Randy Baker Funeral

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Greetings and Prayer

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Dear friends,

These are among the hardest days of our lives.

We know at some point these days will come and visit each of us as long as the Lord delays His second coming.

And even in Jesus, days like this are difficult, BUT there is hope.

Our hope is in Jesus.

I know Randy enjoyed living, I know he enjoyed his family, his love for music in days gone past. Those are beautiful things that allow us to have joy in remembering the ones we love.

You know music is a gift from God, the sweet melody has order and significance, it beings us joy, it lightens the heart and it blesses us

But there is not a greater blessing that the fact that Randy loved Jesus.

And Randy has put his faith and trust in Jesus.

There is the blessing of our Lord, even in days like this because we know Jesus words to Martha as her brother lay in the grave -

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?” Jn 11:25-26..

Randy has left his body behind, it is merely a shell that housed his soul… The Apostle Paul reminds us in these days “...that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

So today, Randy is in the presence of the Lord, he is safe, whole and well. He stand in the presence of the one who died and gave his life to him.

But the truth remains, whoever believes in Jesus, even though he die, yet shall he live....

The word believe there means to put faith in…

The Scriptures tell us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

As we encounter the Word of God, the Holy Spirit speaks to our heart to help us have faith, to trust the truth of the gospels that Jesus came and laid down his life that we might live.

You see Jesus endured a death on the cross, taking upon his life, the punishment for sin, Jesus suffered and died so that all those who put their faith and trust in Him, might not perish, but have eternal life.

Randy has eternal life… What does that mean for us. It means that one day this shell, it will rise and be made perfect, and the soul and body will be joined together again.

But at that day, Randy, and all those in Christ Jesus will never experience death again. Instead we will have eternal life in the presence of the Lord.

Death my friends, at this point in time is sad, but it is the door way to the eternal one, to God himself and there we are whole and at peace.

But there is coming a day… Listen to the Words of Paul in I Thess 4:13-18

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

See Paul wants to make sure there is no confusion for us about our future state. Paul was given the opportunity to see into heaven.

And Paul says here, Brothers, I dont want you to be uninformed… I dont want you to grieve as others who have no hope

You see we have hope in Jesus.

Since we hold to the truth that Jesus was crucified, died and rose again, even so through Jesus, God will bring with him all those who have fallen asleep.

You see as I said earlier, Randy has already made his journey to heaven, the soul… but there is a day coming when Jesus will return and all those who have made that journey..

And look at what he says… with the call of arch angel, the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.

What does that mean?

The Soul, Randy will be reunited with this body, but in a instant, it will be changed, it will be made as the Lord is, perfect...

And those who remain, who are alive will be changed and caught up in the air with those whose bodies have been raised

And forever we will be with the Lord..

And look at what he says… Encourage one other with those words...

We have hope my friends, and it is because of Jesus....

The best thing we can do in this day is to put our faith and trust in Jesus, so that when this day comes, we are ready.

I am thankful Randy was ready, this gives us an abundance of hope that we will see him again in the days to come

For now, you remember, the love he had for you, all those things that made you smile and laugh. And in a little while you will see Him again if you faith and trust is in Jesus as well

My ole Pastor used to say, in Christ, it is never good by, it is only good night, our joy comes in the morning.

Let us pray...

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