Perhaps some will wonder about this title. On March 4,2001, I was asked to Preach a funeral service for a man who adhered to SDA doctrine, but was never officially a member.
The service was held in a funeral home, and with the exception of myself, MY pastor, and 4 other SDA's the service congregation were all NON-SDA's, numbering approximately 35.
I believe when opportunity knocks, we should take it, and preach from God's Holy Word HIS true doctrines.
After the service, I received MANY favorable comments in people "finally understanding" what happens at death!
Praise God!
Eldon Russell was born on the 24th of May 1919, in the city of Moncton, New Brunswick.
Glenna and Eldon were married in 1941, and to this union were born 4 children...David, Andy, Cindy and Stanley.
I wish to convey to the family our condolences for the loss of Eldon - their loved one AND my friend!
Eldon, Glenna and I have been friends for about 19 years, and hardly a week didn't go by, that Eldon and I were talking about his favorite textbook, the Holy Bible!
I am honored to be able to give this eulogy of Eldon!
Today, I'd like to share with YOU about what Eldon believed the Bible taught about the 'Nature of Man'!
Eldon believed that the Bible had all the answers that one required in trusting God, and although none of us totally understands everything, it was Eldon's belief that "One day everything would be made plain to us, if we remained faithful to God."
Eldon was an adherent to the doctrines of the SDA Church.
He believed that "ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED OF GOD'( 2 Tim. 3:16), and as the Apostle Paul told Timothy, in the previous verse (15) "these are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
Eldon believed that study of Scriptures involves COMPARING SCRIPTURES. 1 Cor 2:12-13
"12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."
2 TIM 2:15 "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed RIGHTLY DIVIDING the WORD OF TRUTH."
To quote Eldon,
"YOU YOURSELF, KNOW THAT WHAT I AM SAYING IS RIGHT, AND I DON'T MEAN MAYBE'. ..endquote.
So utilizing the Holy Scriptures - Old AND New Testament, let us indeed search out what happens when a person dies!
In Job 14:10 are recorded these words "But man dies and wastes away; Yes, man gives up the Ghost, and where is he?"
AND "IF A MAN, DIE, SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN? JOB 14:14
Indeed!
What does happen to a person at death?
Does the soul live on, and the spirit 'wing its way to heavenward' to be with Jesus?
SDA's have a different belief in the STATE OF THE DEAD compared to other persuasions, and I'd like to share with YOU today,
'HOW Eldon and SDA's' understand the Bible Teaching of the Nature of Man!
WHAT IS DEATH?
Psalms 13:3 "Consider and hear me, O Lord my God, lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death."
David, the Psalmist, is identifying "death as a sleep"!
Didn't David, go to heaven, at his death?
Acts 2:29 "Men and brethern, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us today."
v.34 "For David is not ascended into the heavens..."
In Ecclesiastes 12:7, the Bible says, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it."
WHAT IS MAN'S SPIRIT?
Remember when God created Adam?
Genesis 2:7 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, AND MAN became A LIVING SOUL!"
In Job 27:3, we read these words: "All the while, my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils."
Job 33:4 "The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life."
Eldon believed that when a person dies, his body returns to the dust of the ground again, and the spirit or breath returns to God who gave it.
He also believes that man's soul is NOT immortal, for the Bible says in Ezekiel 18:4,20..."The soul that sins dies"; and when we read Romans 3:23, the Bible says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 6:23" For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
In Romans 2:6-7 , man is admonished to seek for immortality.
IF WE ALREADY HAD IMMORTALITY, WE WOULDN'T NEED TO ASK FOR IT, WOULD WE?
Eldon believed in the Bible teaching found in Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 "For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is NOW perished; neither have they anymore a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun."
Psalms 115:17 " The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence."
FRIENDS!
The Bible, is telling us that the "soul" does NOT go to heaven, at death.
Since the Bible says "a person's emotions are perished" HOW can "The ideas portrayed that loved ones who have passed on" are NOW in the presence of Jesus as a soul and now looking down on their family members?
Some years ago, a patient came to Pugwash hospital to set up an appointment.
To my utter horror, suddenly, he did a backflip, right in front of me, and landed on his back. I rushed to his side, as well as ONE OF THE NURSES. We immediately performed CPR on him, because when "he hit the floor, he had no pulse". Working frantically, and with the aid of a physician and medication, Don recovered.
I well remember that day, and the days to follow!
Don Blaikie, (Dr. Peter Blaikie's father) by the way, was a Minister of the Gospel.
Several months after his heart attack, I did a follow-up xray on Don, and I asked him,
"Don, when you 'conked out', did you go to heaven?
Did you see Jesus?"
"Laurie," Don said, "I don't remember a thing! I was unconscious of all the proceedings around me. It's like I went to sleep. I was totally unaware of my surroundings!"
In the Gospel of John , we read the story about Jesus resurrecting Lazarus, brother to Mary Magdalene and Martha. In fact Lazarus is sick, and dying. Jesus told the disciples that Lazarus was asleep, and the disciples, said,"Oh well that is good." But the next verse, Jesus tells them "PLAINLY LAZARUS IS DEAD."John 11:11-14
When Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, did Jesus say,"Lazarus, come down from heaven?"
NO!
John 11:43 " And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth."
For Jesus to call Lazarus BACK from heaven, would be a contradiction of Holy Scripture, would it not?
Consider...
Suppose Lazarus went to heaven at his death, and for 4 days is enjoying the bliss of heaven. But a voice says "Lazarus! I need you to come back to earth again. I'm going to raise you from the dead!"
Friends!
The Bible says in Rev 21:4 referring to heaven "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH, neither sorrow nor crying, netiher shall there be anymore pain; for the FORMER THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY."
Yes Indeed!
THE FORMER THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY.
And when the righteous are in heaven, they will NOT be called back to earth to die again!
Dear Friends!
Eldon believed that Jesus is Coming Again, and when He returns the dead will be resurrected to life anew, with IMMORTALITY, never to die again!
Remember our opening verse in Job 14:14?
"IF A MAN DIE SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN?"
The verse continues "All the days of my appointed time will I wait until my change come."
And in Job 19:25-27, are recorded these words.
"25 For I know [that] my Redeemer liveth, and [that] he shall stand at the latter [day] upon the earth:
26 And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold..."
Job is telling us that the Bible Record is sound!
We can trust God's Promises !
In 1 Cor 15, the Apostle Paul give us these words of RE-ASSURANCE!
"51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed."
Why do we need a change?
v.49-50
"49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
Our earthly bodies are corruptible...they perish!
The Bible says we need NEW BODIES verses 52-54
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
The Apostle PAUL asks this question in Romans 8
35 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"
verse 37-39
37 "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Paul went on to say in 2 Tim 4:7-8
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."
Friends!
At Christ's Second Coming, and ONLY AT THAT TIME, do the righteous acquire IMMORTAL BODIES.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, WITH A SHOUT!, with the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and with THE TRUMP OF GOD."
Is this a silent or secret rapture?
WHY FRIENDS!
It is so loud it wakes the dead. verse 16LP "And the dead in Christ arise FIRST."
With NEW BODIES! ............. IMMORTAL BODIES!
verse 17 "Then we which are alive and remain (on the earth when Jesus comes), we are changed also. The LIVING also receive IMMORTALITY as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:52.
"We shall be caught up TOGETHER WITH THEM to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
In Revelation 14:13 , we read these words. "And I (JOHN) heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, 'Blessed are the dead which DIE IN THE LORD from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that THEY MAY REST FROM THEIR LABORS, and their works do follow them."
1 Corinthians 15:20 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept."
As Jesus rose from the dead, so He is able and WILL RAISE His people from the dead. Praise God!
We all can have hope, can't we?
Dear Friends!
Eldon would tell you that Jesus is Coming Soon!
One only has to look at the horrors and disasters in this world to realize we are living in the end-times.
Earthquakes in diverse places... USA, Canada, India, China, and South America!
Who will straighten out the Mad Cow disease, and Foot and Mouth Disease that is ravaging England, indeed Europe, and Brazil?
AIDS has taken a foot hold in Africa.
Cancer is an epidemic.
Heart Disease is still the Number 1 Killer!
Friends!
The ONLY solution to Earth's problems is Jesus Christ. He is Coming again!
This time there will be no disappointment!
When Jesus Comes again, there will be a GREAT FAMILY REUNION!
Eldon accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, and
Eldon, I believe, will be among the resurrected righteous in that day...
Oh Friends!
I believe Eldon's prayer for YOU and ME, today, is that all of his friends would be ready to meet the Lord .
John 14:1-3
1 "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."
AMEN!
Benediction Jude 24,25
24 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
****************** [This message has been edited by Karen (edited March 04, 2001).]
