Death Is Not The End!

Introduction

I first give Honor and Praise to Jesus Christ, who is my savior and the head of my life. To Pastor Mims and any Ministers in attendance and to the bereaved family and friends of Dave. I am Min. Robert C. Swanson, A servant of God and a slave to Jesus the Christ. I am humbled to be here today. When Dave called and asked me to give the eulogy last year I cried. He said I hope it won’t be no time soon and I said me too. This is my first time giving a Eulogy and I pray for the Holy Spirit to take over and God speak through me to deliver the message He want you to hear.

I met Dave about five years ago at the American Legion during our weekly breakfasts. I’m a chef and I love cooking for the older veteran at the post. We have great fellowships every week. I got to know Dave well and he used to come in about a hour before breakfast started and socialize with us that works in the kitchen. He loved telling Jokes.

When Dave got to the Post, before they changed the time of Breakfast, I would be doing my morning devotions and one day we struck up a conversation about what I was doing. I explained I try and start my day in God’s word and get instuctions from God for my day. He asked if I was a preacher and I explained I was in school studying to become one. From that day on he would always ask me for a good word for the day.

Dave was blessed to live a long life. God allowed him to live 89 years, that’s 32,859 days on earth. I also did some research on the Name William David. William means “resolute protector” a person of strength, reliability and a desire to protect others. People named William are perceived as strong, reliable, and trustworthy. The name David means beloved and combining the two names together could be interpreted as “Resolute protector and beloved. People whom are named William David possess deep historical and religious significance associated with leadership, strength and endearment. I’m sure he will surely be missed by everyone he touched in his long life. I know I will miss the many jokes he told. He had one joke about a preacher I told him I may use one day.

So what do you say to a family that is mourning a loved one? I know it is never easy to loose anything you love. I had a pair of house shoes that I loved once and my wife made me throw them away because they were worn out. But they were so comfortable to me and I sure missed them until I broke in another pair. But I came to let you know that death is not the end. Hebrews 9:27 says, And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” Once we die we all will have to go before God. If you have accepted Christ as your savior you will go before the mercy seat, and if you refused to believe, you go to the Great White throne to be judged.

Brother Dave talked with me some mornings and one day he asked me why did I think so many bad things was happening in the world and I told him when sin came into the world all of God’s creation became disturbed and is groaning. Sin brought consequences but God always had a plan and it was through the sacrifice of Christ. I asked Dave if he was saved. He said he believed he was, and I explained to him that in Romans 10:9–10 says “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” and Dave said he believed in his heart and I explained just as I want to make clear today that as a believer we no longer have a sin problem. When Christ died over 2000 years ago, He died for our Past, present and future sins. He died for us before we were even a thought in our parents minds. Romans 5:17 says, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)” We were born with a three part being. We are Spirit, Soul, and body. When we are born we are a natural being and have not had our spirit brought to life. We have a sinful nature. The moment we were born our physical body is destined to die and go back to the ground. Sin gives the devil access to our body, The moment we accept Jesus as our savior we become spiritual beings and the Holy Spirit comes inside us and seals our spirit until the day of redemption. That is when our Physical body die or Jesus returns to make His enemies His foot-stool. When the Holy Spirit comes in us He brings us the mind of Christ and the Fruits of the spirit and we become a new creation and are regenerated to the family of God. All believers are brothers and sisters in Christ. Dave was my brother. The holy spirit is given to us by God to reprove mankind of his unbelief, He reveals the way in which man has wronged God and departed from His truth. The Holy Spirit attests that mankind is deserving of eternal judgement by a just and righteous God.

When my sister died in 2016 I wanted to die. I wasn’t going to do God’s job and take my own life but I did tell Him to take me home. I was angry and when I did get to where I could go to God I cried out. I ask why did he take my sister from me? God said she wasn’t mine to take. It’s like when we were kids out playing with friends and right in the middle of a good time someone’s mom call them telling the its time to go home. I wasn’t ready for them to go but they had to go. God told me it wasn’t my time. See I knew I was saved and I was not afraid to die. But God showed me I had not completed my purpose. Many Christians I know like myself got saved because we didn’t want to go to hell. But God don’t save us just to keep us from hell. God saved us so we can serve His purpose and the only way we can do that is by developing a relationship with Him. God is relational. He longs for every one of His creations to be in relationship with Him spending time in His presence. I went to church for years singing hymns and I didn’t know Him. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. When we get saved we become a new creation. All things become new and our spirit becomes alive. We still look the same though. I was fat i’m still fat, but what happened is my spirit became alive and I have the mind of Christ is me through the holy spirit and I still have my own mind. What must happen next is I must begin to renew my mind. I can’t continue to think the way of the world I need to train my spiritual eyes to be able to see what God sees. The way we renew our mind is through the word of God. God gave us his word as it say in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 that All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” As we study God’s word He will speak to us and tell us about who we are, Who’s we are and what we have now that we have Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12 states, Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Death is a message to us to remind us that This life is not the end. 2 Peter 3:9 say’s “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” We all will face this reality one day and none of us know the day or the hour. The devil came to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus said in John 10:9–10 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

I was struggling with coming to the ministry. I was 50 when I accepted God’s call. I was deep in the world saved but not living the abundant life because I didn’t have a relationship with God. I was thinking I need to stop smoking and drinking and that I would be missing out on fun. But what I learned is God want you to come as you are. Nothing you can do or have done can make God love you anymore or any less. He Loves you so much and he want to spend time with you. Taste and see that the lord is Good, I promise if you get to truly know Jesus His goodness will cause you to want to do please Him. Don’t worry about anything the enemy uses to make you feel you need to quit before coming to Jesus, because as you start to develop your relationship and renew your mind to the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit will work in you and God will strengthen you to break away from the bondage of sin. Philippians 1:6 states, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” That is God will continue to work in you until you get to be face to face with Him. TO be absent from the body is to be present with God. Some things will take time but you have to be intentional about being in the presence of God.

How you may be asking, How do I renew my mind to the mind of Christ. I’m glad you asked.

Spend time reading God’s word and in prayer. God’s word is a mirror and it will allow you to examine yourself, and we need to ask God search your heart and find your anxious thought and to remove anything that is in you that is not pleasing to Him and if you intentionally seek Him he will reveal himself to you. As you spend time with God He you will find comfort from all you may be going through. During your time of bereavement is the best time to call out to God for Comfort and to give you peace to make it through. God tells us He will give us perfect peace if we keep our mind stayed on Jesus. I Believe everything God say in His word. Romans 3:3–4 “3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”

In closing I want to encourage you to pray, talk to God especially during this time of bereavement. God Can give you peace that surpasses all understanding. Isaiah 26:3 says “you will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Tell Jesus you need His peace, and trust Him to. Some may find it hard to cry out to God and don’t know how to pray. I wanna close giving you Three simple prayers.

The first simple prayer is Jesus, I surrender my will to you. When we pray this one line prayer, we submit ourselves to the power of Jesus and His spirit. We remember we are not slaves of sin any more and we are living through our faith in Christ, our redeemer. Sin will not be the cause for us to not go to heaven

The next simple prayer is Jesus I need you. Jesus wants us to depend on Him, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

The next simple prayer is Jesus I trust you. This prayer will remind you to put your trust in Jesus, He may not come when we want Him, but I can assure you know He will come on time. I know He is always on time, because he is an on time God and He never do things the way we expect or the same way.

Lastly If you have never said the confession of faith and if your are not absolutely certain where you will spend eternity, don’t leave here today not knowing or being sure. Tomorrow is promised to anyone. I used to Pray with my brother Dave and I would love for you to join in with me. Please can we all bow our heads and say this simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and God Raised Him from the dead.

I now receive my salvation and my righteousness

I now receive the forgiveness of my sins and eternal life.

I know receive my divine financial, physical and mental health.

Thank you lord for saving me, In Jesus name I pray, amen!!!!