Legacies

Three prominent high-profile people died last week. Actress Elizabeth Taylor, politician Geraldine Ferraro and nationally-known prophecy teacher J.R. Church all passed away in the past week. They each left their mark on our society, but will their legacies count in eternity?

Elizabeth Taylor was a great actress. She gained fame as a child actress and later became an award-winning movie star. She was known for her glamorous lifestyle and great beauty. Her much publicized private life included eight marriages, several life-threatening illnesses and decades spent as a social activist championing the cause of AIDS awareness.

She won the Academy Award for best actress twice, and The American Film Institute named her seventh on its Female Legends list. She starred in some great movies, like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Cleopatra." She lived a very fascinating life, that's for sure. She was 79 when she died.

Geraldine Ferraro was one of my favorite Democrats. I disagreed with her most of the time, but I liked her because she didn't practice "hate politics." She respected her opponents even when she disagreed with them. I liked to watch her debate conservatives on Fox.

She is best known for becoming the first woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket when she became Walter Mondale's running mate in 1984. They were defeated in a landslide by President Reagan, but she was a trailblazer for women in politics. She remained active in politics and championed women in both parties until the end of her life. She worked on Hilary Clinton's 2008 campaign and praised the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's V.P. pick. Ferraro was 75 when she died on Saturday.

J.R. Church was 72 when he passed away last week. Who's J.R. Church, you ask? He may not have the name recognition of Liz Taylor or Geri Ferraro, but he also left a legacy on the world. He spent his life serving the Lord and others as a pastor and a prophecy teacher.

He was a pastor in Lubbock for 18 years. He later founded the "Prophecy in the News" television ministry and diligently pursued its outreach until his health declined. Even in his final years of life, he hosted a daily radio commentary and Web cast, teaching on end-time events. His mission in life was to win others to Christ.

Three lives. Three legacies. I don't know if Elizabeth Taylor and Geraldine Ferraro were saved. I hope so. I pray they were saved, even though they never made a public confession of faith. I know where J.R. Church is today. His life of service to God tells us that he is in heaven, and his legacy will live on through those he reached for the Lord.

What kind of legacy will we leave behind when we die? Will our memories quickly fade away or will we leave a lasting mark on our family, friends and those who knew us? Everything we do in this life will pass away and be forgotten, but what we do for God will be remembered forever. I want my life to count in eternity. How about you?