Funeral for Russell Bennett

A time for mourning

Even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, mourned the death of a love one. Describe

John 11

32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Moses’ Death

7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. 8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: 12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

Take time to mourn. Our understanding as men is that death is permanent and the removal of loved ones from our lives hurts.

Russell Story #1 - Crab Story..... Remember that Papa pointed out the hermit crabs and Russell told him he knew everything to know about crabs

Everything is temporary except God

Although we may be at home in our body, our true home is with the Lord

5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

King James Version Psalm 30

5  For †his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Song Called Blessings

What if my greatest disappointments Or the aching of this life Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy What if trials of this life The rain, the storms, the hardest nights Are your mercies in disguise

Russell Story #2 - Claire and Russell meet - it was at Papa’s mother’s funeral. Alan and Jesse kept trying to get Claire to date Russell. Russell had an afro and was dressed really funny. Claire wasn’t attracted to say the least. Then through some strange circumstance of directions and finding an old church, she ends up on a dirt road going 60mph to get away from him........ 2 weeks later, they were living together. It wasn’t his looks that got her, it was his peaceful quiet demeanor and his spirit for listening that charmed his way into her heart.

THE RACE HAS BEEN RUN

King James Version Chapter 4

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Russell has ran his race but we can rejoice cause he is now wearing his crown of righteousness.

We can rejoice cause accepting Christ and a life of hard work ends in God saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Hard work ends

Began in with Christ and Lazarus. 3 Chapters later, Christ is crucified and resurrected. In 20 minutes we’ve gone from Christ raising a man from the dead in the bible to now Christ himself has been redeemed.

- Christ tells us what awaits for us in heaven

King James Version Chapter 14

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

For some....... today is truly goodby

For those of us that have accepted Christ, today is simply SEE YOU LATER - SEE YOU LATER BROTHER - SEE YOUR LATER NEPHEW - SEE YOU LATER UNCLE - SEE YOU LATER DAD - SEE YOU LATER HUSBAND - SEE YOU LATER .......... SON

RUSSELL STORY #3 - Dancing with Lacey

Describe the stores that have stupid trinkets

It’s been told to me that Lacey’s dad, Randy, had a habit of always bringing her and Chasity candy or a toy, or whatever trinket was at the cash register. Kind of a way that Dad’s love their children. When I met Lacey, Randy had already passed a few years before and Russell was still in prison. When he got out of prison, we would go over G n P’s and Lacey started finding trinkets waiting for her. Russell was buying little things he thought Lacey would like and bringing them home. Now Papa has always, and will always be the closest thing emotionally to a father Lacey has outside of Randy, but....... Russell was the closet thing physically, she had to her father. One night, us, Claire, Heather, Jerry Lynn, and Russell went to the Stage Coach Ballroom. Lacey was feeling sentimental being with her extended family and she was telling me how much Russell reminded her of her father. I went to Russell and asked him to dance with Lacey. Her father wasn’t here to dance with her and Russell was the closet thing she had. The next memory I have is seeing Lacey tuck her head under Russell’s arm as they danced.

At that moment....... Russell stepped in for Randy and it was Dad and Daughter dancing together. That’s my greatest memory of Uncle Russell

Closing Prayer

Pray thanks for Russell’s life and for all the lives he’s left behind him and end with........

I am standing on the mountain, I can hear the angels' songs, I am reaching over Jordon, Take my hand, Lord lead me home. Take my hand, Lord lead me home.