Nikolej Jakimenko Memorial service. 20/5 - 2023

Nikolej Jakimenko Memorial service. 20/5 - 2023

“The blue sky beckons the heart with a dream, Living faith has become our common destiny.

He made us family, He made us friends, He gave us a new name, we are called Christians.

He made us family, He made us friends, He gave us a new name, we are called Christians.

Jesus became our friend, we actually learned He heals ailments, removes sorrows.

He grants forgiveness, peace and happiness without measure, And the second birth, just sincerely believe.”

With the words of this song, I would like to welcome family, friends and church in the name of the Lord Jesus to Nikolej Jakaminko’s memorial service.

My name is Kristian and I am the pastor of Koinonia International Christian fellowship, and that is how I got to meet Nikolej and his family.

Scripture and prayer: John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

As Christians followers of Jesus our hope is set on Jesus Christ, his life death and resurrection, in his death he defeats Satan, sin and death, atones for our sin makes us clean, by his resurrection, we can be resurrected, - as Jesus asked, I will ask do you believe that? Do you have hope in Jesus Christ, for life, in death, to eternal life in Christ? There is no better day that today to repent and trust in Jesus.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Praisebe to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

The life of the believer is not easy, but we can be comforted in our trouble, with the comfort of Christ.

Let’s Pray:

About:

Nikolej: Was married to Tatiana for 41 years, who described Him as helpful, helping at home at church, he did not say no when people asked for help.

Orla, a good and open soul, He was not tall -but big in other ways, was known as kind and helped other people handicapped people and children liked him.

Luba, he was alive when his focus was outward,

Nickolej got Baptized in 2007, as he confessed Jesus as his Lord, God and Savior.

Other things he was a boxer and really liked horses.

And he loved to dance… the family has videos…

I asked the family about a favorite verse and they said that “Deuteronomy 6:5

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. As Jesus also said in the gospels when asked what is the greatest commandment. They also shared about Nikolej praying and confessing his sin to God.

Nikolej lost fingers in a work accident and about 10 years ago he went blind, life was not easy.

Luba said about Nikolej after he turned blind, he became more introspective, instead of outward as before, and it made him live less, focus was punt on what was bad, and wrong, fear and resentment started to take over. Then when the war came, he also became a refuge, had to flee, and go to a new culture that he did not know, and did not speak the langue.

The last 10 years he had many up and downs, good times and bad, but the last 7 days of his life was very up and down, ok and not okay, angry, sad, mad well, and lost one time direction in the house.

The next part I will share, I think is important for the family and for you, that you might understand them better and what they are dealing with. It is also so that you can encouraged them with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and speak life to them, and so that you can pray for them, and walk with them, in the sorrow and lament.

As I said before life was not easy for Nekolej, and he had problems physical, up and down days and could have had mental/cognitive. Nikolej choose to end his life Saturday a week ago today.

What followed was chock, questions, frustrations, anger why?

(Fool) [-There are no easy answers] The thief comes to seek kill and destroy, - but I (Jesus) have come that you may have life abounded.

We read in the psalms cries to God, honest prayers, we don’t have to hid from God how we feel, he knows.

When we praying honestly Jesus can meet us in our pain and sorrow, and it right and good to bring it all to God, that we many experience comfort in Jesus. - Don’t be a miserable comforter, if you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything but, be there. Jobs friends sat with Job, in his sorrow, it was after they open their mouth, the were not helpful].

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Where is out hope? The same place it always has been, in the work of Jesus, Jesus knows all our sin, and in him all is washed away, Jesus knows what and who he dies for and redeems, in Christ, he is the life, the salvation by his blood, the resurrection because he rose again, - we do not grieve as others without hope, because our hope is set in Jesus Christ. Our hope is not found in our self but in Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:3-4

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.