Untitled Sermon (4)

Funeral start at 12

Welcome – We’re here today to celebrate the life of Blaze Brenton Vadis Keim . We’re also her to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians for 2,000 have taken comfort in the words of Christ when He said “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” We know that Blaze placed his trust in Christ several years ago and we too can take comfort that as we trust in Christ, we too will spend our eternity with Him.

Let’s Pray

Message – Blaze Brenton Vadis Keim, who we know best simply as Blaze, went home to be with our Lord and Savior on June, 24 2022 at the age of 14. Blaze as you know, spent nearly 12 years of his life dealing with Leukemia. This afternoon, his mom Lisa as well as his siblings- Summer, Harmony, Kaden, Gaige, Linden, Sammy, Bubba, Bug, and Lyric are all here. And the single unifying message that they would share, that you will all agree on this morning is the type of love and personality that Blaze had.

You see, for many of us this afternoon, we look to blaze as an inspiration. We look to him, in our own walk, in our own difficulty, in our own struggle, and we realize that his fighting spirit, his tenacity, in one way or another, it had a great impact on us.

You see on Tueday morning, I had the privilege of meeting with Lisa and Summer and Harmony. And collectively, they shared story after story of how blaze had been impactful on the lives of those around him. From constant smiles, to always thinking about others, to his sense of humor, which by the way I’m told became a little more colorful once the increased testosterom hit, but in all these ways… we look back on the life of Blaze and say man. That life was spent well!

You see Lisa told me just this last week, that Blaze did everything that most 14 years were able to do; and then some. Like most 14 year olds, he had his favorite foods, his Chips and Salas from Salsas. His Dominos thin crust, pepperoni, jalapeno and pineapple pizza, his starbucks caramel coffee. And of course his Fair fries, soaked in vinegar.

But it wasn’t just the food he enjoyed. Blaze had spent time going to Philadelphia and watching a 76ers game, riding the roller coasters at disney and spending precious time at his grandfathers farm in upstate New York where he would fish, ride the Kubota and enjoy the outdoors like they were meant to be enjoyed.

Blaze also enjoyed playing basketball with his dad and older brother, and by the way, when it comes to playing basketball he would often tell his family that when he goes to heaven he’s “going up there and playin ball” – and he would say: “im going up there and showing them how it’s done.”

Finally, Blaze had an avid love for playing video games. By the way, when it comes to videogame… the most important game was always fortnight, which had to be played on his Xbox, because well. Playing on playstation meant you were dog water. which by the way; if you don’t know what dog water … Blaze would say: “have you ever seen the bottom of lunas bowl after she’s got just a little left… yeah, that’s dog water”

You see, we laugh and look back to special moments with blaze this afternoon. Each with our own moments and times that we will ever treasure. But I want to encourage us this morning, that Blaze is truly in paradise.

You see as blaze took his last breath on Friday, June 24th, although his physical body would stop breathing… his eternity would really just begin. The moment that he breathed his last breath on earth, he would breath his first breath in heaven. The moment that he closed his eyes on earth, he opened his eyes in heaven.

There was no more fighting, there was no more pain, there was no more cancer, no more disease, no more tears, and no more pain. God made everything new in those moments. He gave Blaze a perfect, eternal body.

You see for us this morning, we grieve, our hearts are moved and we struggle, many of us to make sense of what God is doing sometimes… and yet, while we struggle to make sense of everything on this side of heaven. God was welcoming Blaze into his hands for eternity.

1 Cor 2:9 tells us: 9 But as Scripture says: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”

You see on this side of heaven. We can’t possibly imagine the beauty of heaven looks like. We can’t truly grasp what eternity with Jesus will be like. Yet for the next few moments, I would like us to try. You see, when we read about Heaven. The book of revelation has much to say of what our eternity will be. And so, if you would, allow me to read the scripture to us, and in your minds eye, try to visualize what this will look like…

Revelation 21:9-27 tells us 9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits[d] thick.[e] 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[f] 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

You see this afternoon, we get just a small glimpse of what Heaven will be. With precious jewels and, the streets of gold, and angels in all of their splendor and yet… as beautiful as all of this is, the true beauty of Heaven is found in spending eternity with the Lord.

You see, Lisa mentioned to me that when Blaze passed. That here prayer was just simply that he would go Peacefully. She went on to explain to me that on Friday, after the gentleman from hospice came to their home for Blaze. That there was such a sense of peace and love in the house.

You see this afternoon, this peace, and this love, they are not temporary things for Blaze. But truly, this will be how Blaze spends his eternity. With Peace in his heart and with the love of his Heavenly Father, who will walk in relationship with him day-by-day.

You see, when we look back to the life of Blaze, his joy, his laughter, his impact on so many, I think we could all agree that he was someone that was about relationship. And may I encourage us this morning, that when we think of Blaze to realize that in these very moments, that blaze now gets to enjoy relationship, laughter and joy with Jesus, and this he will do for eternity.

For the bible tells us in John 14, it says:

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

You see friends, if I could summarize our time together, I believe the one thing Blaze would want us to know this morning is that we too can have a relationship with Jesus. That we too can spend our eternity in Heaven with God.

For the bible makes it clear in Romans: 3:23 That all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.

And because of this sin.

Romans 6:23 tells us what we’ve earned: 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That’s what we deserve…

But yet. As many of you know John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

But here’s the key, here is our responsibility this morning.

Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

You see friends, there comes a point in our lives, where we will stand accountable before God. Where we must decide if we will accept God into our hearts and live for him… or not…

This afternoon, I’m encouraged knowing that Blaze made this decision several years back. And friends, for those of us who knew him this morning… it made all the difference. The question is… what about you… how will you respond? Will you accept Jesus into your lives as blaze did several years back?

I’m going to read a poem that the family asked me to read as we conclude our time this morning, and that will conclude our time together this morning.

Poem entitled: As I sit in Heaven

As I sit in heaven and watch you everyday, I try to let you know with signs I never went away. I hear you when you’re laughing, and watch you as you sleep. I even place my arms around you to calm you as you weep. I see you wish the days away, begging to have me home. So I try to send you signs so you know you are not alone. Don’t feel guilty that you have life that was denied to me. Heaven is truly beautiful, just you wait and see. So live your life, laugh again, enjoy yourself, be free. Then I know with every breath you take You’ll be taking one for me.

1 Cor 15:51-58

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[a] this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray