The Story of Jim Clark

I have heard about a man named Jim Clark for a few years now. Just recently Doyle, the president and minister here at Water of Life Ministries shared about him again. I remember once how when Doyle was questioned about Jim's too hard of playing on the piano, Doyle said, "I cared more about the man than I did the piano."

Exodus 34 describes the personality, the nature, of God.
.... The LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin....

Thank God for the love of God.....

The Jim Clark Story

"I walked into this sanctuary one night, I think it was a Friday night maybe in 1983. There was a young black man with Jane Whaley. Jane Whaley was from Tulsa, Sam Whaley's wife, 74 graduate of Rhema.  And this young man could play the piano. And he played it hard. There was a man setting out in the congregation that I'd never seen before, the Lord said, "That man is not a pastor." I thought, "Well why you telling me?" In about three days, the place that he was calling his church fell apart. And a man named Jim Clark attended that church.

Jim Clark came to Water of Life. He knew I jogged, he knew I walked a lot on Meandering Way in Fairview, he'd heard me say that. He asked me one day if he could come and walk with me. He said, "I'd like to talk to you." I said, "Sure. When you want to do it?" We set up a time, instead of walking on Meandering Way, I walked around my neighborhood on asphalt. Jim started telling me the worst testimony I'd ever heard in my life.

I was a veterinarian. I was bold, fairly bold. I wasn't the most timid person in the world. I'd been a hospital corpsman in the Navy, served in emergency services in Yokosuka Naval Hospital for 27 months; and I'd never heard what Jim Clark told me.

He said he was with a church in California, a faith church. And they told him if he'd confess his sins, the Lord would forgive him and so would the church. So he got up and told it and they kicked him out. God wanted him in Plano, Water of Life Church. It was an incredible thing, what he was involved in. It was homosexuality. His lover was a Methodist preacher for two years. The more he talked the more I was startled what man could do; what mankind would do. I even think myself now, I've been very naïve about the wickedness of a heart of a human being. I thought mine was bad enough. I'm not a judge but I am spiritual, and 1Corinthianians 2 says he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he is judged of no man; so take your judgement and go south. Thank God.

I talked with Jim over the years following that night of two hours listening to him. And one morning after Water of Life Christian Training School Jim came to me. He said, "Doyle, I've got to talk to you." I said, "Alright."  We went out on the northeast corner of this building, the sidewalk there is high enough there to sit down on, not have your legs under your knees. He said, "I've been to every church that I know of, Tulsa, California, Dallas. Not one of them could help me." He said, "You're the only person that I know that can help me. And if I don't get some help, I'm going back to San Francisco and continue my lifestyle and go to hell." I could not think, stand to think, of a man or woman going to hell. I can not bare the thought of any man or woman going to hell. Jesus describes hell. My friends you ought to read it and make a decision to never go there. It's not what you think it is. It is eternal. Torment. Torture. Torment, the fury of God upon the sins of mankind. The terror of God for eternity. You don't want to go there. There's a choice. Kathie D told you what the choice was. The gospel, believe on Jesus, his name where by no man, no name under heaven must be saved but Jesus. The name of Jesus. Call upon that name, call, that's all you have to do, call upon the name of Jesus. That's not my plan, or God's plan for me for the next few minutes, but the mercy, the love, the grace, the mercy, the compassion of Jehovah, my Father, and his Son, the man Jesus Christ.

I set on that sidewalk that Wednesday morning and I was stunned. I said, "Jim I'm going to pray." It's been 27 years ago. I said, "Father" something like this, "Intervene into Jim's life." I don't remember saying anything else.

Friday he went to the hospital; healthy looking, you couldn't tell he was sick. They diagnosed him as having Aids. He was in the hospital several days. I went there one, every day, but I went there one morning but he couldn't talk. He pointed at a piece of paper and a pen, I gave it to him he said, "I'm not afraid, I'm ready to go home."  That night Jim Clark went to heaven.

I had to do his funeral. I said, "Lord what do I say?" He said, "Tell them where he's at." I said, "Well where is he?" [KD turn to Hebrews 12] The Lord said, "Turn to Hebrews 12, I'll show you where he's at."  What mercy what grace. How beautiful the Lord is, and how beautiful are the feet of them that publish good news.

Hebrews 12:22

22: But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23: To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. "


I encourage you to listen to the full story and testimony of Jim Clark in the video above.


Isaiah 55:6
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

God Bless You,
Misty