Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I lost a very good friend recently. I guess the older we get, the more friends and family we lose. Anyway, I wrote the following eulogy in tribute to him and the godly life he lived (name changed to protect the deceased, who is now more fully-alive than anyone of us!) Joe Christian died today and is now at rest in Heaven. However, Joe would not wish for this to be a somber occasion! We do not grieve like those who have no Eternal Hope -- we CELEBRATE because Joe has now been transformed from mortal to immortal. He is in Paradise and there is NO SORROW there -- only unfathomable HAPPINESS. He is looking down upon us from the Heavenlies hoping that we ALL will join him soon. There is no regret in a Christian’s death when they arise to find themselves in a much better place than what this world has to offer. Every Christian has God’s PROMISE on this, and Joe gladly took God at His Word. We are well-served to do the same. We will either be Raptured, or we will die so as to live again in a world that we cannot even fathom! But Joe’s death transcends his life and hopefully, through his mortal death, allows the Holy Spirit one final opportunity to reach out and touch one of his acquaintances that has come to pay their last respects. While Joe’s body is lifeless, his Spirit is fully alive and moving amongst those gathered in this sanctuary. Joe lived an honorable life and reflected the Light of Jesus onto those around him -- all to the Glory of God! Joe has now traded his corrupt body in order to acquire a new uncorrupted and Glorified Body. Hallelujah!! The words of this eulogy are shared in the hope that it might change the life of one hurting and lost soul --just as similar words changed Joe’s eternal destiny many years ago. Joe would be delighted and honored to know that through his passing someone might come to realize the TRUTH, receive the Word of God, and trade death for LIFE!! Thus, a destiny will be rerouted from the Horrors of Hell to the Blessings of Heaven!! If Jesus can save the soul of a once-wretched sinner like Joe, then there is no barrier about saving any other sinner. It takes ONLY ONE reflective moment, ONLY ONE chance recognized, ONLY ONE opportunity seized, and ONLY ONE FREE GIFT ACCEPTED. This is not about Joe Christian, or about his pastor, or about his family. This moment is about ONE individual who may be desperately seeking HOPE and DIRECTION in their life. So in the worldly vernacular, we might say “This Bud’s for YOU". In the Heavenly Realm, it might better be stated as, “This message from God, spoken through the Holy Spirit about Jesus Christ is for YOU!!” Almost two thousand years ago on Passover, the day the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb was slain in Israel, on a Cross, on a hill, at Calvary, Jesus Christ died so that we could live. What better way is there to honor the memory of Joe Christian, than to know that THIS day (the day you came here to pay your last respects to Joe) that you believed the TRUTH and were saved by the sacrifice of God's perfect Lamb, His only begotten Son, Who lived a Perfect, Spotless life so that HE could be found worthy in death to pay the penalty for YOUR sins. Thus, He paid a debt that He didn’t owe, because we owed a debt that we couldn’t pay!! He paid our account in full so that Joe Christian, and you, and I can pass over (thus the term PASSOVER) FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE. We are all just a heartbeat away from death. Do you KNOW where YOU will spend eternity? Please, if you do not have the ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE that if you died at this moment that you would go directly to Heaven, then PLEASE listen to these Words from God (like Joe did), reflect on His PROMISE, seize upon your moment of opportunity, and accept what the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart (from Romans 10: 9, 10,13): .. if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou SHALT BE SAVED…For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED. It is as simple as that! Believe that Jesus Christ lived a Perfect life and died a Perfect propitiatory death so that we could have LIFE, and THAT more abundantly!! There are no WORKS involved, there is nothing that we can do to EARN our Salvation because we are all lost sinners without hope. That is unless we accept that Jesus did all the work, and that His last words on the Cross confirmed it when He victoriously, for all time, for all of mankind, declared that “IT IS FINISHED!!” Joe is at rest in those promises right now. Final Note: My eulogy seemed to be well-received and there were a lot of tears. Mostly for Joe, but some for my pathetic attempt to speak in front of a live audience. I thank God that I write better than I speak! God bless you all my friends -- time is short. Humbly Truly, when someone dies in the Lord, we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Lovely words, Humbly Irrelevant, and crafted as an artist painting a masterpiece for the King. Well done. Surely the Lord is honored and pleased with your sentiments. Wow, Watchman35, those are very kind words -- thank you!! True Christians only care about pleasing our Lord, and I know, as well as you, that we fail so often. So once in awhile, when we are able to paint a little picture with words that pleases the Lord, it is an honor to Him that He allows us to reflect His light onto others. God bless you my friend -- I look forward to meeting you soon on the other side. Humbly Friends: Although losing a Christian friend or relative is difficult, we take solace in the fact that they have passed and are in a better place with Jesus -- a place that we also want very much to be. This life is extremely hard and we deal with this world the best that we can before we are either Raptured or we also pass on like those before us and enter into Paradise. We look forward to leaving this planet, to leaving its cares, its sorrows, its evilness. But we also know that as a Christian we are told by Jesus to pick up His Cross daily and bear it bravely and faithfully. He has promised to reward us in the next world -- we just need to be patient and faithful. This we do, but it doesn't come without consequences. I have to share with you that my niece was kidnapped and it was just confirmed that she is no longer part of this earth. My brother and his wife are in shambles, as is the rest of my family. But my niece's passing isn't the travesty in all this -- the travesty is that neither she, nor my family are saved. They have rejected all attempts to bring Jesus to them. Thus, my niece is experiencing eternal torment right now and my family in inconsolable -- and still lost. I don't take this lightly, but I figured it would come to this and they had their chances, just like millions, or billions, of other sinners on this earth My niece is lost forever, but I still believe that through her death another person can be saved before it is too late. I'm sorry for this downer of a posting, but I also take this as an opportunity to continue to reach out to the lost and bring them with us to Paradise. Although it's too late for some, it's not too late for others. Please don't ever stop trying to reach out to the lost. Don't be discouraged by their aggressiveness against the Gospel. All we can do is try to help them, to plant a seed, or to water a seed that someone else has planted. We must remember that only Jesus can bring the increase and only He knows who can be reached and who can't. It isn't for us to decide who to reach out to -- it is only up to us to reach out to whomever He brings into our sphere of influence. Don't give up, don't give in, and don't give way Brethren. Keep pushing forward and keep looking toward Jesus -- don't look back to the fiery wrath that the enemy has inflicted in the past. Look toward the future -- look toward Jesus! I'm rambling again, I'm sorry. This fight to assist in bringing others to Jesus is just too important to ever quit! Have faith and have strength! Your pal, Humbly Great messages throughout this thread! The encouragements are great, the call to continue is wonderful. Indeed there are times when the soul must grieve! Though this existence is temporal and when measured against eternity, it is insignificant to say the least. And even still, God knows our pain. He sees the suffering, the heartaches, and all the wasted moments of life. He grieves also! Even in spite of the love of life God has blessed us all with there are times when death is a vehicle of mercy. I have often viewed martyrdom to sometimes being preferred, rather than a long and troublesome life. But the larger and more constant truth is that for some, only at death does life begin. Seems to me that the Lord doesn't leave anyone here one day longer than they need to be. Nor does He take anyone off this planet one day sooner than is necessary! This is the goodness of God. It also seems a good axiom for those with hope, longing for His return!!! TR Humbly, I also have to face the fact that my own dad and my husbands dad may both be eternally lost. We witnessed often and consistently but we are not 100% sure that either one choose Christ. I have other family members who are “happily religious- don’t mess with my life style choices” and it is heart breaking to see. We can only plant the seed, God gives the increase. But I agree with you, it breeds a heavy heart knowing the eternal suffering they have ahead of them. Maybe I’m way off base or just bonkers, but I started saying “please Lord reach that one, put someone in their path” for every car I drive past, every person that gets within my line of vision. I want Christ to return a this second, but there are so many who still need Jesus. Maybe it will take the rapture to wake them up, before the strong delusions come. What a mess we have made of God’s perfect world, but soon we will see Him face to face and as Revelation 5:12 says “and the voice shouted, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” maranatha! :prayer-hands: Humbly, very sorry to hear about your niece. Praying for your family. Maybe she reached out to the Lord when she was in that terrible situation. ?? Yes, Humbly...agreeing with Melissa...I had the same thought. Your prayers will not return void. I pray this is the beginning of your whole family "coming in." God bless you dear brother and your beautiful humble heart! :heart: Thank you all for your kind words -- I'm truly touched! And thank you Melissa and Glorybound for your continued prayers that my niece reached out to the Lord in her final moments and was saved just like the Thief on the Cross. Like I said earlier, "My niece is lost forever, but I still believe that through her death another person can be saved before it is too late." We can only pray that this is true and continue to believe that it is never too late while a breath is still there to be taken to be born-again. Humbly Humbly, I’m so sorry to hear of the tragedy that happened to your beloved niece. I’m not sure of your niece’s age but it looks like the age of accountability might be 19 years and younger that are still covered under the blood. Exodus 30:14 “Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.” God’s Word doesn’t return void so I’m sure during those frightening moments your niece endured, chances are she recalled all the times she heard the salvation message and perhaps she did call upon Jesus. We are going to be very surprised in who makes heaven and I know the Lord wants families together. I will be praying that her parents hearts soften and they cling to Jesus instead of being bitter towards Him. Keep the faith. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. :rose: 
… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED.
