Happy Thanksgiving- Bob 1 in a 1,000

We at Witness Breakthrough are grateful for many things on this Thanksgiving...

most importantly, we are thankful for the love and forgiveness of Christ.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and

established in love, may have power,

together with all the Lord's holy people,

to grasp how wide and long and high

and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-

that you may be filled to the measure

of all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:17-19

BOB- 1 in a 1,000!!!

There are 20+ million golfers in America...
I'm going to estimate 30% have faith in Jesus Christ = 6 million
Of that 6 million an estimated 1-5% of them profess their faith in Jesus Christ to another golfer

That's how I came up with my estimated stats-

"1 in a 1,000"

SO THANKFUL for BOB

1 in a 1,000

As the pumpkins above indicate there is so much to be thankful for

and I want to thank God for my 25 year friend, Bob Watson

Bob is a close, Christian friend, prayer partner and golfing buddy-

He is 1 in a 1,000!

Sadly I hardly know any Christian golfers who would honestly put Christ before their golf game while on the course...shocking but true...a man active in his church recently told me he had been playing golf weekly with his buddies for 20 years and has never once told them about his faith in Christ...that's not unusual!

...please note my credentials to make the 1 in 1,000 estimate by my book below

GOLFERS OF MEN

and 14 years, full time, in the Witness Breakthrough ministry

NOW I'M ESPECIALLY THANKFUL FOR BOB,

my longtime close friend who is now well advanced in his bout with FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia)

Tudi and I visited him last Friday...

he didn't say our names, doesn't walk, sleeps a lot...

it reminds me so much of my mother's 9 year battle with Alzheimer's

Tudi and I took turns reading scripture to him, saying prayers and reminiscing of our times together

He would fade in and out, seemingly

grasping what we were saying at times

HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS...

(note the cover picture of the book that follows)

- Bob is second from the right...

- I am on the far left

- Our two guests at the golf outing made up the foursome

This picture represents what Bob and I did together for approximately 20 years...

We golfed for men!

One of the men pictured is a drug dealer and the other a businessman...

Bob and I showered them both with the love of Christ..not just on the course but for a number of months...we on occasion would get together with them

Bob was a serious golfer and wanted to excel...

however at best he was a 12-15 handicap...

I was a 6-8 (now a 12) handicap BUT when we went golfing for men we enjoyed golf as a recreation-

this allowed us to focus on who God put in our path...

whether we got birdies or double bogies...

the souls of men were our passion

Can you see why BOB is one in a thousand?

What a privilege to team up together to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ while playing a wonderful sport we enjoyed thoroughly

I am eternally thankful for our hundreds of "golfing for men" rounds and experiences of sowing a multitude of seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and seeing a number accept Jesus as their Savior...they're all recorded in heaven.

One of my favorite witness encounters with Bob:

BERTHA

No, not Big Bertha the golf club...

rather the Jewish mother-in-law playing golf with her

son-in-law (a doctor) on her birthday...

How's that for being unusual!?

Bob and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them both over the 18 holes of golf...as we finished I gave my testimony and they were very courteous and attentive...with great gusto and emotion Bob blurted out...

"I LOVE JEWISH PEOPLE!"

Bertha quickly responded with "I LOVE YOU TOO BOB"

...and they hugged
***

It was an unbelievable scene I will never forget because it showcased the importance of

sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in love

...authentic love makes witnessing deeply meaningful

***

I am so thankful that

people and the GOOD NEWS of Jesus are more important than golf performance...don't get me wrong I love to be competitive and shoot a good score...it's a matter of priority

My Thanksgiving prayer for Bob:

BOB and JAN

the Family

Dear God,

Please wrap your loving arms around Bob and comfort him by your Holy Spirit...

Be with his loving wife Jan, and his children-

Shelly, Rhonda, Melody, and Brian

plus the entire family during these difficult days...in Jesus name Amen

***

I am welled up with emotion knowing his days are few

but Bob knows very well the verse "for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" Philippians 1:21

LAST

BOB would want me to say...

if you have never said a prayer like this and meant it deeply...

now is the time...

before it is too late

It is from the Steps to Peace with God booklet ..we gave out over 1,000 to our golfing companions...Bob always had copies available to give to people in all environments

"Dear Lord Jesus,I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I will trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus name, Amen."

After saying that prayer....Make it your personal goal to...

"Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ"

2 Peter 3:18

and

Find out how you can do something you enjoy or need to do and "redeem the time" using Bob as an example

Not one single golf shot Bob hit

-both good and bad-

will be brought up when he stands before the Lord

Rather, did he have the mind of Christ

"...to seek and to save the lost?"

Luke 19:10

BOB DID!

Bob would definitely add...

"DO YOU have the mind of Christ to seek and to save the lost? Ask God to help you immediately have the passion for people as described in the book of Acts...good news ,they were ordinary people that God used. Acts 4:13

Ted Sprague

Acts 17 : 28 ...wherever we live, move and have our being we are a witness...why not be a good one?

P.S.

Pictured below on the cover of the book are the men described previously

Bob and I prayerfully did the following with the new friends we would encounter on the golf course:

#1...we prayed and asked God to use us...then with the golfers we joined

*We asked meaningful questions
*We listened intently

*We fell in love with their souls...

*We were then compelled by love not duty to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ

*****

*If interested in getting the books for a small group study on how to make golf a witness priority...please contact

me/Witness Breakthrough at the address below...note Billy Graham does the introduction "God and Golf"

*****

It doesn't get any better than going out 2x2....thank you God for putting

Bob Watson in my life...may I strongly recommend and appeal to you to do something together with a fellow believer that you enjoy doing and ask God to use you to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ...while...

*grocery shopping (2 ladies I know after taking WB go out weekly)

*eating out

*coffee

*walking

*swim class (Tudi has done this for years)

*dinner club

*scrapbooking(Tudi for many years)

*travel club

Follow the same equipping and training that are in GOLFERS OF MEN...the book that Bob by example help me write as a WITNESS BREAKTHROUGH encouragement to all believers wherever they walk daily...he is "1 in a 1,000"

PRAYER REQUEST...PLEASE pray for Jan and her family as they go through this most difficult time...it is in many ways harder on them than it is on Bob at this stage of his FTD condition.