A Memorial for a Beloved Friend

Introduction

We are here to memorialize a son, brother, husband, father, step-father, grandmother, uncle and friend. _______ kept the seriousness of his last battle with his sickness low key and quiet.

Preparation for Eternity

He knew that this last battle was going to take his life, so it is miraculous that he had time to prepare himself. The week before he passed away was momentous. _______ was baptized by his son and took on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. His wife said that he spent much of his time praying after he was baptized.

The Preciousness of Death

The word of God says in Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints?

The death of this man is precious because it has brought together friends, family, saints, and sinners for fellowship.

The death of this man is precious because it will inevitably cause all of us to consider our readiness to go out into eternity.

Hope in the Face of Death

While death rejoices because it has once again issued its terrible sting and the grave exults in victory, someone here today can repent, be baptized and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Someone here right now will begin to feel the move and drawing of the Holy Spirit.

The Gain of Dying

To us who remain, we do not want to see any of those we love to struggle, for their bodies to break down and for them to pass. Paul wrote to the Philippian saints that to die is gain. For any saint that has passed from this earthly realm and has passed on to glory land, they have received something far better than a miraculous healing; they have passed from death to the perfect life. In that city where the Lamb is the light.

No more sickness, no more struggling to breathe, no more treatments, no more care, no more sorrow, no more worry, no more heartache, no more pain, no more misunderstanding, no more sleepless nights, no more hard times, no more financial worries, etc. It sounds like a place we ought to prepare ourselves for.

Confidence in the Afterlife

“So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord...(8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:6, 8)(NKJV)

You see death is not death if you have repented of your sins, been baptized in the name of Jesus, and filled with the Holy Ghost. It is merely a change of place, a change of state, a transfer from one realm to another.

The Nature of Death

Death is not death if it kills no part of us, except that which hindered us from perfect life.

Death is not death if it raises us from darkness to light, from weakness to strength.

Death is not death if it perfects our faith by sight, and lets us behold Him in whom we have believed.

Death is not death if it rids us of doubt and fear, of sickness and disease, of sorrow and sadness.

Death is not death; for Christ has conquered death, for Himself, and for those who trust in Him.

The Promise of Eternal Life

2 Cor. 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (NKJV) Isn’t it marvelous that Paul reminds us that this body is a tent, and a tent was never intended to be a permanent dwelling place. The outer shell will break down and fail, but that which is contained within this outer shell, namely the Holy Ghost, is more valuable than this outer shell.

Even if your body is devastated by cancer, cancer cannot devastate and kill the Holy Spirit. Even if the outer man perishes, the unseen man which is filled with the Holy Ghost will be raised up again.

Readiness for Eternity

If we are not taken out of here by that great catching away at the sound of that trumpet, we also will go by the way of the grave. We must ready ourselves to meet the master. Are we ready today? Is our spirits free from the weight and gravitational pull of sin, bitterness, unforgiveness, unfaithfulness, and false doctrine?

Are we ready? If your time on earth were to end today and you were called out into eternity, are you ready?

A Cautionary Tale

Spanning a wild cascade in the Scottish Highlands stood the massive “High Bridge.” It was structurally sound and one of the strongest bridges in the country, but it was pronounced unsafe and closed for heavy traffic. A few years later, the central arch gave way, and the destruction was complete.

What caused this mighty bridge to collapse and fall? It was a little seed, a tiny birch tree seed that triggered the demolition of the large structure. A gust of wind caught that seed and lifted it into a fissure above the keystone of the bridge. It sank into the moldy lime. It germinated in the winter rain. It grew into a sapling, so small at first that a child’s hand could have pulled it out. But it was allowed to grow into a tree, digging its deep roots into the mortar, eventually wrenching the solid bridge to the rocky cliffs below.

And so that bridge which had defied the tempest for two hundred years finally succumbed to a seed so small that it could be lifted by a gust of autumn wind! Eradicate any seedling of an u... keep reading with free account

A Memorial for a Beloved Friend

Introduction

We are here to memorialize a son, brother, husband, father, step-father, grandmother, uncle and friend. _______ kept the seriousness of his last battle with his sickness low key and quiet.

Preparation for Eternity

He knew that this last battle was going to take his life, so it is miraculous that he had time to prepare himself. The week before he passed away was momentous. _______ was baptized by his son and took on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. His wife said that he spent much of his time praying after he was baptized.

The Preciousness of Death

The word of God says in Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints?

The death of this man is precious because it has brought together friends, family, saints, and sinners for fellowship.

The death of this man is precious because it will inevitably cause all of us to consider our readiness to go out into eternity.

Hope in the Face of Death

While death rejoices because it has once again issued its terrible sting and the grave exults in victory, someone here today can repent, be baptized and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Someone here right now will begin to feel the move and drawing of the Holy Spirit.

The Gain of Dying

To us who remain, we do not want to see any of those we love to struggle, for their bodies to break down and for them to pass. Paul wrote to the Philippian saints that to die is gain. For any saint that has passed from this earthly realm and has passed on to glory land, they have received something far better than a miraculous healing; they have passed from death to the perfect life. In that city where the Lamb is the light.

No more sickness, no more struggling to breathe, no more treatments, no more care, no more sorrow, no more worry, no more heartache, no more pain, no more misunderstanding, no more sleepless nights, no more hard times, no more financial worries, etc. It sounds like a place we ought to prepare ourselves for.

Confidence in the Afterlife

“So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord...(8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:6, 8)(NKJV)

You see death is not death if you have repented of your sins, been baptized in the name of Jesus, and filled with the Holy Ghost. It is merely a change of place, a change of state, a transfer from one realm to another.

The Nature of Death

Death is not death if it kills no part of us, except that which hindered us from perfect life.

Death is not death if it raises us from darkness to light, from weakness to strength.

Death is not death if it perfects our faith by sight, and lets us behold Him in whom we have believed.

Death is not death if it rids us of doubt and fear, of sickness and disease, of sorrow and sadness.

Death is not death; for Christ has conquered death, for Himself, and for those who trust in Him.

The Promise of Eternal Life

2 Cor. 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (NKJV) Isn’t it marvelous that Paul reminds us that this body is a tent, and a tent was never intended to be a permanent dwelling place. The outer shell will break down and fail, but that which is contained within this outer shell, namely the Holy Ghost, is more valuable than this outer shell.

Even if your body is devastated by cancer, cancer cannot devastate and kill the Holy Spirit. Even if the outer man perishes, the unseen man which is filled with the Holy Ghost will be raised up again.

Readiness for Eternity

If we are not taken out of here by that great catching away at the sound of that trumpet, we also will go by the way of the grave. We must ready ourselves to meet the master. Are we ready today? Is our spirits free from the weight and gravitational pull of sin, bitterness, unforgiveness, unfaithfulness, and false doctrine?

Are we ready? If your time on earth were to end today and you were called out into eternity, are you ready?

A Cautionary Tale

Spanning a wild cascade in the Scottish Highlands stood the massive “High Bridge.” It was structurally sound and one of the strongest bridges in the country, but it was pronounced unsafe and closed for heavy traffic. A few years later, the central arch gave way, and the destruction was complete.

What caused this mighty bridge to collapse and fall? It was a little seed, a tiny birch tree seed that triggered the demolition of the large structure. A gust of wind caught that seed and lifted it into a fissure above the keystone of the bridge. It sank into the moldy lime. It germinated in the winter rain. It grew into a sapling, so small at first that a child’s hand could have pulled it out. But it was allowed to grow into a tree, digging its deep roots into the mortar, eventually wrenching the solid bridge to the rocky cliffs below.

And so that bridge which had defied the tempest for two hundred years finally succumbed to a seed so small that it could be lifted by a gust of autumn wind! Eradicate any seedling of an unfaithfulness, unforgiving spirit in your life before it brings about your downfall and ultimate ruin. Don’t disappoint your future!

Investing in Your Soul

“For surely you have a future ahead of you; your hope will not be disappointed” (Prov 23:18, NLT).

“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Suppose a man should gain the whole world, it cannot keep him from trouble; it cannot give him peace of conscience; it cannot comfort him in sorrow; it cannot make a soft pillow for him when he is dying; it cannot purchase heaven for him when he is gone. All he can do with the world, after he has it, is to keep it until he dies; he cannot carry any part of it with him to the other life.

The Cost of the Soul

“How much did he leave?” asked one, referring to a millionaire who had recently died. “Every cent,” was the reply. He left it all. It is easy to see that there is no profit, but an eternal loss in gaining the entire world at the price of one’s soul. Many people sell their souls for a much smaller price than “the whole world.” Some do it for a few hours of guilty pleasure; some for a political office; some for money; some for honor which fades in a day. Men sell their souls for very little. They barter their heavenly birthright for a bowl of soup.

The Choice We Make

It is a choice between self-seeking and self-giving, between those values that are of the earth earthy, and of those values that are born of a vital faith in God. When the soul is lost, there is no way of recovering it. When you have made your choice, and lived your life, whether right or wrong, there is no possibility of changing the results. You only have one life. A soul lost cannot be gotten back; no money will redeem it. Where are you going to invest your life? Are you going to stake your all on a spiritual life or an earthly one?

A Call to Action

Don’t disappoint your future by forsaking your consecration and committing spiritual shipwreck on the very threshold of eternity.

The Invitation

Life’s greatest tragedy is to lose God and not miss Him.

Can you hear the Lord calling, come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and HE will give you rest.

Take his burden for it is light.