Ruperto Badillo Romero
Brother, Friend, and Fellow Minister
December 4, 1951 – November 16, 2022
Upon receiving word of my Friend’s passing, two scriptures immediately came too light, illuminating my inner being like a warm bright lamp being turned on in a room grown suddenly dark on a stormy day.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. -2 Tim 4:7-8
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. -Psalms 23:4-6
As it is written, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This mortal must put on immortality, and of necessity, this earthly tabernacle must be stricken down and folded away for it is of no further use and has no more place as our dwelling.
“In my fathers house there are many mansions, and I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, you may also be.”
These words were spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and then having said them, he assures us,
“If this were not so, I would have told you.”
I believe Him!
Our confrontation with death is never easy. It never has been, nor shall it ever be. It is the last enemy in this world we all must face. Because we believe His Word, we’re not given over to despair, nor hopelessness. Yet, it doesn’t make this confrontation any less real; Nor our loss any less painful. The fact that there is an end to life in this world, by its nature, compels us toward a natural summary as to a the meaning, purpose and accomplishments in this life.
IT’S APPOINTED UNTO A MAN ONCE TO DIE, THEN THE JUDGEMENT
There’s an instinctual understanding in all cultures, throughout history, concerning this accountability for our lives lived in this world and our relationships and interactions with others. The phenomenon of a “Life Review,” at the end of life is a common experience shared throughout history by those who’ve had near death experiences; This seeing, in a flash, of every action and interaction we’ve had over a lifetime and our sense of accountability for them must have a meaning or purpose, or what would be the point, If death were merely the end of consciousness? Our lives, in this world, have a meaning beyond our short sojourn here.
Rom 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.
Part of this life summery or judgement is made this side of the veil, by those of us who knew those who have now departed this life. Our tendency is to associate Judgement with condemnation, but Judgement is also for approval and this is exactly what we are doing when we have a funeral or memorial service for those now departed, we are making summery and judgement concerning their lives, their meaning to our lives to us who knew them. This truly adds weight and consideration to the LORD’S statement,
John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
This idea is linked with the idea of “Binding and Losing” in Matthew 16:19,
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
To say that my brother was one of the finest men I have ever been privileged to know would be an understatement. My appraisal is easily substantiated in light of his leadership and exemplary service both Civic and within our Community of believers. His many achievements and the merits of his character are widely known and well attested to by the multitude of lives his life and ministry touched. There will be no lack of dynamic and praise-worthy testimony forthcoming, as we celebrate his life and work.
A MEDICAL CAREER SACRIFICED TO FOLLOW CHRIST
As a young man, Dr. Ruperto Badillo Romero was one of Mexico’s most promising Physicians. He specialized in Gynecology, he was also a skilled Surgeon. His accomplishments in the Medical Profession have always been an inner source of personal pride for me. All the more remarkable was his decision to leave his medical practice to take up the mantle and burden of Gospel ministry; Not only that, but to take up one of the most challenging of ministries; Church Planting, the pioneering of a new church from nothing! He and Sandra gave up a career in medicine and a secure future, for the rigors of Church planting. To rehearse all that has come of that decision, the thousands of lives they’ve touched and all that has been accomplished would take far more time and space than is available to me here, actually, one could easily fill a book so remarkable and filled with testimonies of the miraculous that it would engage the interest and attention of any who would read it.
This, in itself, begs a question to be answered; I regard it as important and ask all of you to consider it.
What would compel a young couple to leave a very probable secure future and exchange it for Christian service and ministry?
What would be the motivational force and passion which compelled this young couple to take such a life altering path. It was nothing short of their own encounter with GOD, The GOD of Redemption and a love and concern for the souls of men. It’s summed up in the chosen name for our fellowship of churches in Mexico, “Fishers of Men.”
DECEMBER 1998 – VERACRUZ, VERACRUZ MEXICO
I was there when revival broke out in the city of Veracruz. Pastor Ruperto had invited me to come to Veracruz and do a Salvation, Miracle, Healing Crusade. I’d put him off for some time because in those days I was very busy, but he persisted. Finally, I agreed to come and the dates were set. When the date of my departure had arrived, I remember that I had just come down with a flu virus. By the time my flight arrived in Veracruz, I was sick and feeling miserable, I didn’t feel like being there; as I departed the plane, I remember telling the Lord, LORD, I don’t feel good, I don’t want to be here and if anything good comes of this meeting, it will definitely be Your doing, not mine.
That night when we arrived at the location of the Crusade, the auditorium was capable of holding about 5000 people if I remember right, 300 to 350 people showed up. This crowd was literally swallowed up be the immensity of the auditorium. I remember thinking to myself, This is going to be a disaster! Imagine, feeling sick as a dog, doing a healing salvation crusade for what felt like a minuscule crowd in a huge dark auditorium. It was a nightmare, but I was there and I preached the good news of the Gospel and prayed for the people. To my astonishment, 75 to 100 people accepted Christ that first night. When we prayed for the sick, there were numbers of outstanding testimonies from those who were undeniably and demonstrably healed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This was probably the greatest miracle of all, that so much happened out of such a small crusade. This continued for two more nights, with the same results. During the daytime we had followup revival service at the church. The building was filled to capacity. This was far more than a numeric success, something was happening, God was pouring out of His Spirit upon these people, it was palpable, it was supernatural and it was the beginning of something special in the City of Veracruz which continues to this day.
A PROPHECY & PROMISE FROM GOD – THE BIRTH OF A CHILD
I was also there when Pastors Ruperto and Sandra received a prophecy concerning the birth of a child, something which had eluded them. This was the desire of their hearts but despite years of trying and the best available medical treatment (remember, Ruperto was a Gynecologist), they had no results. They had come to attend our conference in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, the church I was pastoring at the time. During the main morning seminar, our guest speaker, who didn’t know this couple at all, paused in his message and called them out of the crowd to come forward. He had a word from the LORD for them, That they were going to receive the desire of their hearts, specifically, that they would have a child. Like Abraham and Sarah, there was some time between the prophecy and its fulfillment but I remember that they believed the Word they received and that they clung to the promise which was fulfilled seven years later. I’ve had the privilege of not only seeing this prophecy fulfilled in the birth of their son, Issac, but also watching him grow into manhood and follow in his father’s steps.
These highlights are but a few of so many noteworthy accomplishments I could have shared, but these have special meaning to me. They lay at the root of a deep and abiding friendship. They define his faith, his incredible willingness to believe and walk in hope as well as our shared passion and vision for the Gospel of Christ. I could tell of our many adventures throughout Mexico, the wonders that he took the time to show me because my love for his country was as important to him as his own profound love for his nation and its people. He was the quintessential Mexican, a son his Motherland can justifiably take pride in.
As they partnered in ministry together, he and Sandra demonstrated a unique ability to gain the respect of other organizations and to work together with them for the sake of the Gospel and their people. Then there was the love and leadership he displayed toward all of us, their own pastors and fellowship of churches; For my part, I have no doubt that as this man stands before the LORD, the Righteous Judge, that he shall receive his crown of life and that welcome we all long to hear,
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your LORD.”
Heaven is indeed the richer for his presence there and it’s natural for us to feel diminished by his absence here; But I thank GOD for the gift of his life loaned for a season to us. I know that my own life is bettered because of his place and influence in it.
For now, he’s gone from among us, we feel his absence, here, we will see him no more. We will go to where he is, some sooner, some later, some were already there to greet him as he arrived. His course has been run and finished successfully; But not so for us who remain. Ours is to take up the mantle and to carry the torch as it’s passed to us and to run with it upon the individual courses, or life paths laid before us. To finish our portion of the journey until we too are relieved. If run we must, then run we shall until the race is finished or our Lord returns. Either way, as the Apostle Paul challenged us, so our own Brother speaks; By his example, his passion, his zeal, his love for God and his people, and his compassion for the lost; That we press toward the mark of the high calling which is in Jesus Christ, who says, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me.
“… let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan …”
Abraham Lincoln
These borrowed words from President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address have been carefully chosen, by me, because they express the depth of sentiment and responsibility I feel toward those who have so faithfully labored, at great personal cost, for the cause of Christ; and who are too often forgotten when they have passed. They and their surviving families.
I’d like to invite those who are of Willing Heart and Ready Mind, to join with me,
AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE AND CONCERN
for our brother’s Widow and Family. If you’d like to help us, please follow the link below.
Please designate your gift, Middle East and then in the optional memo box, type in, Sandra Badillo.
We will make sure your gift gets to Sandra and her Family in Mexico.
Thank You,
Jack Harris
Jack Harris Ministries 