Monday evening shortly after 6pm we received the news that one of our favorite pastors was ushered into heaven. We know he’s with his Savior and I can only imagine what that ‘faith becoming sight’ moment was like.
This message is from Grace to You:
Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior. This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run. More information will be available soon.
~
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:1-8
He was Greg and my first pastor after we were married and living in West Los Angeles. God used him to disciple us through his sermons, books, commentaries and example. We trusted that he handled the Word of God well and didn’t compromise the Truth. We are forever grateful. When I mow our acres I listen to his archived sermons. When we drive to Spokane we pick one of his sermons to listen to. This morning while I watered I was listening, too. We knew he was ‘on his last lap’, his words from a couple months ago.
~
The last time we saw John MacArthur in person was in October of 2019 when we attended the Truth Matters Conference at Grace Community Church. The next photo and paragraph are from a post from 2019.
I’m holding a MacArthur Study Bible in the Russian language. We are enjoying so many great interactions with people from all over the world at this conference. Our heads are ready to explode from what we are learning.
Here is one of the quotes from MacArthur I wrote down in the last year.
“Jesus himself is the goal of human history. In Him all things are summed up. All human history will be resolved and united to the Father through the work of the Son.
Ultimately–everything will be made right in Christ.”
Christians around the world are grieving this earthly loss but rejoicing in Johnny Mac’s promotion to heaven and especially that he is seeing our Savior face to face.
Our prayers are for his dear wife, Patricia, his family, his church family.
Thank you, Pastor Johnny Mac. Thank you, LORD, for this wonderful servant of yours!
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
I was just thinking about him yesterday!
I am shocked to hear this because I had been thinking about something he taught and then wondering if he was still with us. I didn’t look. Now this comes out this morning.
I appreciate how he preached. He taught with boldness.
…you were blessed to have him in your life.
Sorry for your loss!
I’m so very sorry for your loss. I have used some of his commentaries over the years. How blessed you were to know him.
I wonder if we ever crossed paths in that church. When I was in college, I would attend the evening services when I could find a ride down to the church.
I saw him many times because my father-in-law was registrar/professor at LABC/Masters for more than forty years.
This is a beautiful tribute you have written about him. Your blog post is how I learned he has passed. I had read recently that it looked like the end was near.
He has “finished well,” as my late husband used to say.
So sorry to hear of your loss but what joy he must be having now.
You were blessed to have had him in your life.
So sorry for your loss.
That’s a LOT of famous people!! (i had to google who the heck the first guy was though. Oliver ?? had NO idea hahaah can you tell i rarely watch TV????
I’m sorry to hear about John MacArthur!! I’ll have to tell my husband. We have liked his writing. Our pastor has often quoted him.
I really enjoyed your answers. And WOW you got to shake JFK’s hand?? I was born in 1959, December so no way would I have been old enough to walk to see him. I grew up hearing about him of course and my parents liked him even though they were staunch Republicans. hahah
It sounds like the world lost a wonderful role model in Dr. McArthur. My deepest condolences to his family and all who loved him.