for my healing. You
watched my muscles dissolve and
my flesh disappear. Actually, you
watched the outer man perish and
you prayed for my healing. Thank
you! Thank you. Your prayers have
been answered. I AM HEALED! I
AM HEALED! HALLELUJIAH!
HALLELUJIAH! The pain is gone.
Thank you for praying.

The best part about being here in
heaven is Jesus. Remember He
promised, “I go to prepare a place for
you and if I go I will come again and
receive you unto myself.” He did!
He did! He did! I’ve just seen Jesus
and I tell you He is alive!

I had this hope of coming to heaven
to be with Jesus while I was with
you. I’ll tell you how I KNEW. The
Bible says we can Know, not think
or hope but KNOW. I had just
returned from the navy and was in
my first year of college when I
noticed several students my age that
really impressed me. They all went
to the same church youth group so I
decided to visit. It was there I
learned that God loved me. Me,
Fred Server. I also learned the things
had done wrong separated me from

God. I was fearful of dying and
spending an eternity separated from
God in a place called hell. Do you
know how long eternity is? Forever!
God said my sin demanded a
payment-death. Here is the good
news; God loved me so much He
was willing to do something about
my sin and separation. He sent His
own Son to die in my place. Jesus
Christ died for my sins so He could
bring me to God. No more
separation. I believed this. I asked
Jesus to forgive my sin, come into
my heart, and be the Lord of my life.
He came! I began to read my Bible.
I believed every promise He made.

I know some people think they can
work themselves into heaven. Think
about it. If you could work your way
into heaven then God had His Son
die a horrible death on the cross for
nothing.

Everyone has to decide whether to
believe Jesus or not. There is no
reason for anyone to walk out of this
room and not know that your sins are
forgiven and that you are going to
spend all eternity in heaven. You
can pray this prayer right where you
are sitting. Bow your head and pray,
“Lord, Jesus, please forgive my sin
and come into my heart and be the
Lord of my life. I believe you.
Thank you for coming. Thank you
for giving me eternal life.” If you
prayed that prayer tell our Pastor or
someone about the decision you have
made. Many will rejoice with you
and you can share it with me when
you arrive here in heaven. I’ll be
waiting for you.

Friends please don’t talk about my
spirit being with you. My spirit is
with Jesus. Why would you want
my spirit with you when you have
the Spirit of the Living God living in
you? He will never leave you. The
Holy Spirit will lead you along the
best pathway for your life, to
comfort, encourage, protect, pray for,
teach, enable, and pour out his loving
favor and mercy. You don’t want
my spirit when you can have all that
just by asking Christ into your heart.

My challenge to all of you, family
and friends is to get involved in
telling others about Jesus. Help them
grow. Make an eternal difference in
the lives of other people. Everyone
is going to spend an eternity in
heaven or hell. God will use you to
be a part in their choice. So go tell
the good news.

Bye for now. Jesus is waiting to
welcome each and every one of you.
I’ll be waiting too. Look on my
death just the way Jesus does. He
says, “Precious in the sight of the
Lord is the death of his saints.” You
know why it’s so precious? It’s
because He gets to finally welcome
another one that He came here to die
for, another one who believes Him.
That delights His heart. He calls it
precious. That means you can look
at my death as precious. See you.
Bye for now.” [*]

I do not know about you, but that tells me a lot about the heart of the man it was my privilege to know and call my step-dad. Like someone remarked, “Leave it to Fred to get the last word and that word was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He died like he lived, sharing the Gospel, a servant of God.”

Fred M. Server
June 15, 1927 - March 14, 2007
The Godliest man I have ever known!
I pray that I can be half the man, the servant of God that he was.

[*] Fred recorded this video a few months ago (January 12, 2007), to ensure that he had the strength to do it well.

- Special thanks to my sister-in-law Robin for putting together the slide show (from all the family’s pictures) and recording and editing Fred’s final message.