Richard Stolfus Funeral

Welcome everyone to this celebration of life. I want to express my sorrow for your loss of Richard. It’s never easy

Opening Prayer ——Today God we acknowledge You in this service, that life doesn't end at death, there is life after death. There is a after life that takes place for everyone after they die and it is based on a choice we make while we are still alive. Lord, it’s above our pay grade to try and decide weather a person went to Heaven or Hell. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. We don’t know what happens in the heart of a person in the last moments of life. Each of us will have this choice to make. Lord we ask the Comforter to comfort each person grieving the loss of Richard.

Bible Readings—-

Sharing Memories —- He worked for me while we built a church building 60 x 100 with two 40 x 40 wings. The side wall were 18 feet high. It stretched Richard a little with that height. He was a good worker as long as you were there to help him. He got to frame, set rafters, side, soffit and facia, shingle, hang sheetrock on 18’ ceilings in a scissors lift and then mud and tape the joints. Richard stayed clean and served God for 2 or 3 years. he was very sensitive to the power of the Holy Spirit. If you laid hands on Him to pray for him he would fall to the floor by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Message—-Through Richards death, what does his death teach us about life??—- Life is a gift, not a right. What is a gift, it means that someone is giving you this opportunity to still be breathing on this earth today. We are not in control. I wake up in the morning and tell Him good morning and to thank Him for the new day. The Bible says that “His mercy’s are new every morning”. He has allowed us to have the gift of life for another day and to “not worry about tomorrow for it will have enough problems of its own”. Life is a gift. That is the thing about God, ”He is the giver of Good gifts” and that “He is for you not against you”. He is the “lover of your soul”. He loves you. He knows every hair on your head, He knew you when you were in your mothers womb. God has a plan for your life, He has given you the gift of life today, what will you do with it?? Will you glorify God with the life He has given you??

What else can we learn from Richards death?? That we are not in control of our own life. The Bible tells us to “trust in the Lord with all your Heart and to not lean on our own understanding but to acknowledge Him in all our ways”. Jesus put His trust in God, and that is what God likes, a person who will trust Him in the Good and Bad times. The bible says “you are not your own, that you have been bought with a price”. That was Jesus who bought you with a price, through His death on a cross for the forgiveness of all our sins. God likes a person who surrenders to Him through Jesus. Through Richards death we can see the need of knowing where you will spend eternity. “It is Gods will that all mankind be saved from Hell, and go to Heaven”. It all comes down to a choice each person will have to make for themselves. you don’t go to heaven by doing good deeds, or being baptized as a infant. The Bible teaches the only way to the Father (God) is through Jesus. God wants each of us to repent of our sins and ask Jesus to come into our lives and be the Boss from that day forward, to surrender to Him. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. You may say a simple prayer in your own words something like this (God forgive me of all my sins and Jesus thank you for dying for me so my sins can be forgiven. Jesus, I want a changed life, come into my life and be the Lord and Saviour from this day forward. You can know that Heaven is your eternal home.

A time of silent reflection to God

Closing Prayer —-Numbers 6:24–26 “24 May Yahweh bless you and protect you; 25 may Yahweh make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may Yahweh look with favor on you and give you peace.”